Creating a Content Plan
A content plan is, as the name suggests, a plan for the content published under your company or organization's name on social media or websites. It is a tool that helps with time management and makes content production regular. This article walks through the steps anyone can follow to create an effective content plan.
When creating a content plan, it is wise to set aside enough time at once, as a carefully crafted plan saves time in the long run. Depending on possibilities and needs, a few hours to one working day is a good amount of time to create a thorough and precise plan.
Get to Know Your Target Audience
Understanding your target audience is a central part of content production, making it a natural element when creating a content plan. It is not only about understanding what kind of content your audience wants but also how and in what format it is best delivered.
Differentiate Content Types
Review different content types and consider which ones are suitable as communication tools for your business.
- Social media updates
- Images
- Videos
- Blog posts
- Articles
- Podcasts
- Email newsletters
Choose Your Main Platform
In an era filled with various social media platforms, producing content for multiple platforms can be stressful. This is why smaller businesses in particular should choose a single platform around which to center their communication. This could be a social media platform, a newsletter, or a website blog.
In addition to the main platform, other platforms should either be kept active or abandoned entirely. One way to maintain activity is to make it a habit to share updates from one platform across others.
Listing Ideas
Create a list of all possible content ideas. At this stage, there is no need to be overly critical – let creativity bloom in full glory. Once you have poured your brain onto paper, it is time to start looking at ideas critically. Also note the primary publishing platform and a keyword for search engines alongside each idea.
- Does the idea make sense?
- Is the idea unique?
- How much time will implementation take?
- How can it be made search engine friendly?
- How can it gain visibility?
- Would you yourself be interested in consuming the content this idea offers?
Schedule Ideas on a Calendar
Finally, schedule the ideas on a calendar. I do not recommend using exact dates, except in important special cases such as holiday-specific content or regular series. Usually, deciding on publication by the week is sufficient.
