Tactics might change, but strategies stay the same.
That’s never been more true than when it comes to content marketing. Whilst the old rules of UX still apply more than ever, new technologies are also redlining the limits of audience engagement and conversion.
If you want a reminder of the basics, and an update on the breakthroughs, check out my guidelines for an effective content strategy below:
Undertake research to understand your users’ goals
All good content, and all good marketing, starts with an understanding of your target audience and their specific needs. At Kooba, we suggest starting every project with a UX research phase, which will help define the exact requirements of each user group. We conduct this research in a variety of ways, including analysis of existing customer data and the hosting of user goal workshops. We also engage in competitor analysis, helping identify strategies your rivals may be using in their content marketing.
Use personas to ensure content is targeted to real users
Personas remain one of the most effective ways to ensure that content speaks directly to these audience needs. A well-developed persona captures motivations, goals, and pain points that shape how people engage with digital experiences. For example, a hospital website might differentiate between patients seeking treatment, families looking for information, and clinicians interested in careers. Each of these personas requires distinct messaging and content flows, and content formats, topics and messaging should be adapted accordingly.
Use AI-powered synthetic users to audit content drafts
Synthetic personas (also known as synthetic users) are AI agents trained on real user data, allowing for content to be tested against multiple simulated audiences before and after launch. For example, synthetic personas might highlight that a product description fails to address their specific needs, or that navigation links do not align with their expected behaviour. This allows content teams to keep content relevant and on-task from ideation through to editorial reviews, and ensures that human users receive content that matches their real needs and requirements.
Define the task of each content type
Every type of content you publish should have a defined task it aims to accomplish. Blogs, for instance, might be intended to increase search engine and social media traffic, whilst case studies may aim to convert audiences within relevant industries. How we define these tasks depends on your specific marketing needs, as well as existing patterns of user behaviour and expectations. Generally, UX teams will build content templates according to a predefined content strategy, allowing the content team to seamlessly publish the right content in the right formats.
Give users options to continue their journey
High-performing content should provide users with lots of options. As a piece delivers its core message, it should also seamlessly guide visitors toward the next step, whether that is related resources, a relevant service, or a direct call to action. This approach encourages longer sessions and higher engagement, and removes needless frustration from the user journey. Friction at the end of a journey is one of the most common causes of user drop-off, making onward journeys critical to retaining attention and driving conversions with your content.
Conclusion: new tools, old strategies
The fundamentals of content strategy remain the same. Segment and create your content according to your audience, their requirements, and their interests. Provide visitors with easy pathways into other content forms, and make sure you account for their source of origin.
New technologies are adding to this formula, but not disrupting it. Tools such as synthetic personas provide rapid feedback and editorial rigour, without the cost and lost conversions of A/B testing. If used correctly, these will allow more relevant and effective content marketing than ever before.
If you’re unhappy with your existing content pipeline, get in touch with our team at Kooba today. We’d love to talk.
