content-strategy

# Content Strategy

Plan what content to produce, why, when, and how. Stack-agnostic. Works for blogs, knowledge bases, marketing sites, newsletters, and product content surfaces.

This skill is the strategic layer. Tactical execution sits in `content-and-copy`, `landing-page-copy`, and `email-sequences`. SEO-driven content planning sits in `seo-keyword`. This skill stitches those together into a coherent program.

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## When to use

- Planning a new content program or relaunching an existing one
- Defining editorial positioning and content pillars
- Building an editorial calendar
- Structuring topic clusters and content hubs
- Establishing content governance (review, approval, lifecycle)
- Aligning content with broader brand and revenue goals

## When NOT to use

- Writing specific content pieces (use `content-and-copy`)
- Writing landing pages or sales copy (use `landing-page-copy`)
- Writing email sequences (use `email-sequences`)
- Pure keyword research (use `seo-keyword`, then return here for strategic planning)
- Auditing existing content for keep/update/delete decisions (use `seo-content-audit`)

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## Required inputs

- Brand positioning and audience (from `brand-discovery` or `creative-brief`)
- Business goals the content needs to serve (traffic, leads, brand authority, retention)
- Existing content inventory (if any)
- Keyword research output (from `seo-keyword`) if SEO-driven
- Production capacity (writers, budget, cadence)

If brand positioning is unclear, run `brand-discovery` first. If audience is undefined, do that work before strategy.

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## The framework: 5 layers

A content strategy has five layers. Skip layers and the program drifts.

### 1. Editorial positioning

What this content program stands for. The "why we write" statement.

**Components:**
- **Mission.** Why this content exists. One sentence.
- **Audience.** Who it serves. Specific.
- **Promise.** What readers get from us they cannot get elsewhere.
- **Distinction.** What makes this content different from the 50 other publications in the same space.

**Example structure:**

> We help [audience] [achieve outcome] by publishing [content type] that [unique angle], unlike [common alternatives] that [common shortcoming].

A strong editorial positioning forces choices. If you cannot complete the sentence, the positioning is too vague.

### 2. Content pillars

The 3 to 5 themes the program owns. Every piece of content belongs to a pillar.

**Per pillar, define:**
- **Theme.** One sentence describing the topic territory.
- **Why we own it.** Audience need + brand authority + competitive opportunity.
- **Sub-topics.** 5 to 15 sub-topics that fit under the pillar.
- **Cornerstone content.** The 1 to 2 pieces that anchor the pillar (long-form, comprehensive, link-worthy).
- **Supporting content.** Articles, videos, tools, comparisons that reinforce and link to the cornerstone.

**Pillar selection criteria:**
- Audience cares about it (research-backed, not assumed)
- Brand has credibility or can earn it
- Topical authority is achievable (you can plausibly become a top-3 source)
- Connects to revenue (directly or indirectly)
- Distinguishes you from competitors

3 to 5 pillars is the sweet spot. Fewer than 3 risks brittleness. More than 5 dilutes focus.

### 3. Content formats and types

The shapes the content takes.

**Format dimensions:**

- **Length.** Short (under 500 words), medium (500 to 1500), long (1500 to 3000), epic (3000+)
- **Depth.** Surface (overview) vs. deep (comprehensive)
- **Type.** Article, guide, comparison, listicle, case study, interview, data study, tool, video, podcast, newsletter, social
- **Originality.** Aggregation (summarizing existing knowledge) vs. original research (new data or insight)
- **Evergreen vs. timely.** Lasting value vs. moment-driven

**Format selection criteria:**

- Match the audience's preferred consumption (do they read, watch, listen?)
- Match the topic (some topics demand depth; others demand brevity)
- Match production capacity
- Match distribution channels (LinkedIn favors short; YouTube favors video; SEO favors long evergreen)

A content program typically has 3 to 5 formats it returns to consistently. More than that fragments production and brand recognition.

### 4. Editorial calendar

When content publishes.

**Cadence options:**

- **High frequency** (3+ pieces per week): builds momentum, requires significant production capacity
- **Medium frequency** (1 to 2 per week): sustainable for most teams, builds steady audience
- **Low frequency** (1 to 4 per month): each piece must be high-impact; longer production cycles
- **Burst-then-pause** (10 pieces in a month, then 3 months off): launches and campaigns

**Calendar structure:**

- **Pillar rotation.** If you have 4 pillars and publish weekly, each pillar gets one piece per month.
- **Content type mix.** Within a month, blend types (e.g., 2 articles + 1 case study + 1 video).
- **Timely opportunities.** Reserve flex slots for newsjacking, seasonal content, launches.
- **Updates and refreshes.** Plan time for updating existing high-performing content.

**Common failure:** publishing whatever happens to get written. Without a calendar, the program drifts toward the topics easiest to write, not the ones the audience needs most.

### 5. Governance and lifecycle

How content gets made, reviewed, published, measured, and retired.

**Production workflow:**

```
Idea → Brief → Outline → Draft → Edit → Review → Publish → Measure → Update or Retire
```

**Per stage, define:**

- Who owns it
- What inputs they need
- What outputs they produce
- What the quality bar is
- How long it should take

**Roles:**

- **Editorial lead.** Owns positioning, calendar, quality bar.
- **Writers.** Produce drafts. May be in-house, freelance, or AI-assisted.
- **Subject matter experts.** Provide expertise, review for accuracy.
- **Editors.** Polish, ensure voice consistency, fact-check.
- **SEO lead.** Keyword optimization, internal linki