What if there were a way to make your content strategy both more powerful and easier to deliver?

Well, there is. And the idea is simplicity itself. Literally!

Instead of writing and speaking on a wide range of subjects, narrow your sights to just a very few. Over time, people will begin to associate you with your areas of subject matter expertise, and your firm can develop a reputation as leading experts in those areas.

But the key is having the discipline to stay focused. Tackle too many themes and your audience won’t be able to form a mental connection between your firm and your ideas.

Like it or not, people’s tendency is to simplify the world, especially in today’s overactive info-verse. Unless they are deeply engaged with your firm, they don’t have the headspace to take a nuanced view of your expertise.

People aren’t dovecotes. They only have one to three pigeonholes in their minds to slot you into. That’s why you need to think carefully about the big issues that give your thought-leadership content definition and focus.

Introducing Issues and Topics

“Issues” and “topics” are the heart of a modern, differentiated content marketing strategy. More than an organizational scheme, they can fundamentally shape the way the outside world perceives your firm.

Issues are the big, overarching themes you want to be known for. They are broad, complex subjects without simple answers. Examples could include “How Technology is Transforming the Legal Industry” or “Strategic Planning in an Uncertain World.”

The more you can present a distinctive point of view, however, the more likely it is to stick in people’s heads. For instance, “Embracing the ‘Dumb’ Building Revolution” has a counterintuitive, even contrarian, point of view that makes it particularly interesting and memorable.

A good issue is one that you can explore from countless angles, captures your audience’s intense interest, and is directly relevant to the services you provide. Most firms typically focus on two or three major issues, though very large organizations may require more to cover their diverse practice areas.

Journalists seek out the firm or expert best known for the particular thing they are writing about. They are looking for people with a deep understanding of a subject. Selecting the right issues can help them notice you.

Topics, on the other hand, are the narrower ideas that fall under each issue. Topics become the titles of your blog posts, webinars, and speeches—or any other educational piece you produce. For example, one of our clients, Earnest & Associates, regularly produces content around the issue of “The Future of ERP in Manufacturing & Distribution.” One topic they might write on is “Predictive Analytics for Manufacturers and its Role in Generating Profitable Growth” Another topic could be “Rethinking Your Pricing Strategy Framework to Optimize Performance.”

You should be able to generate dozens, even hundreds, of topics from a single issue. Topics can be timely, addressing recent events, or evergreen, covering enduring concepts that build your reputation. Ideas can come from your store of knowledge or interactions you have with clients. Or you can do a little research to explore territory you are less familiar with.

This structured approach allows you to plan your content weeks or even months in advance, so you can deliver a dependable flow of valuable insights to your audience. And it steers your content toward a specific goal.

Three Things to Consider as You Create Your Issues and Topics

When developing your issues and, later, your topics, you should focus on the intersection of three key areas:

  • What is important to your clients? This means understanding their high-priority business challenges.
  • What are you good at? What are the kinds of problems your services and expertise can effectively solve.
  • What can you say that is different from the rest of the field?

Keep in mind that your issues do not have to be set in stone. As the marketplace evolves and your original thinking is adopted by others, you might determine it’s time to move on to a new issue. Periodically revisiting and refining your issues and topics ensures your expertise remains sharp and relevant—and in high demand.

If your content marketing lacks a clear strategy, a thoughtful set of issues and topics can give it a potent boost.