What is a content matrix, and how can it help your brand’s marketing efforts? Lisa Bourke from Brisbane based content marketing agency Content Hive takes a look.

The framework is quite simple, but it can help to steer your content with purpose. By using the structure of the content matrix, it helps to achieve specific results reflecting the goals of your brand.

Content marketing should not be viewed as a “one size fits all” model. What works for one business, may not necessarily work for yours. It’s important to ask yourself why you are creating specific content – what’s the end goal? What do you hope to achieve from your efforts?

What Is A Content Matrix: Explained

A content matrix is a concept used to produce specific styles of content, based on specific actions you want your existing (or new) audience to take. The actions (or reactions) you desire could be almost anything – are you chasing greater brand awareness, want more email subscribers, or simply have an item on sale that needs pushing?

Content needs a purpose. Without a clear direction or purpose, all that hard work that you have done may not convert into tangible results. This is where the use of a content matrix comes in.

So what is a content matrix, and how does it work?

Well, there are four primary “pillars” to a content matrix. Let’s think of these as “purposes” behind your content production, or perhaps what you want your content to actually do.

• Entertain – If a piece of content happens to go “viral”, chances are that it falls into this category. This style of content offers high engagement levels, so it could be fun, entertaining or thought provoking. Ultimately, you’re generating brand awareness. Examples include competitions, quizzes, and videos that get your audience talking.
• Inspire – This style of content plays on the emotional connection involved in getting your customers to the later stages of the buying process. Often, the content is actually about people, making it relatable. This can include endorsements, reviews or ratings, and humanizes your product or service.
• Educate – If you provide a lot of technical or fact based information to your customers, try and simplify it for them. This information of course does need to be disclosed or provided at some point, so try your best to make it engaging and easily understood. Guides and infographics often help to streamline this process, along with articles and press releases for the finer details.
• Convince – This is where you prove Can your product or service walk the walk, or just talk the talk? Show off your features, let people try things via interactive demos or samples, and essentially aim to influence your audience into needing what you’re offering. This section is often crucial to converting customers and the decision making process.

Don’t forget to pay attention to what’s going on at the centre of the content matrix. Content like e-news, e-books, demo videos and events live in this section, as they have the potential to be “tweaked” in any direction. Use their flexibility to your advantage, and see what works for your brand or business.

Source: Ninety Black

How To Use A Content Matrix

Don’t try to squeeze your content into the matrix. Instead, use this model during your next team brainstorming session to prioritise the needs of your brand or business. Horse before cart, as they say.

Behind all great marketing, is great content. If you lack the time, energy or resources to produce on-brand content consistently, it might be time to schedule your free discovery call with Content Hive.