All of your content isn’t digital. Why is your content strategy?

I get it. The world is going digital. And mobile. And social. I understand consumers want it that way. Heck, I’m a consumer and I want it that way, too. But, if you’re involved in helping to promote a brand, there’s something more important to consider:

Digital isn’t the only way people experience your brand.

And, unless you're a digital-only brand (if there is such a thing), you’re probably selling yourself short if your content strategy is only focused on digital.

A brand is the sum of all of the experiences people have with you, so each one of these experiences is important and should be as consistent as possible. That means digital experiences, but it also means off-line experiences, too. These could include things like the in-store experience at Nordstrom, the vacation experience at a Disney Park and event-based experiences like Content Marketing World.

Every brand needs to have an overall content strategy to help guide the content that’s being created, regardless of how it’s consumed. (<--- Tweet this)

To be clear, I’m not talking about simply adding in-person tactics and events to your existing digital content strategy. I’m suggesting that you take a step back and re-think your content strategy to make sure it’s broader than any specific tactic.

Lots of examples are out there. Ignore them.

Many folks have advice for how to develop a content strategy, but be careful; these are often just a list of digital tactics. It’s nice that these exist for comparison’s sake, but it’s a bit like filling up your gas tank before you have a driver’s license…things are a little out of order.

Your content strategy also needs to be specific to your brand. Whether you work for a Fortune 100 company or you’re a one-person shop, your content strategy needs to be yours, not someone else’s. Just like singing cats and talking babies, the fact that you can find content strategy templates on the Web doesn’t mean they actually exist.

Remember it’s a guide, not a novel.

An overall content strategy should serve as a guide for the people creating content for your brand, whether it’s your marketing department, a customer service person, an ad agency or your receptionist. But this doesn’t mean you need to run out and create a three-inch-thick rulebook for everyone to follow. People don’t like to follow rules, they like to have guidelines.

You do need to have standards for content, especially in larger organizations or for those relying on external vendors for content creation. But remember the people you’re talking to in your strategy are the ambassadors of your brand. Guide them, don’t preach at them.

So, what’s in it for you?

There are many benefits to creating (or reevaluating) an overall content strategy. Here are just a few of them:

• It can serve as a barometer to help measure the consistency of your content across touch points (rather than relying on opinions, personal preferences)
• You gain efficiencies from having everyone on the same page
• Your brand looks smarter in the marketplace, giving people confidence in you because they know what to expect
• Referrals will increase as a result of this confidence
• Most importantly, your audience will be more loyal to you when they enjoy and appreciate a consistent experience

If you don’t have a content strategy now, commit to creating one. If you do, take a fresh look at it: does it reflect your brand regardless of how people want to interact with you?

Creating an overall content strategy for your brand will give those who choose your brand the consistent experience they expect and deserve.

And they will reward you with their loyalty.