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In the world of content strategy, there’s a secret weapon known as content mapping. But what exactly is it, and why does it matter? Imagine content mapping as a treasure map guiding you through the vast ocean of information on the internet. It helps you navigate where to place your content and when to share it to reach the right people at the right time.
Statistical Data on Content Mapping
- 60% of marketers create at least one content per day (source: emarketer).
- Did you also know that 60% of marketers reuse 2 to 5 times their existing content, but only 29% have a refined strategy for this (source: Ozcontent).

Both the creation of marketing content and the reuse of existing content are important in any effective and efficient digital strategy. However, without a structured approach, you run the risk of producing a lot of content for a single topic while neglecting other topics that are equally essential for your audience. This is to say that you are missing out on many opportunities to generate qualified traffic and leads.
To protect yourself from this, you can take a step back and carry out a content mapping. So, let’s embark on a journey to uncover the mysteries of content mapping and discover how it can supercharge your content strategy for success.
What is a Content Map?
Before we dive into the intricacies of crafting a content map, let’s first define what it is. Simply put, a content map is a strategic plan that outlines the various pieces of content you will create and how they fit together to support your overarching objectives. It provides a visual representation of your content strategy, helping you stay organized and focused as you navigate the complex world of content creation.
Understanding Content Mapping
In simple terms, content mapping is like making a plan for your content. It helps you figure out who you’re talking to, what you’re saying, and how you’re saying it. Think of it as a map that shows you where to go and what to do to reach your audience effectively. It helps you plan out what content to make and when to share it with different groups of people.
In summary, content mapping is all about making a plan for your content that takes into account:
- Who you’re talking to,
- What they like,
- Where they are online, and
- When to share your content.
It’s like having a roadmap to guide you through the world of digital content creation and distribution.
Key Elements of Content Mapping
- Audience Segmentation: This means dividing your audience into different groups based on things like their interests, needs, and behaviors.
- Content Types: These are the different kinds of content you can create, like blog posts, videos, or infographics.
- Distribution Channels: These are the places where you share your content, such as social media platforms, email newsletters, or your website.
- Timelines and Schedules: This involves planning when to create and share your content to reach your audience at the right time.
The Benefits of Content Mapping
Navigating through the ocean of digital content can be overwhelming, but content mapping acts as a guiding light, showing us the way to success. Here’s why content mapping is so important:
- Targeted Content: Content mapping helps us create content that speaks directly to our audience’s needs and interests. By understanding who we’re talking to, we can tailor our messages to resonate with them.
- Better User Experience: When content is mapped out strategically, users can easily find the information they need. This improves their overall experience on our website or platform, leading to increased engagement and satisfaction.
- Increased Engagement: By delivering the right content to the right people at the right time, we can boost engagement levels. Content mapping allows us to anticipate our audience’s needs and deliver value consistently.
- Improved Conversions: Strategic content mapping can lead to higher conversion rates. When users encounter content that addresses their pain points or solves their problems, they’re more likely to take the desired action, whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or contacting us for more information.
In summary, content mapping isn’t just about organizing our content—it’s about creating meaningful connections with our audience, delivering value, and driving results.
8 Steps To Create A Content Map
Now that we understand the importance of a content map, let’s explore the steps involved in creating one:
Step # 1: Define Your Goals:
Start by clearly defining your content marketing goals. Are you looking to increase brand awareness, generate leads, drive sales, or educate your audience? Your goals will shape the rest of your content map, so it’s important to get this step right.
Step # 2: Know Your Audience Well
We keep talking about it, but a preliminary and in-depth study of your target audience is a must before creating a content mapping strategy. This allows you to concentrate your efforts on targeted actions that generate results. Little reminder…
Step # 3: Identify The Buyer Persona You Want To Target
It is a semi-fictional representation of the profile of your potential customers. The buyer persona requires in-depth investigative work to collect quantitative and qualitative information about your targets.

You should be interested in different aspects of their profile: socio-demographic data, communication habits, information consumption habits, purchasing process, etc.
Step # 4: Consider Buyer’s Persona Path To Purchase
Once you have a better understanding of your audience, you can move on to the phase of defining the content mapping strategy dedicated to this persona, this is the role of the buyer’s journey. It is about defining for each step of the purchasing process of your prospects, what actions to put in place and the relevant content to produce to achieve it and maximize your return on investment.
Before moving on, here is a quote from Ann Handley, Digital marketing & content expert at The Wall Street Journal, who explains the importance of taking an interest in our audience upstream before producing content:
“When we produce content, we think, ‘Will our customers thank us for this?’ I think it’s important for all of us when we think about our marketing actions to say to ourselves: “Is this really useful to my customers? Will they thank us for that? ” If you think through this lens, it will clarify what you are doing in a simple and elegant way.”
Step # 5: Content Audits and Content Mapping
91% of B2B companies use Content Marketing in 2019, and 86% in B2C (source: Demand Metric).
It is therefore a safe bet that companies have a lot of content available. However, as a general rule, marketing managers lack perspective and are not always aware of all the content available or of those that may be missing in their content strategy.
This is where content auditing and content mapping come in.
Identify All Your Existing Content To Detect Opportunities
The content audit consists of identifying and listing all existing content regardless of its format and age. The goal is to obtain an exhaustive list of content on which you can capitalize for your marketing or commercial actions.
Once the identification work is done, you can categorize your content and classify it according to the targeted persona and their buyer’s journey. The objective of this approach is to identify the holes in your editorial strategy and the opportunities to be seized in terms of production or optimization. Content auditing is a preliminary step to content mapping.
Step # 6: Brainstorm Content Ideas
Once you have a clear understanding of your goals and audience, it’s time to brainstorm content ideas. Think about the topics you want to cover, the formats you want to use (e.g., blog posts, videos, infographics), and the key messages you want to convey. Consider conducting keyword research to identify relevant topics and optimize your content for search engines.
Here are some important questions to start thinking about:
- What problem are they probably trying to fix, and what are the signs that show they have this problem?
- What kind of information will help them figure out their problem(s) and realize that our product or service can solve them?
- How can we earn their trust and offer more value than our competitors right from the beginning of their journey?
Step # 7: Organize Your Content
With your content ideas in hand, organize them into a cohesive plan. This could involve creating a content calendar or spreadsheet to map out when and where each piece of content will be published. Be sure to consider factors such as seasonality, industry events, and holidays when planning your content schedule.
Step # 8: Create Your Content
Once your content map is in place, it’s time to start creating your content. Be sure to stick to your publishing schedule and maintain a consistent voice and tone across all your content channels. Don’t forget to track the performance of your content and make adjustments to your content map as needed based on your analytics.
Implementing Content Mapping Strategies
Implementing content mapping strategies is a critical step in translating theory into action for effective content strategy.
Here are the 5 steps to follow to carry out your first content mapping strategy and detect new opportunities for content strategy.
Audit All Your Existing Content
Gather absolutely all the content you have available and list them in a table by classifying them by format (blog post, white paper, webinar, video, flyer, etc.).
Don’t overlook any content, including print formats. You can also ask the sales team to provide you with the documentation they have (sales brochure, product sheet, etc.) or even the support service.
Classify Your Content By Themes
To facilitate the development of your content mapping and the identification of opportunities, you must then classify your content by topic. If possible, try to limit yourself to 6 or 8 themes to be effective.
This approach can also then allow you to build topic clusters in order to develop your pillar content strategy.
Map Your Content Based on Buyer Persona and Buyer’s Purchase Journey
You arrive at the stage of content mapping itself. It is about classifying the content according to the audience (persona) to which it is addressed and the stage of the purchasing process (buyer’s journey) concerned.

Once this work is completed, you will quickly see filled areas, others partially filled and some completely empty. This will give you a clear indication of the holes in your content strategy. You will be able to identify the content to produce to complete your conversion funnels.
- Map your content to the different stages of the buyer journey: awareness, consideration, and decision.
- Create content that addresses each stage’s specific needs and concerns, guiding prospects through the sales funnel.
Analyze and Detect Opportunities
To this first analysis, you can combine an analysis of the performance of your content (traffic generated, conversions generated, etc.). The objective is to define the content that requires optimization for (SEO) and / or a potential reorientation at the buyer’s journey level to fill the gaps in your strategy.
“Updating and publishing old blog posts with new content and new images can increase organic traffic by up to 111%” (source: Backlinko)
Leverage Data and Analytics for Optimization
Finally, do not hesitate to compare supply and demand by analyzing your traffic generation performance via your content at the monthly search volumes for the keywords you are targeting.
- Monitor and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) such as website traffic, engagement metrics, conversion rates, and content performance.
- Use data insights to refine your content strategy, identify opportunities for improvement, and adapt to evolving audience preferences.
- Test different content formats, messaging strategies, and distribution channels to optimize content effectiveness and maximize ROI.
By following these steps and incorporating content mapping into your content strategy, you can create a more targeted, cohesive, and impactful content experience for your audience. Embrace the power of strategic planning and navigation to guide your content journey towards success in the digital landscape.
When it comes to content like white papers, you will need to watch the conversion rate. You can analyze this data with the AdWords Keyword Planner or use the free Keyword Finder tool.
Tips for Success in Content Mapping
In the dynamic realm of content strategy, success hinges on the adept navigation of content mapping principles. Here, we delve into actionable tips and best practices to elevate your content mapping endeavors and drive tangible results.
- Regular Review and Update: Content mapping is not a static process; it requires regular review and updating to remain relevant and effective. Set aside time periodically to reassess your audience segments, content types, and distribution channels, ensuring alignment with evolving business goals and market trends.
- Test and Iterate: Embrace a culture of experimentation by testing different content mapping strategies and iterating based on performance metrics. A/B testing, multivariate testing, and audience segmentation experiments can provide valuable insights into what resonates most with your target audience and inform future content mapping decisions.
- Collaborate Across Teams: Break down silos within your organization by fostering collaboration across departments involved in content creation, distribution, and analysis. By aligning marketing, sales, customer service, and other teams around shared content mapping goals, you can leverage diverse perspectives and resources to enhance content effectiveness and achieve greater synergy.
- Align with Buyer Journey: Tailor your content mapping efforts to align with the stages of the buyer journey, from awareness and consideration to decision and advocacy. By mapping content types and distribution channels to each stage of the customer’s journey, you can deliver relevant and timely content that guides prospects seamlessly through the sales funnel.
- Integrate SEO and Keyword Research: Incorporate search engine optimization (SEO) and keyword research into your content mapping process to enhance discoverability and relevance. Identify high-value keywords and topics relevant to your target audience’s interests and pain points, and strategically incorporate them into your content mapping strategy to improve organic search visibility and attract qualified traffic.
- Leverage Data and Analytics: Harness the power of data and analytics to inform your content mapping decisions and optimize performance. Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as engagement metrics, conversion rates, and audience demographics to gain insights into content effectiveness and iteratively refine your content mapping strategy for maximum impact.
By implementing these tips and best practices, you can elevate your content mapping efforts from mere navigation to strategic orchestration, driving meaningful engagement, conversions, and brand advocacy in the digital landscape.
Conclusion: Charting Your Course to Content Map Success
To adopt a good content marketing strategy and concentrate your efforts on creating or optimizing good content, content mapping is an essential step.
In the journey of content strategy, content mapping serves as the North Star, guiding you toward your goals with precision and clarity. As we conclude our exploration of this invaluable tool, let’s recap the key takeaways:
- Strategic Direction: Content mapping provides a roadmap for your content strategy, ensuring that every piece of content serves a purpose and aligns with your overarching goals.
- Audience Understanding: By segmenting your audience and mapping content to their needs and preferences, you can deliver personalized experiences that resonate and drive engagement.
- Optimized Resources: Content mapping allows you to allocate resources wisely, focusing your efforts on the channels and content types that yield the greatest return on investment.
- Continuous Improvement: Regularly reviewing and refining your content map enables you to adapt to changing market dynamics, audience preferences, and business objectives.
- Measurable Impact: With clear objectives and metrics in place, you can track the effectiveness of your content strategy and make data-driven decisions to optimize performance.
Armed with these insights, you’re equipped to navigate the ever-changing currents of the digital landscape with confidence and purpose. Embrace the power of content mapping, and let it guide you toward success in your content endeavors. Safe travels on your content strategy journey!
You can do it in-house if you have the resources and the time, or you can hire a content marketing expert to help you with this task. In addition to his experience feedback, this expert will have an outside vision and will be able to take more perspective for the audit and analysis.
FAQs: Content Mapping in Content Strategy
What is content mapping, and why is it important in content strategy?
Content mapping involves strategically planning and organizing content to align with audience needs, preferences, and stages of the buyer journey. It’s essential in content strategy as it ensures that content effectively targets and engages specific audience segments, driving desired outcomes.
How does content mapping differ from content strategy?
While content strategy encompasses the overall approach to creating and distributing content, content mapping is a specific tactic within content strategy. Content mapping involves the systematic planning and visualization of content assets to address audience needs and achieve strategic objectives.
What are the key components of content mapping?
Key components of content mapping include audience segmentation, identification of content topics or themes, mapping content to specific stages of the buyer journey, selection of appropriate content formats and channels, and establishment of timelines and distribution schedules.
How can businesses conduct audience segmentation for content mapping?
Businesses can conduct audience segmentation by analyzing demographic data, psychographic information, past behavior, and engagement metrics. This allows businesses to identify distinct audience segments with unique needs, preferences, and pain points.
What are some common challenges in content mapping, and how can they be addressed?
Common challenges in content mapping include limited resources, lack of alignment between content and audience needs, and difficulty in measuring the effectiveness of content mapping efforts. These challenges can be addressed through thorough audience research, collaboration across teams, and the use of analytics and feedback mechanisms.
How often should businesses review and update their content maps?
Businesses should review and update their content maps regularly to ensure alignment with evolving audience needs, market trends, and business objectives. This may involve quarterly or biannual reviews to assess performance, identify opportunities for optimization, and make necessary adjustments to content strategy.
Can content mapping be applied to different types of content and industries?
Yes, content mapping can be applied to various types of content, including blog posts, articles, videos, infographics, social media posts, and more. It is also applicable across different industries, from e-commerce and B2B services to healthcare and education, as long as there is a target audience to engage and influence.