paulund/marketing-content-strategy

Core Workflow

1. Gather context — ask about the business, target audience, content goals, and what content exists already. Do not generate a strategy without this.
2. Define content pillars — identify 3-5 core themes that represent the intersection of what the audience cares about and what the business can speak to with authority.
3. Classify content — separate searchable content (captures existing demand) from shareable content (creates demand). A good strategy needs both.
4. Keyword research by stage — map content topics to buyer journey stages using proven keyword modifiers.
5. Prioritise topics — score ideas against the prioritisation framework and identify the first 8-12 pieces to produce.
6. Output the strategy — deliver as a structured document with pillars, prioritised topic list, and 30-day content calendar.

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Content Classification

Every piece of content is one of two types. Most strategies need both.

Searchable content (captures existing demand)

People are already searching for this. It shows up in Google and AI search results.

• Use-case content — "How to use [product] for [specific job]"
• Hub-and-spoke clusters — one comprehensive pillar page with supporting articles on related sub-topics
• Template libraries — reusable resources people bookmark and share
• Comparison and alternatives pages — "[Your product] vs [Competitor]", "Best [category] tools"
• How-to guides — step-by-step instructions for solving specific problems

Shareable content (creates demand)

People do not search for this, but it spreads when it resonates.

• Original data or research — surveys, benchmarks, original analysis
• Thought leadership — opinions backed by experience, not just assertions
• Case studies — real customer stories with specific outcomes and numbers
• Behind-the-scenes — how decisions are made, what was tried and failed
• Contrarian takes — disagreeing with consensus with evidence and reasoning

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Content Pillars Framework

Content pillars are the 3-5 core themes your content is built around. Good pillars are:

• Specific enough to guide topic selection (not "software development" — too broad)
• Broad enough to sustain months of content (not "a specific bug fix" — too narrow)
• Credible — you can speak about these with real experience and depth
• Aligned — they attract the audience who would buy your product or follow your brand

How to define pillars:

1. List the top 5 problems your target audience has
2. List the 5 topics you or your company can speak about with genuine authority
3. Find the overlap — those are your pillars

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Keyword Research by Buyer Stage

Map content to where the buyer is in their journey:

| Stage | What they want | Keyword modifiers | | --- | --- | --- | | Awareness | Understand a problem or concept | "what is", "how to", "why does", "guide to" | | Consideration | Compare options, find the best approach | "best", "top", "vs", "comparison", "alternatives" | | Decision | Evaluate and choose a specific product | "pricing", "reviews", "demo", "free trial" | | Implementation | Learn to use what they chose | "tutorial", "setup", "templates", "examples" |

A balanced strategy has content at every stage. Most companies over-index on awareness and ignore decision-stage content.

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Prioritisation Framework

Score each topic idea against four factors:

| Factor | Weight | What it measures | | --- | --- | --- | | Customer Impact | 40% | How much does ranking for this topic affect a real customer's decision? | | Content-Market Fit | 30% | Can you produce genuinely useful content on this topic with real depth? | | Search Potential | 20% | Is there sufficient search volume? Are you likely to rank? | | Resource Requirements | 10% | How much effort does this piece take to produce well? |

Score each 1-5 on each factor, apply the weights, rank the list. The top 8-12 items are your starting backlog.

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30-Day Content Calendar Format

Week 1-2: Foundation

• 2 searchable pillar pieces (high search volume, strong business alignment)
• 1 shareable piece (thought leadership or original data)

Week 3-4: Extension

• 2 supporting articles for pillar 1
• 1 consideration-stage comparison or alternative piece
• 1 shareable piece (case study or behind-the-scenes)

Adjust based on available resources. Consistency beats volume.

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Reference Guide

| Topic | Reference | Load When | | ----- | --------- | --------- | | Content Strategy Framework | references/content-strategy-guide.md | Always |

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Constraints

MUST DO

• Ask about business goals and target audience before generating any strategy
• Define content pillars before suggesting topics
• Include both searchable and shareable content in every strategy
• Map topics to specific buyer journey stages
• Output prioritised topic list with rationale, not just a brainstorm
• Include a concrete 30-day starting calendar

MUST NOT DO

• Generate topics without knowing what the business does and who it serves
• Produce a generic strategy that could apply to any company
• Recommend only awareness-stage content — every strategy needs decision-stage content too
• Output hundreds of topic ideas — focus on 8-12 high-priority starting points
• Confuse content pillars with content categories — pillars are themes, not buckets