Your publishing schedule needs to be aligned with your marketing efforts, with a focus on your strategic needs and expected results.
In other words, you need a content plan.
But what is it? Is it the same as a content strategy? What kind of information should be included? And what distinguishes a good content plan from a bad one?
For answers to all these questions and more, plus a free template you can download and customize to fit your needs, keep reading.
What is a content plan?
A content plan is a document that outlines all the content and marketing resources needed to implement your content marketing strategy.
This includes everything from blogs and social media posts to search engine optimization research and white papers.
It will align directly with your marketing funnel, with each resource included mapped to one of its stages: awareness, consideration, conversion, and loyalty.
Why do you need a content plan?
Content is an essential part of marketing.
By creating a content plan, you make it easier for your team to create, collaborate on, and implement this content. A good plan will help you anticipate future resource allocation, preventing unnecessary delays and expenses.
Content strategy vs. Content plan: what’s the difference?
Even though they have similar names, they are often confused with each other and sometimes mistakenly used interchangeably, a content plan is not the same as a content strategy.
And yes, you need both. So, what’s the difference?
The main thing you need to know is this: your content strategy defines how and why the content will be used in your marketing strategy.
Your content plan determines what, when and where you will use various resources as part of this strategy to achieve your goals.
In essence, your content plan consists of the building blocks (blogs, outreach, reports, etc.) you use to reach the goals outlined in your content strategy (more leads, increased sales, etc.)
You should define your content strategy before starting your content plan, as your content plan will outline how to achieve the strategy’s objectives.
What information is included in a content plan?
An effective content plan should provide content creators with useful information they can use while developing resources. Namely, it should tell them:
Who the content is for: your content must have an audience; this is basic marketing. Your content plan should clearly define who your resources are targeted to and be designed to appeal to these audiences.
How it will be delivered: is it a blog post or a billboard ad? A podcast or a paid ad? Depending on the delivery vehicle, your content will take different forms.
What problem it will solve : your target audience needs. Your content plan should offer a solution to this need, as well as inspire your audience to take action.
How it will be created : do you have a content writer on staff who will create this piece, or will you outsource it to a freelancer? Who is responsible for publishing it? Answering these questions will simplify budget and workflow management.
Any associated costs : whether it’s a payment to a web developer, a placement fee, or a required subscription for research, your content plan should cover any expected fees or payments needed to create each item.
Depending on your needs, you may also want to include information about tone, notes on structure and layout, word count, categories, and URLs.
Different types of content to include
It’s already been mentioned that each piece of content should align with a specific stage of your marketing funnel. Now, let’s take a look at each stage and discuss the content types that work best for each one.
Awareness
This type of content goes at the top of the marketing funnel.
It’s about showing potential customers that you exist and informing them about the qualities that make you stand out. The content should be easily consumable and easy to share.
Common types of awareness content are:
Social media posts.
Keyword-rich content for SEO.
Paid search ads.
Blog posts that aren’t overly salesy.
Consideration
In the second stage of the funnel, you are nurturing leads, building a relationship, and creating trust. At this point, your content should be more in-depth and provide proof of solutions.
Content that works well for the consideration stage includes:
Blogs that establish your authority.
Comparison content.
Webinars.
Conversion
The lead is on the hook, now it’s time to reel them in and close the sale. Content at this stage should provide information on why customers should choose your brand.
But here’s the thing: your company’s needs are unique. Simply downloading this plan won’t be effective.
You need to tailor it to your specific situation.
Not sure how to do it?
You’re in luck. We’ve also provided a handy step-by-step guide.
Customizing your content plan
1. Determine which goal each piece is trying to achieve
Trying to be everything to everyone is a terrible strategy. Remember the old saying, “a jack of all trades is a master of none.”
This is especially true for marketing content. Every piece of content you plan, and eventually create, should have a specific purpose.
As you build your content plan, keep in mind what you’re aiming to achieve with each piece. Make sure every item of content is clearly aligned with a specific stage of your marketing funnel.
2. Identify where your target audience is
Decide who you’re targeting and then find the best way to reach them. Then, determine where each piece of content can be placed for maximum impact.
Keep in mind that some types of content will perform better on specific platforms.
For example, that professional eBook you’re planning to create is more likely to receive attention and engagement on LinkedIn than on Facebook.
3. Consider your budget
When determining when to create and release specific content, keep your budget in mind.
For example, if you have a trade show in August that will require major investments, both in terms of time and money, then June and July may not be the best periods to undertake resource-intensive content projects.
One of the benefits of a content plan is that it gives you an at-a-glance view of ongoing and upcoming projects.
Use this to your advantage.
4. Determine a cadence
Earning credibility and growing your audience requires the regular release of new content.
Unfortunately, there’s no magic number for how often that should be. Only you can determine what works best for you and your audience’s preferences.
You should review your schedule to decide how much time you can dedicate to content creation and curation.
Then, put yourself in your audience’s shoes and decide how often they would like to receive content from you.
Finally, consider how your release frequency will help you achieve your goals.
For example, if you’re looking to grow your audience, you’ll likely need to publish more frequently than if you’re focusing on maintaining customer loyalty.
5. Create a workflow
You need a clearly defined content creation process.
It should outline what each person is responsible for, who is involved at each stage, and establish a process for transferring tasks from one person or department to another.
Many organizations find that using a color-coded system is most effective at this stage.
Some other tips for content planning
Now that you’ve downloaded your content plan template and customized it to suit your unique situation, it’s time to start planning and creating that content—well, almost.
Before you dive in and start outlining every asset and piece of collateral you’ll use in the coming year, here are a few final things to keep in mind:
Color code
Use the fill color feature offered by spreadsheets to give you at-a-glance insights on each content piece.
You should be able to easily identify where a piece is in the creation process, which platforms it will be used on, and how it fits into your overall marketing strategy.
Don’t forget SEO
Many of your leads will reach you via the internet, which means it’s crucial to help them find you. Any digital content you create should always be crafted with search engine optimization in mind.
Make sure you’ve done your keyword research and include keywords where possible. Aim to create content that matches search intent and ensure everything you publish provides value.
Don’t be afraid to draw inspiration from the pages that currently rank highly for your target keywords.
(Note the word “inspiration.” This does not mean stealing. All your content should be original.)
Consider each channel separately
Each content marketing channel has its own objectives. You should always keep these in mind when deciding what goes where.
That said, keep an eye out for opportunities to repurpose content. If you can generate engagement by posting links to the same blog post across four different social media channels, you should absolutely do so.
Keep an idea file
Great content ideas can come from anywhere, often when you least expect them. Consider adding another tab to your content plan spreadsheet where you can list ideas for future content.
Keywords are a great starting point for brainstorming ideas. See what other brands are doing. Can you take a similar approach?
Maybe you have a silly idea you don’t take seriously, but it might inspire someone else.
Your goal with your idea file is to collect as many ideas as possible, which means none of them are wrong.
Final considerations
Creating a successful content plan isn’t difficult, but it does take some work. However, if you’re truly serious about achieving your marketing goals, it’s something you have to do.
And keep in mind: your positions, goals, and criteria will evolve over time, and your content should evolve along with them.
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