In the second of a series of articles focused on creating a content strategy, I discuss what kind of research you should conduct before moving onto the planning phase.

Step 2- Research

Before you start planning what kind of content you’ll produce, you need to conduct three different types of research.

PESTLE analysis

PESTLE analysis is a common framework used to explore the various external factors affecting a business, and you can also use it to assess how these factors may influence your campaign. As an example, here’s a brief PESTLE analysis for the crypto industry:

  • Political- the current political environment, such as the EU parliament recently approving the Markets in Crypto Act (MiCA)
  • Economic- Macroeconomic factors, such as the impact of rising interest rates on the crypto markets
  • Social- Changing demographics or cultural trends, such as how FTX’s collapse could affect trust in crypto
  • Technological- Innovations or tech advancements, such as the recent Shanghai update to the Ethereum network
  • Legal- Compliance with regulations, such as the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) recent crackdown on crypto firms
  • Environmental- Wider environmental issues, such as the crypto industry’s carbon footprint

Content audit

Conducting a content audit can identify gaps in your existing content that may need to fill:

  • Awareness content to educate people about your existence and your products
  • Consideration content for prospects assessing options in the market
  • Conversion content to drive people to take action
  • Retention content to turn existing users into repeat purchasers or brand advocates
  • Re-engagement content to entice back prospects who dropped out at different stages of the consumer journey

Here’s a link to a useful article exploring these different types of content published by Hubspot.

Keyword research

Researching the keywords your audience uses to search for content can help identify:

  • Content topics with high search volume
  • Content gaps by comparing new keywords with existing content
  • Emerging themes and trends
  • Quick wins and opportunities for high-impact content

To learn more about developing a content strategy for your fintech, email keith@keithmcg.com or call (0044) 7719 700319.