Step 2 - Determine Who You're Creating Content For

Now that you have identified for business and marketing goals, you need to know those you are creating content for. Content marketing has to do with creating and publishing content that offers real value to your audience.

You cannot just create any kind of content simply because your company thinks it is valuable. The idea is to create content that the consumers (your audience) perceive to be of value. Herein lay the reason you need to know those people you are creating value for.

Some call it user persona; others refer to it as a buyer persona or audience persona. The important thing is that we are trying to create a fictitious but accurate image that fits your target audience.

You will want to know important details like what pain points your target audience is experiencing in their business. These points are what you will be addressing through your content.

The buyer persona gives you a clear picture of the likes, pains, interests, demographic and other attributes of your audience. A well-designed persona will also let you know how to address your audience and what content format they enjoy best.

At the end of the day, your buyer persona should provide you with answers to such questions as:

• Who is my target audience and what is the particular trait that distinguishes them from others?
• Where and how does my target audience spend their days normally?
• What information needs do they have and what is the best content format to use in meeting those needs?
• Which stage of the funnel is my target audience currently in?

In case you are able to identify multiple personas from your research, it's best to start with just one. You can pick a buyer persona that provides the highest value to your business, or one that requires the least resources to service.