Are Content Maps Still Cool?

Is it just me or is nobody talking about content maps these days? Lately, everyone’s talking about your “brand story.” Sounds so cool, doesn’t it? According to the Content Marketing Institute, a brand story is, “the emotional narrative that expresses the vision and purpose of your organization.”

Makes the concept of a content map feel so 2017. And it begs the question,  are content maps cool any more? Hell yeah, they are! Why? Because if you don’t map out how and where you deliver that brand story, who’s ever going to hear it?

So don’t give up in those maps. Instead, perfect them. Here’s how:

• Identify your key message. What is the most important point you want to convey?
• Develop three storylines to support your overarching brand story. What are the narratives that support your message?
• Identify your audience. Who is the target for each story and where are they on the buying cycle?
• Think about what moves your audience. Do you want to entertain, inspire, convince or educate them?
• Determine where you will reach the customer. Will it be your owned channels (website, blog, etc.), social sites such as YouTube, Twitter and LinkedIn or via earned media via a press interview, a contributed article or a podcast?
• Decide on format. Does your story work best as text in a blog post or op-ed? Does it work best as video or an image or perhaps a podcast?

Remember, for your brand story to be effective, you need to create a strong content calendar.