Content, until very recently, was a term reserved for traditional editorial publications.

Magazines, newspapers, television and radio shows—they all required a team of writers and editors to make judgment calls, identify audiences, create and disseminate content.

Readers trusted this content in large part due to its familiarity—its tone, its process, its delivery.

In today’s media landscape, which is vaster and more widespread than ever, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a brand that doesn’t deliver its own content in some way.

Whether via corporate blogs, social media, video or other nontraditional venues, companies have recognized that they too can capitalize on the unique relationship-building power of content.

And when done right, consumers eat it up.

But as brands are pressured to keep up with the ever-changing landscape, it can be easy to lose sight of content’s ultimate goal: to build trust with consumers.

Stay on track to produce meaningful, user-driven content with these tips, and your audience will be clicking “share” in no time.

1. Your vision comes first.

   Content that doesn’t ultimately meet your company’s end goal is not only pointless—it’s a waste of resources.

   As you work with a content team to create a content development strategy, make sure your company’s mission, vision and values are at the forefront of the discussion.

   When the focus is on your goals from the get-go, the value in your content will develop organically.

2. Good content takes time.

   It’s tempting to jump right into the content fold, especially if your company feels it has some catching up to do.

   But it’s critical to invest time into the strategy process. Communicate what’s truly important to your company, and engage all levels of the process.

   Allow time for market and competitor research and develop a plan that’s meaningful. It’s an investment that will pay off in the long run as your content gets legs.

3. Streamline your communication efforts.

   There are a lot of moving parts to content development. There’s the writing team, marketing, IT, sometimes product managers and customer service teams can get involved to advise content.

   Keep communication simple. Designate a liaison to work directly with the team and relay any information, concerns, feedback and suggestions.

   This not only frees up time and confusion for your team—it frees up time for the content team, allowing them to focus on the content itself. Which leads us to…

4. Let us do the grunt work.

   Of course you’ll want to be involved in the content development process; no one knows the content better than you.

   So it might seem out of your nature to completely let us take the reins when it comes to the creative work. But if you’ve put the time in laying a good foundation for the strategy, this is where agency creatives can really shine.

   By all means—it’s important to step in and voice opinions when you feel the content goals have fallen out of sight. But otherwise, you’ll be pleasantly surprised how well it works when we do the heavy lifting.

5. Remember, it’s a process.

   You and your content development team could spend weeks preparing the content strategy of all strategies. But life happens.

   Sometimes original ideas transform into even better ones halfway through the process. Public relations concerns can arise, and it’s sometimes wise to stray from the original plan to avoid conflict.

   Whatever the reason, it’s important to be flexible throughout the process. After all, a content plan is only as valuable as the value it imparts for its consumers.