cts-content-strategy

name	cts - Content Strategy
description	Develop and execute content strategy that attracts, engages, and converts
output	{"format":"prose"}

Content Strategy

Input: $ARGUMENTS

Interpretations

Before executing, identify which interpretation matches the user's input:

Interpretation 1 — Build a content strategy from scratch: The user is starting content marketing efforts and needs the full pipeline: goals, audience research, pillars, calendar, and distribution plan. Interpretation 2 — Fix or revamp an existing strategy: The user already produces content but it is not performing — they need an audit of what exists, identification of gaps, and a revised approach. Interpretation 3 — Plan content for a specific campaign or launch: The user has a time-bound goal (product launch, event, seasonal push) and needs a focused content plan to support it.

If ambiguous, ask: "I can help with building a content strategy from scratch, revamping an underperforming one, or planning content for a specific campaign — which fits?" If clear from context, proceed with the matching interpretation.

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Overview

Develop and execute content strategy that attracts, engages, and converts

Steps

Step 1: Define content goals and success metrics

Align content goals with business objectives:

Goal types to consider:

• Awareness: Reach new audience, build brand recognition
• Engagement: Build relationships, grow community
• Conversion: Generate leads, drive trials, close sales
• Retention: Keep existing customers engaged and loyal

For each goal, define SMART metrics:

• Specific: What exactly are we measuring?
• Measurable: How will we track it?
• Achievable: Is the target realistic?
• Relevant: Does it tie to business outcomes?
• Time-bound: By when?

Examples:

• "Increase organic traffic by 50% in 6 months"
• "Generate 100 email subscribers per month"
• "Achieve 5% conversion rate from content to trial"

Step 2: Research and define target audience

Build detailed audience understanding:

Demographics and firmographics:

• Who are they? (role, company, industry)
• What decisions do they make?
• What budget/authority do they have?

Psychographics and behaviors:

• What do they care about?
• What problems do they have?
• What content do they already consume?
• Where do they spend time online?
• How do they prefer to learn?

Create audience personas:

• 2-3 detailed profiles of ideal readers
• Include goals, challenges, objections
• Map content preferences per persona

Research methods:

• Customer interviews (use customer_discovery procedure)
• Sales team insights
• Support ticket analysis
• Competitor audience analysis
• Social media listening

Step 3: Audit existing content

Inventory and assess current content assets:

Catalog all content:

• Blog posts and articles
• Guides and ebooks
• Videos and podcasts
• Social media content
• Email sequences
• Documentation

Assess each piece:

• Traffic and engagement metrics
• SEO rankings and backlinks
• Conversion performance
• Content quality and accuracy
• Brand alignment

Categorize for action:

• Keep: Performing well, still relevant
• Update: Good foundation, needs refresh
• Consolidate: Multiple pieces on same topic
• Remove: Outdated, low quality, or off-brand

Identify gaps:

• Topics not covered
• Funnel stages missing content
• Formats not utilized

Step 4: Establish content pillars

Define 3-5 core themes for all content:

What makes a good pillar:

• Broad enough to generate many topics
• Specific enough to build authority
• Aligned with business expertise
• Relevant to audience needs
• Differentiated from competitors

Pillar selection process:

1. List potential themes from audience research
2. Map themes to business capabilities
3. Assess competitive landscape per theme
4. Prioritize based on opportunity and fit
5. Select 3-5 pillars to focus on

For each pillar:

• Define the scope and boundaries
• Identify sub-topics to cover
• Determine content formats that work best
• Set expertise level (beginner to advanced)

Example pillars for project management software:

• Team productivity and collaboration
• Project planning and execution
• Remote work best practices
• Engineering leadership

Step 5: Build topic backlog and prioritize

Research and prioritize topics within pillars:

Topic sources:

• Keyword research (search volume, difficulty, intent)
• Audience questions (from interviews, support, sales)
• Competitive analysis (what's working for others)
• Trend monitoring (emerging topics in your space)
• Internal expertise (unique insights to share)

For each topic, assess:

• Search demand (volume and trends)
• Competition (difficulty to rank)
• Business relevance (ties to product/service)
• Audience value (how much they care)
• Expertise fit (can you add unique value)

Prioritization matrix:

• High demand + low competition = Quick wins
• High demand + high competition = Strategic investments
• Low demand + low competition = Niche opportunities
• Low demand + high competition = Avoid

Build backlog with 3-6 months of topics prioritized.

Step 6: Create content calendar

Plan content production schedule:

Determine sustainable cadence:

• What can you produce consistently long-term?
• Quality > quantity always
• Better to do less well than more poorly

Typical cadences:

• Blog: 1-4 posts per week
• Newsletter: Weekly or bi-weekly
• Social: Daily to 3x per week
• Video: Weekly to monthly
• Podcast: Weekly to monthly

Calendar structure:

• Quarterly: Themes and major campaigns
• Monthly: Specific topics and formats
• Weekly: Production schedule and assignments

For each content piece:

• Topic and working title
• Content pillar it belongs to
• Funnel stage (awareness/consideration/decision)
• Format and length
• Target keyword
• Author/creator
• Publish date
• Distribution channels
• Status tracking

Build in flexibility for timely content and adjustments.

Step 7: Establish creation and quality process

Define workflow for content production:

Content brief template:

• Topic and title
• Target audience persona
• Goal and key message
• Target keyword and search intent
• Key points to cover
• Competitor content to beat
• Internal links to include
• Call to action
• Format and target length

Creation process:

1. Research topic thoroughly
2. Create detailed outline
3. Write first draft
4. Edit for clarity, value, and voice
5. Add visuals and formatting
6. Optimize for SEO
7. Review and approve
8. Schedule publication

Quality checklist:

• Does it provide genuine value?
• Is it better than existing content on the topic?
• Is it actionable (reader can do something)?
• Is it well-structured and scannable?
• Is it accurate and well-researched?
• Is it on-brand in voice and style?
• Is it optimized for target keyword?

Set up review process with clear ownership.

Step 8: Define distribution strategy

Plan how content will reach audience:

Owned channels (you control):

• Website/blog
• Email list
• Social media profiles
• App/product
• Community

Earned channels (others share):

• Social shares and virality
• Backlinks from other sites
• PR and media coverage
• Guest posting opportunities
• Podcast appearances

Paid channels (you pay for reach):

• Social media ads
• Search ads
• Sponsored content
• Influencer partnerships
• Content syndication

Repurposing strategy:

• Create once, distribute many times
• Long-form guide becomes blog series, social posts, infographic, email course, webinar, podcast episode

For each content piece, define:

• Primary distribution channel
• Secondary channels
• Repurposing plan
• Promotion timeline
• Paid amplification (if any)

Step 9: Implement measurement and optimization

Set up tracking and review process:

Metrics by goal:

Awareness metrics:

• Traffic (total, by source, by content)
• Impressions and reach
• New vs returning visitors
• Brand mention tracking

Engagement metrics:

• Time on page
• Pages per session
• Scroll depth
• Social engagement (shares, comments)
• Email open and click rates

Conversion metrics:

• Email signups
• Lead generation
• Trial starts
• Sales attribution

SEO metrics:

• Keyword rankings
• Organic traffic growth
• Backlinks acquired
• Domain authority

Review cadence:

• Weekly: Quick metrics check
• Monthly: Performance review and adjustments
• Quarterly: Strategy review and planning

Optimization process:

• Identify top and bottom performers
• Analyze what's working and why
• Update underperforming content
• Double down on winning formats/topics
• Iterate on strategy based on data

Anti-Cached-Strategy Check

Content strategy is the domain most vulnerable to cached takes — every strategy ends up recommending the same pillars, the same calendar, the same "create valuable content" advice. Run these checks before delivering:

• Pillar originality: Are the recommended content pillars actually specific to THIS business, or could they apply to any company in the industry? "Thought leadership" and "industry insights" are not pillars — they're placeholders. A real pillar names the specific angle this company owns.
• Recommendation specificity: For each recommendation, ask: would I give this same advice to their competitor? If yes, it's a cached take. Strategy that doesn't differentiate isn't strategy — it's a template.
• Calendar substance: Is the content calendar organized around genuine editorial thinking, or just filling slots? "Monday: educational, Wednesday: engagement, Friday: fun" is false structure. Each planned piece should have a reason beyond "it's Tuesday."
• Metric defaults: Are the recommended metrics the standard list (traffic, engagement, conversions) or do they measure what actually matters for THIS business's specific goals?
• "Best practices" audit: Flag every instance of "best practice" or "industry standard." These are cached takes by definition. Replace with specific, evidence-backed recommendations or honest "we don't know yet, test this."

When to Use

• Building an audience for a product or service
• Establishing thought leadership in a domain
• Starting or revamping content marketing efforts
• When organic traffic and SEO are strategic priorities
• Building trust with potential customers before purchase
• Creating assets that compound over time (evergreen content)
• When paid acquisition costs are unsustainable alone
• Differentiating through expertise demonstration

Verification

• Content strategy is tied to specific business goals
• Audience is defined with real data, not assumptions
• Content pillars are focused and differentiated
• Calendar is realistic and sustainable long-term
• Every piece has clear purpose and distribution plan
• Measurement tracks business outcomes, not vanity metrics
• Quality standards are defined and consistently applied