As you follow the research process, you will undoubtedly come up with many ideas for useful content on your website. Following these 5 basic steps will help you maximize your content brainstorming and understand where you’re most likely to gain traction based on competition and your unique value.

1. Define your objective: Let’s assume right now that your main objective is to build awareness.

2. Roll out your content strategy in stages: 

1. Cold – Intro to the stage, remember they’re just getting to know you
2. Warm – They’ve seen you around, hear about you, vaguely know who you are. But neither sold on or turned off from you.
3. Hot – They know you. They like, share and engage with you and your content.
4. Fan – They’re likely to refer their friends/family to you. They’re likely to call on you for business.

3. Know what’s working for others and do the same but be sure to add YOUR twist to it: You don’t have to reinvent the wheel here. But be sure that you’re rolling as uniquely as possible. Your audience doesn’t need another “I do this or that too” thought leader. Your audience needs to KNOW YOU! So be sure that when you discover what your audience wants to see, hear and learn from you that YOU remain the main ingredient. Meaning your style of delivery, your way of doing things and just your own unique value overall. In short, double down on your difference.

4. Tailor your content based on each site: Meaning, you can share the same content on each site but be sure to tailor your delivery based on how users on each site best respond to content. A lot of people make the mistake of just sharing the same content in the same manner all over social media. The problem is they don’t know that this is likely a reason they’re being ignored. Each site has a language. For instance, Instagram is all visuals. People want to see images and videos with a little description underneath. But on Linkedin, this tactic wouldn’t necessarily work. You can still share a visual but be sure that it fits Linkedin’s environment and the way your audience conducts itself on that site. Make sense

5. Bring your A-game. Everyone has jumped or is jumping into the marketplace so be mindful that you can’t be just another one of the many. You must bring your A-game. You must be sure to bring value to your community. Don’t share just any old thing. Don’t try to lure them in with things they can find on Google themselves. Bring your expertise. Bring the best info. and resources that you can to the table. Give them a reason to take notice and follow you. Free content is in abundance right now because social media has helped make content king. That said, one can’t afford to have their content get lost in the sauce. You have to use all that you’ve got in order to break through the noise. Again, just bring your A-game so that you’re not drowned out by the many others trying to gain their market share.