If you're just starting out with content strategy, focus on understanding buyer intent and mapping it to the buyer's journey. The key to successful content strategy is targeting the right keywords for each stage of the funnel. But where you really see conversions is at the Bottom of the Funnel (BOFU), where people are ready to make a decision. In a B2B SaaS context: Top of Funnel (TOFU) content could be something like "Why project management software is essential for growing teams." This attracts users who are just discovering their needs. Middle of Funnel (MOFU) content might look like "How project management software increases team productivity." This helps users start evaluating solutions, but they're not ready to buy yet. Bottom of Funnel (BOFU) content is where the magic happens. At this stage, leads are ready to make a purchase. Your content should be highly specific, like "How [Your SaaS] boosts productivity by 30%" or "Schedule a demo with us today." This content should focus on conversions and show exactly how your solution solves their problem. The most important thing is to create content that matches where your audience is in the journey -- especially at BOFU where you can secure the lead. In short: Focus on understanding buyer intent at each stage of the funnel, and make sure your content speaks directly to those needs. At BOFU, your content should be aimed at converting leads into customers.
The biggest mistake I see is people creating content without a plan--just posting whatever comes to mind and hoping it sticks. It doesn't. Start here: get crystal clear on who you're speaking to and what they're typing into Google at 11pm. That one insight will shape everything--your blog topics, your social media posts, your SEO, even your offers. Not sure where to start? Use Reddit, AnswerThePublic, Amazon reviews, or even the comments on your own Instagram posts (or your competitors'). Search your niche and look at the questions real people are asking, the problems they're struggling with, and the exact words they use to describe those problems. Anywhere your audience is talking, listen. That's your content goldmine--uncensored, unfiltered, and straight from your audience's mouth. Then? Create content that answers those questions. That solves those problems. That speaks their language. That's how you build a content strategy that actually works.
If you're just starting, focus on being genuinely helpful. Create content that answers real questions your audience is asking. Not just what you want to say, but what they actually need to hear. Start simple. Everyone has access to a phone and ideas. Begin with short-form content: Document what you're learning, what you're solving, or what you're seeing work. Reels, YouTube Shorts, and TikToks are low-cost, high-impact ways to test messaging and build consistency. As you grow, build deeper trust with long-form content. Our most reliable foundation has been podcasts and SEO-rich blogs that tackle niche problems in the D2D space--things like recruiting, sales strategy, home services marketing and scaling businesses. That content builds search visibility and authority. The goal isn't just to get clicks and organic visibility but to be the answer people find when they're stuck. From there, level up with lead magnets. We created tools like the D2D Blueprint and free playbooks to give away real value, no gatekeeping. That has helped build our email list and deepen engagement. Once that engine's running, you can anchor your brand with something bigger--like we did with promoting the Eat What You Kill book by our founder, Sam Taggart. It's more than a book; it's a framework that became central to our thought leadership and brand messaging. But that only worked after we had earned sufficient attention and trust over the last three years through SEO and social media. So wherever you're at, start where you are. Teach. Solve. Share. And keep stacking content that builds credibility over time.
Focus first, last, and always on your audience. Everything in content strategy comes down to this; the goal is always to connect with people and capture their valuable attention. To do that, you need to give the time to understanding intimately who you're trying to reach. What do they care about? What are the problems they need to solve? How do they consume information online? Answering these questions should be your first priority. This knowledge informs what you write about, the format you choose for it, and the platforms you share it on to achieve the best results. Content that connects is content that provides genuine value, by addressing problems in such a way that shows the audience they've been seen and heard. Without the commitment to your audience, even the most polished content can fail to hit its mark. So, start by focusing on 'who' before anything else.
Start by getting really clear on who you are speaking to and what they actually care about. It is easy to jump into platforms, formats, and trends but without that foundation, nothing really sticks. Spend time listening before you start writing. The best content strategy grows from understanding, not just planning. If you can answer real questions with honesty and clarity, you are already ahead of most.
The best piece of advice I'd give to someone starting out in content strategy is to focus on clarity of message before anything else. Whether it's a short film, social ad, or blog post, the most successful content usually revolves around one simple but brilliant idea. Trying to communicate too much at once is one of the most common early mistakes. If your audience can't immediately grasp what your content is trying to say or why it matters, they'll move on. That's especially true with video, where attention is won or lost in seconds. Start by asking yourself, what's the one thing I want the audience to take away from this? Then build everything, tone, visuals, structure, around that. Clear, focused content always performs better than something that tries to do it all.
One thing many people forget when starting with content strategy is how important visuals are, especially for social media. No matter how good your message is, blurry or slow-loading images can ruin the first impression. Clean, well-sized visuals help your content look professional, build trust, and catch attention while scrolling. Picking strong images or photos is only part of the job. Using the right file format ensures your visuals load quickly and look great on all devices and platforms. For example, converting large PNG files to JPG can help reduce size without losing quality. Simple tools like pngtojpghero.com make that process quick and smooth. Over time, these small image choices greatly influence how people experience your brand.
One piece of advice I would give to any new content strategist is not to chase high-volume keywords and topics that seem great just because of the traffic potential. There's just so much that goes wrong - often intense competition, attracting the wrong audience, or failing to convert. Focus on what exactly your business goals are, find niche topics that are relevant to those goals (even if they have lower search volumes), and cover them thoroughly after doing proper research (not AI churned content). That would help you see real results and give you the confidence you need to go further.
to use. These tactical decisions should always flow from your content strategy, which must be grounded in two fundamental elements: 1) the brand's core messaging platform, and 2) a deep understanding of your target audience personas. The biggest mistake beginners make is taking a bottom-up approach - jumping straight into execution without first clarifying the brand's essence, its key messages, and most importantly, why anyone should care. These critical elements can't be discovered by analyzing algorithms or mimicking content trends. They must emerge from a clear understanding of who the brand truly is and the specific preferences, behaviors, and needs of its intended audience.
If I had to boil it down to just one piece of advice for someone just starting out with content strategy, it would be this: know your audience better than they know themselves. I know that sounds like something you'd hear in a marketing 101 class, but after more than 20 years in this field -- through the rise and fall of algorithm updates, platform shifts, and attention spans shrinking by the year -- one constant has never changed: content that connects wins. When you're first starting out, it's tempting to focus on tactics -- keywords, content calendars, social media channels, SEO tricks. And those things are important, eventually. But if you don't have a clear understanding of who you're speaking to, why they should care, and what you want them to do after consuming your content, none of those tactics will matter. You'll just be publishing into the void. The first and most important thing to focus on is clarity: Who is your audience? What keeps them up at night? What do they need -- not just what they're searching for, but what they're trying to solve? And how does your brand or business fit into that picture in a way that adds genuine value? Get crystal clear on that, and everything else -- from your blog topics to your email funnels -- gets a whole lot easier.
If you're just starting out with content strategy, my biggest advice is: Know your audience like the back of your hand. Before creating anything, spend time understanding who you're writing for--what they need, what challenges they face, and how your content can genuinely help them. At Write Right, we always start with research--customer insights, keyword trends, and competitor analysis--to ensure our content is relevant and engaging. Once you have a clear picture of your audience, focus on consistency--whether it's your messaging, tone, or publishing schedule. A scattered approach won't build trust. Start small, measure what's working, and refine along the way. Strategy isn't about perfection, but it's about continuous improvement based on real engagement.
One piece of advice I'd give to someone just starting out with content strategy is to focus on understanding your audience deeply before creating anything. Knowing who you're speaking to--what they care about, struggle with, and enjoy--will shape every piece of content you make. The most important thing to focus on first is building clear audience personas and identifying their core needs and questions. From there, you can create content that actually helps, connects, and builds trust. Strategy isn't about posting more--it's about posting smarter.