Strategic content mapping with data-based personas

What is content mapping?

"Content mapping" has nothing to do with content on a map, but is simply the technical term for planning how to serve the right content in the right context to the right customer.

The first and most important point you need to be clear about is: Who am I targeting? And then: What needs do these people have? How does my business contribute to meeting those needs? And there it is again, the great desire to unpack a crystal ball....

But, if you can reach customers with good content mapping and a good story, you don't need the crystal ball. You only need two things: a data-driven buyer persona that accurately represents your customers, and the content sweet spot of that persona.

The content sweet spot

A persona's content sweet spot is the intersection of your persona's needs, your company's expertise, and your product's unique selling points. So you ask yourself up front: what does the customer need that my product or expertise can solve? Based on this interaction, you can then tell a story that appeals to your buyer persona (and thus your customers) in such a way that they first become a Sales Qualified Lead (i.e. a prospect just before making a buying decision) and from there become a customer. Since we are all not "homo economicus", the becoming customer also has emotional and very personal needs and experiences at every touchpoint on this Customer Journey. These needs and emotions influence buying behavior positively or negatively. Whoever provides the right content at the right touchpoint wins the customer.

From persona to mapping

The best mapping is obtained by those who have all the building blocks together and assemble them correctly: Create or order data-driven personas. If you already have them, update them if necessary. It is also important to bring the personas to life for everyone involved in your company with mood boards, intranet contributions or other methods so that everyone in the company is pulling in the same direction.

Then look at your website and any other channels (e.g. social media channels, podcast, ads, etc. ) where your company communicates with customers, presents itself to them and introduces products:

• What content is presented there?
• How much engagement does this content generate?
• Which content is successful?
• Which not?

Then match the results with the preferences and needs of your persona(s). You can then rank which content best reaches and appeals to your personas. In this way, the customer journey for your ideal customer is created piece by piece. Record it, and enter all the touchpoints that customers have with your company and your product. But don't forget that customers also obtain information in other ways: From competitors, from acquaintances, from comparison portals, etc. These are important components of costumer mapping that can only be accurately mapped with data-based personas. If you have a detailed data-driven persona , you also know about these points and can take them into account.

Once you've mapped your persona's customer journey and know their preferences, you can then determine the best content format and content for each persona. Do you reach your persona daily with fun stories via reel on Instagram? Or more weekly with sober information on a trade magazine page? In a Facebook feed at closing time? Or offline in a magazine on your coffee break? Your content mapping will tell you. The content you publish in response, and the channels you publish it on, will give you new data and information: Which content mapping sparked, which didn't? If not, where's the fault, what do we need to do differently? This is how you keep refining your mapping and customer insight until not only SQLs become customers, but customers become repeat customers.

Best Practice: Patagonia

So that this doesn't all remain gray theory, here is an example of a company that is successful with content mapping and storytelling: Patagonia is a high-priced outdoor clothing brand. There are many of them, which means that if you want to be successful, you have to stand out from the competition, especially if price-sensitive customers are falling away. Patagonia has managed to become a symbol of sustainability and environmental responsibility within the industry through strategic content mapping. This succeeded so well that not only outdoor enthusiasts from the appropriate price segment purchase the products, but also more price-sensitive customers buy Patagonia whenever it is feasible for them via offers or even second hand.

How did they do it? The company has strategically created content that reinforces its "environmental protection and sustainability" brand identity. The company publishes targeted content about its efforts to reduce its environmental footprint, restore environmental ecosystems, and support environmental organizations. In addition, Patagonia shares inspiring stories of people exploring the world and appreciating nature: Accounts of extreme athletes, environmental activists and adventurers who experience and protect nature. These stories are compelling and motivating and speak directly to the target audience.

Patagonia has extended its content mapping to various platforms: visually appealing content on Instagram and Facebook is just as much a part of this as informative blog posts on environmental topics and sustainability initiatives on the website. The brand also produces videos, documentaries and podcasts that effectively convey its messages. With these resources, as well as plenty of transparency and open activism, Patagonia has managed to build a passionate community of customers and supporters who identify strongly with the brand. The engagement of this community, in turn, not only increases sales, but also leads to organic new customers and self-perpetuating marketing.