{"id":9742,"date":"2023-06-02T13:46:14","date_gmt":"2023-06-02T13:46:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/06\/02\/content-mapping-who-what-where-when-why-and-how\/"},"modified":"2023-06-02T13:46:14","modified_gmt":"2023-06-02T13:46:14","slug":"content-mapping-who-what-where-when-why-and-how","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/06\/02\/content-mapping-who-what-where-when-why-and-how\/","title":{"rendered":"Content mapping: Who, what, where, when, why and how"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Did you know that you can create content for every stage of the buyer\u2019s journey?<\/p>\n<p>This is how you ensure content creation is never a guessing game.<\/p>\n<p>Your content can reach and impact your ideal customer whether they just discovered your brand through your blog or are stuck on your product\/service page weighing a purchase \u2013 and every stage between those two bookends.<\/p>\n<p>Every piece of content you publish can be a powerful motivator and educator that speaks to the heart of your prospect.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Every blog, article, ebook, case study, landing page, infographic, video \u2013 you name it \u2013 can work hard to connect with your audience at the right place and time.<\/p>\n<p>The key to ensuring this happens?<\/p>\n<p>Content mapping.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/06\/02\/content-mapping-who-what-where-when-why-and-how\/#What_is_a_content_map\" >What is a content map?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/06\/02\/content-mapping-who-what-where-when-why-and-how\/#What_is_content_mapping\" >What is content mapping?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/06\/02\/content-mapping-who-what-where-when-why-and-how\/#Why_should_you_do_content_mapping\" >Why should you do content mapping?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/06\/02\/content-mapping-who-what-where-when-why-and-how\/#Create_more_relevant_content_for_each_buying_stage\" >Create more relevant content for each buying stage<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/06\/02\/content-mapping-who-what-where-when-why-and-how\/#Get_more_returns_from_each_content_piece\" >Get more returns from each content piece<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/06\/02\/content-mapping-who-what-where-when-why-and-how\/#Get_more_engaged_invested_loyal_customers\" >Get more engaged, invested, loyal customers<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/06\/02\/content-mapping-who-what-where-when-why-and-how\/#How_to_do_content_mapping\" >How to do content mapping<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/06\/02\/content-mapping-who-what-where-when-why-and-how\/#1_Who_Research_your_audience_and_create_personas\" >1. Who: Research your audience and create personas<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/06\/02\/content-mapping-who-what-where-when-why-and-how\/#2_What_Map_out_the_buying_stages_of_your_personas\" >2. What: Map out the buying stages of your persona(s)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/06\/02\/content-mapping-who-what-where-when-why-and-how\/#3_Wherewhen_Map_out_content_types_and_topics_for_each_stage_of_the_buyers_journey\" >3. Where\/when: Map out content types and topics for each stage of the buyer\u2019s journey<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/06\/02\/content-mapping-who-what-where-when-why-and-how\/#4_How_Use_your_content_map_to_evaluate_existing_contentplan_new_content\" >4. How: Use your content map to evaluate existing content\/plan new content<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/06\/02\/content-mapping-who-what-where-when-why-and-how\/#5_Document_everything_in_your_content_map\" >5. Document everything in your content map<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/06\/02\/content-mapping-who-what-where-when-why-and-how\/#Start_content_mapping_and_create_amazing_customer_experiences_that_lead_to_results\" >Start content mapping and create amazing customer experiences that lead to results<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_a_content_map\"><\/span>What is a content map?\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A content map is a plan that details how your business will deliver content to your ideal customers no matter where they find themselves in the typical buyer\u2019s journey.<\/p>\n<p>In other words, a content map plots out exactly how your content will reach your audience at the right time and place.<\/p>\n<p>It also shows you how to personalize your content for your specific personas along their buying journey.<\/p>\n<p>Creating a content map alongside <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/create-content-strategy-framework-393819\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">creating a content strategy<\/a> is a genius idea.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_content_mapping\"><\/span>What is content mapping?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Content mapping is the process of creating your content map \u2013 the plan that outlines your ideal audience, the actions they may take at each buying stage, and how your content aligns with these things to nurture them toward an ultimate goal.<\/p>\n<p>The ultimate goal of content mapping depends on your business goals. However, the large overarching goal of this endeavor is to create a personalized content experience for your audience.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, a content map helps you plan how you\u2019ll support, nurture, engage, and draw in potential customers no matter where they are in their buying journey.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_should_you_do_content_mapping\"><\/span>Why should you do content mapping?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Content mapping is vital to ensure your content marketing is robust and evenly spread across the customer experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not just good for your business but also for your customers. Let\u2019s dig into the benefits a bit more.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Create_more_relevant_content_for_each_buying_stage\"><\/span>Create more relevant content for each buying stage<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A good content marketing strategy will help you <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/how-to-write-a-blog-post-391760\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">create targeted content<\/a> to nurture an audience.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A <strong>great<\/strong> content marketing strategy, one that includes content mapping, will help you create targeted content <strong>to nurture that audience at every stage of the buying journey<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Remember, the buyer\u2019s journey is the process of research your buyer undertakes as they become aware of a problem, consider their options, and ultimately make a decision on what to do about it.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Buyers don\u2019t randomly decide to buy something \u2013 they come to that decision through a range of circumstances and actions. That\u2019s the buyer\u2019s journey.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<em>Source: HubSpot<\/em><\/div>\n<p>With content mapping, you ensure that you\u2019re not neglecting your potential customer as they move forward on the path to purchasing.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For example, if you have tons of blogs created for the awareness stage but none for the consideration stage, some of the leads you attracted to your brand initially might fall into that gap. You helped them define and understand their problem, but you didn\u2019t show them how they could solve it or achieve their goals.<\/p>\n<p>Another brand with consideration content could swoop in here, picking up where you left off. Now you\u2019ve lost a potential customer.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast, a content map helps you stay with that customer until they\u2019re hovering over the \u201cpurchase\u201d button in your website\u2019s shopping cart. In fact, it probably helped get them to that point!<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s powerful beyond belief.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Get_more_returns_from_each_content_piece\"><\/span>Get more returns from each content piece<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Content mapping also helps you identify a solid purpose behind each content piece you publish.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll create each one with a specific intent that matches up with your goals, the target audience\u2019s needs, and the buying stage they\u2019re in.<\/p>\n<p>That makes each piece pull its weight so much more.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a stark contrast between:\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Hitting \u201cpublish\u201d and praying the content helps your business in some way.<\/p>\n<p>Or hitting \u201cpublish\u201d and knowing exactly what that piece has the potential to do, and probably <strong>will<\/strong> do, in terms of results.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Get_more_engaged_invested_loyal_customers\"><\/span>Get more engaged, invested, loyal customers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>When you provide great content at every stage of your buyers\u2019 journeys, what do you think will happen?<\/p>\n<p>The engagement, connection, and affinity you build will lead to equally engaged, invested customers.<\/p>\n<p>Deliver a great product or service at the end of all that, and you\u2019ll hook them utterly and completely.<\/p>\n<p>This is how you create brand ambassadors. Raving fans. Delighted customers.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, the point of content mapping is to ensure you\u2019re helping your prospects at every step along the way. That amount of personalization and care is naturally going to produce customers who are wild about you.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<div class=\"nl-inline-form border py-2 px-1 my-2\">\n<div class=\"row align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-3 col-xl-4 pe-md-0 pb-2 pb-lg-0\">\n<p class=\"inline-form-text text-center mb-0\">Get the daily newsletter search marketers rely on.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-7 col-xl-6  pe-lg-0\">\n<div class=\"form-nl-inline\">\n<div class=\"row g-0\">\n<div class=\"form-group col-12 col-lg-8 mb-0\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-4 col-xl-4 mb-0\">\n<div class=\"d-none\">\n<p>Processing\u2026Please wait.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"btn btn-dark inlineButton w-100 rounded-0 font-weight-bold\">SUBSCRIBE<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-2 col-xl-2 ps-1\">\n<p class=\"text-center mb-0\"><a class=\"nl-terms\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/termsofuse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">See terms.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_do_content_mapping\"><\/span>How to do content mapping<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Ready to create a content map?<\/p>\n<p>Before you start, I recommend having a content strategy in place first. Your content strategy will be useful beyond belief because a lot of the work will be done for you \u2013 laying out your content goals, researching your audience, identifying and creating personas, and more.<\/p>\n<p>If you don\u2019t have a content strategy yet, you\u2019ll still learn much from this guide. (It may even spur you on to create one quicker!)<\/p>\n<p>Once your content map is complete, you\u2019ll understand how to map each content piece you create to each stage of the buyer\u2019s journey for your particular audience.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Who_Research_your_audience_and_create_personas\"><\/span>1. Who: Research your audience and create personas<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Your target audience is the most important piece of the content mapping puzzle. Without intricate knowledge of them, you\u2019ll be lost.<\/p>\n<p>You need to understand their preferences, behaviors, habits and needs to deliver truly personalized content to them at the right time and place.<\/p>\n<p>How do you build that knowledge? Through audience research.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Audience research<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Never guess what your audience is like. Your assumptions can help you at the outset, but you need to test those assumptions and make sure they\u2019re accurate for equally accurate targeting and content mapping.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s what audience research is for. There are a few main ways to go about it:<\/p>\n<p>Check data that already exists about your audience in studies, statistics, reports, and surveys. This is helpful if your business is new and you don\u2019t have an established following yet.<\/p>\n<p>Conduct your own surveys, polls, and interviews with your audience. Get data from real customers (if you have them) and also leads, your social media followers, or people who have expressed interest in what you sell.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If you can, focus on getting insights from real people in your orbit. This will make your personas more accurate and more helpful.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, if you already have a content strategy in place, you\u2019re a step ahead. You probably already have done audience research and have one or more personas ready to go that distill that research.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Buyer personas<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>How do you compile the knowledge you gain through audience research and make it more usable?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>By creating <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/content-marketing-personas-394132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">buyer personas<\/a>: fictional characters or avatars representing real data about your audience. Each persona is a conglomeration of the commonalities among your audience.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\">\n<em>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/venngage.com\/blog\/buyer-persona-template\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Venngage<\/a><\/em><\/div>\n<p>Think about it: For most brands, you could probably describe a type of buyer who purchases from them. For example, busy stay-at-home moms who run to Starbucks between school drop-offs, meal prepping, and soccer practices. That, right there, is a buyer persona.<\/p>\n<p>If you have multiple types of ideal customers, create personas for each one so you can map their different buying journeys to your content. For example, Starbucks might add a student persona to their roster or a professional.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_What_Map_out_the_buying_stages_of_your_personas\"><\/span>2. What: Map out the buying stages of your persona(s)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>After your personas are set, you can lay out the common buying stages each persona goes through, including their thoughts, goals, and challenges.<\/p>\n<p>We briefly touched on the stages of the buyer\u2019s journey earlier, but to reiterate, they are:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Awareness<\/strong>: The buyer is aware they have a problem, but they don\u2019t know what it is yet, or they can\u2019t name it specifically. They are experiencing symptoms of a problem.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Consideration<\/strong>: The buyer has pinpointed the problem they\u2019re dealing with. They can name it and define it. Now they\u2019re looking at possible solutions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Decision<\/strong>: The buyer has decided which solution to use and is comparing the best providers or products that offer that solution.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In each stage, your personas will have different concerns, needs, questions, and goals. Try to pinpoint these for each persona across each buying stage.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For example, let\u2019s return to the persona of the stay-at-home mom. Based on the challenges and goals we know she has from audience research, we can outline possibilities for her buying journey. Here\u2019s just one:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Challenge<\/strong>: She\u2019s struggling to find free time during the day. <strong>Goal<\/strong>: She wants to find time to indulge herself.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Awareness<\/strong>: \u201cHow do I take time for myself?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Consideration<\/strong>: \u201cI should schedule a break for myself during the day. What can I do that would relax me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Decision<\/strong>: \u201cGetting a delicious coffee drink would help me slow down while I treat myself. Where should I go?\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Wherewhen_Map_out_content_types_and_topics_for_each_stage_of_the_buyers_journey\"><\/span>3. Where\/when: Map out content types and topics for each stage of the buyer\u2019s journey<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Now that your personas are connected to buying stages, we can look at each stage individually to determine the type of content we can create to help them.<\/p>\n<p>Think about:<\/p>\n<p>How can you address your buyer\u2019s needs and goals at each stage with content?<\/p>\n<p>What keywords might they be using at each stage to research their problem and its solution?<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s go through each stage to see the common types of content you can use to target your buyers, whether in Awareness, Consideration, or Decision mode.<\/p>\n<p>Note: Some types of content fit in multiple stages because they help more than one type of buyer.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Awareness content<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Awareness content should seek to inform your audience. It should help them identify and understand a problem, why it matters, and\/or what they should do next.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Types of content<\/strong>: How-to guides, checklists, infographics, informative blogs, ebooks, and social media posts.<\/p>\n<p>Examples of awareness topics:\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.betterup.com\/blog\/take-time-for-yourself\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">10 Ways to Take Time for Yourself<\/a> by BetterUp<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mint.intuit.com\/blog\/budgeting\/saving-money\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to Save Money<\/a> by Mint<\/p>\n<p><strong>Consideration content<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Consideration content should help your audience choose between various options. For example, you could teach them all possible solutions to a problem and compare\/contrast them. Or you could educate them about a specific solution and why it\u2019s the best one.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Types of content<\/strong>: how-to guides, product reviews and comparisons, case studies, white papers, tutorials, and webinars.<\/p>\n<p>Examples of consideration topics:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/localiq.com\/resources\/make-your-website-more-visible-on-google\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">20 Ways to Make Your Website More Visible<\/a> by LocaliQ<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thespruce.com\/best-down-comforters-4169547\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The 7 Best Down Comforters of 2023<\/a> by The Spruce<\/p>\n<p><strong>Decision content<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Decision content is all about convincing your audience that your product or service is the right one for their needs. This is not about sales pitches but more about presenting the value and benefits of what you offer in a way that demonstrates your expertise.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Types of content<\/strong>: product landing pages, testimonials and reviews, case studies, demos, and product features.<\/p>\n<p>Examples of decision topics:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/unique-features-ahrefs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">12 Things That Only Ahrefs Can Do<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/webflow.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Webflow\u2019s<\/a> landing page<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_How_Use_your_content_map_to_evaluate_existing_contentplan_new_content\"><\/span>4. How: Use your content map to evaluate existing content\/plan new content<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of the great things about a content map is that it can help you take a snapshot of all the content you\u2019ve already produced and how each piece helps buyers. <\/p>\n<p>This will help you notice gaps you need to fill \u2013 and reach more buyers in a stage you may be inadvertently ignoring.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Categorize old content by which buying stage it helps<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>First, look at all the content you\u2019ve published and start categorizing it by the buying stage(s) it\u2019s most likely to address.<\/p>\n<p>If the content fits more than one category, choose the category it helps the <strong>most<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>If the content fits nowhere, add it to a list of possible content pieces to update. You could potentially edit that piece to be more targeted to a specific buying stage.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Brainstorm new content topics using your content map<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve categorized your old content, you should have a good idea of the holes in your content strategy you need to fill to address different buying stages.<\/p>\n<p>You should focus on filling those holes first. Use your content map to help you.<\/p>\n<p>By now, your content map should have three types of information:<\/p>\n<p>Your buyer personas.<\/p>\n<p>The stages in your buyer journey mapped to content types.<\/p>\n<p>The challenges, goals, and possible actions of each persona during each buying stage.<\/p>\n<p>As you brainstorm new content topics, use your content map to ensure you create personalized, targeted content for every stage of your persona\u2019s buying journey.<\/p>\n<p>Look at your persona and what they need at each stage, including the words they\u2019re using to search for what they need.<\/p>\n<p>Research these needs in a keyword tool to find opportunities for optimizing content.<\/p>\n<p>Use these terms to find related topics you could also address.<\/p>\n<p>Look at the best content types that will help your persona at each stage.<\/p>\n<p>Brainstorm a combination of content topics + formats that will touch your persona at the right time to help them move forward in their journey.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Document_everything_in_your_content_map\"><\/span>5. Document everything in your content map<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A content map should be a physical reference you can refer to during the content creation process.<\/p>\n<p>For that reason, document your content map in a way that\u2019s easy to read and understand. Make sure you can continue adding to it as your content inventory expands, too.<\/p>\n<p>For example, you could create a simple spreadsheet that lists your personas, their challenges and goals at each buying stage, and the types of content you should create to target them. Include both formats and topics.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<em>Source: HubSpot<\/em><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Start_content_mapping_and_create_amazing_customer_experiences_that_lead_to_results\"><\/span>Start content mapping and create amazing customer experiences that lead to results<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Content mapping can seem complicated at the outset.<\/p>\n<p>But if you want to provide your customers with amazing content at every stage of their buying journey, you need a content map.<\/p>\n<p>Learning how to create one is the hard part.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Once you have the strategy down, you\u2019ll use your content map in ways you never imagined to understand your persona better, get major insights about their buying journey, and come up with content that is personalized to a T for their specific needs.<\/p>\n<p>This is as strategic as it gets. But, as we know in content, <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/why-content-strategy-matters-most-393591\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">strategy = results<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/content-mapping-who-what-where-when-why-and-how-427777\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Content mapping: Who, what, where, when, why and how<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Search Engine Land<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Did you know that you can create content for every stage of the buyer\u2019s journey? This is how you ensure content creation is never a guessing game. Your content can reach and impact your ideal customer whether they just discovered your brand through your blog or are stuck on your product\/service page weighing a purchase \u2013 and every stage between those two bookends. Every piece of content you publish can be a powerful motivator and educator that speaks to the heart of your prospect.\u00a0 Every blog, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"h5ap_radio_sources":[],"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9742","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-seo-blogs"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":false,"author_link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/author\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9742","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9742"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9742\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9742"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9742"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9742"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}