WHAT IS A CONTENT PLAN
Time management helps accomplish more, while budgeting allows you to save money and invest it in valuable resources. Developing a content plan also serves important functions: it reduces stress and deadline pressure, and ensures consistency and stability in engagement with your audience. You won’t need to come up with topics “on the fly,” copy headlines from competitors, or disappear from the information space.
Having a clear schedule for posting on social media or sharing other materials on platforms relevant to you enables you to make forecasts regarding time, the size of the creative team, necessary tools, and other aspects of online promotion.
Article Outline
- What is a content plan, and why is it important?
- Content Planning with GPT Chat and Other Idea Generation Methods
- Tools for Creating a Content Plan
- How to Create a Content Plan?
- How to Analyze the Effectiveness of a Content Plan?
- Tips for Preparing a Content Plan
- Examples of Content Plan Formatting
- Conclusions
What is a content plan, and why is it important?
A content plan is an essential component of a brand promotion strategy through content. The strategy includes content ideas, development and publication, editorial calendar planning, process creation and control, writing, editing, keywords, and other SEO aspects for the blog, publication frequency, and task distribution among specialists. Research by the Content Marketing Institute in 2020 showed that 69% of the most effective B2B teams have a documented strategy.
The set of measures for implementing a content strategy is called content tactics. It defines the types of content you create and the methods for developing it. Having and consistently implementing a strategy, tactics, and directly planning content is primarily important for the service industry.
Specialists who provide services, such as private lawyers, cosmetologists, business consultants, psychologists, tutors, and photographers, must constantly earn the trust of a new audience and increase the loyalty of existing clients while engaging readers. This can only be achieved through content.
The simplest and most common format for planning posts is a content plan in an Excel file with online access or in Google Sheets. The elements depend on the business sector and content marketing goals. For example, for a blog by the owner of a foreign language school, it may include information about the date, post type, section, target audience category, topic, and essence of the publication.
Check out the content plan example at this link: Content plan example
You can also format the plan in any notebook, such as Evernote. A more complex option that allows attaching files, commenting, and moving task cards from one stage to another is offered by the Trello app. If one of your key criteria is original formatting and conciseness, a good option would be to design the publication schedule in Canva.
Having a well-thought-out publication schedule in advance allows for task distribution among the team or, if only one person is working on content marketing, to create a checklist of actions and subsequently not miss important events or disappear from the audience’s view due to a lack of ideas for new topics.
The interest of potential and existing clients can quickly diminish if they do not receive benefits, satisfaction, or new offers from the brand. Considering the universal goals of business and the needs of any consumer, we can highlight four main types of publications. The “Golden Content Formula”, developed by European marketers, suggests distributing content types in an optimal ratio for readers.
Entertaining (40%)
This type of content is for engagement; it grabs attention, allows people to relax, and can even make them laugh. This includes popular memes, GIFs, short videos, compilations, and screenshots of funny dialogues on relevant topics. To better connect with your target audience, it’s beneficial to occasionally post polls and texts that invite comments. To further engage your audience and expand your subscriber base, consider running contests and giveaways.
Branding (30%)
This type of content is also known as reputation-building, as it shapes the target audience’s perception of the company or individual specialist. The brand image is created through case studies, testimonials, collaborations with influencers, and team members’ or partners’ authored posts.
Educational
Posts that share valuable advice, guides, and complex information in an accessible format typically get the most shares and saves. Lead magnets like checklists, short e-books, and recorded webinars are common. For instance, a fitness trainer could offer followers or website visitors a book of original recipes high in fiber. This kind of content is called “evergreen” because it remains relevant for the target audience over an extended period.
Promotional
Warm up your audience before launching courses, invite them to join marathons, announce events and promotions, and share special offers. To familiarize potential customers with the terms of cooperation, pin posts about payment methods, delivery, warranty, etc.
Educational and entertaining content is often used to attract new clients, especially evergreen content, which can act as a lead magnet. Links to helpful videos or expert collections can be placed in an Instagram profile bio or a website blog. This tool can passively generate leads over a long period, boosting brand recognition and increasing followers.
Anyone who wants to access exclusive content must provide their email or phone number to receive the file via messenger. This way, the company or specialist grows their contact base. Thus, an effective content strategy is at the core of inbound marketing. In later stages of the sales funnel, content serves to retain readers and encourage purchases rather than attract new ones.
If you plan to sell a complex or expensive product using content, create a content funnel for each segment of the target audience. This tool allows you to manage audience engagement at different stages of the decision-making process.
Depending on how familiar people are with the company, they respond differently to advertising. Therefore, at different stages of the sales funnel, it’s essential to consider the level of trust and balance the mix of informational, branded, entertaining, and promotional posts.
Over 70% of marketers and business owners actively invest in content marketing, so to stay competitive in your field, you should integrate content planning into your brand’s overall marketing strategy.
Content Planning with GPT Chat and Other Idea-Generation Methods
The most popular neural network for content planning is OpenAI GPT. The chatbot successfully handles tasks like preparing blog sections. To get a list of categories with subtopics, simply enter the query “Categories for a cosmetology blog”.
After selecting sections, you can move on to creating a list of specific post or article titles. For this, enter the query “Content ideas for a cosmetology blog on daily skincare”. The chatbot will suggest not only titles but also a brief description of each publication’s content.
Neural networks can be useful for writing texts, creating images, and even videos. When entering prompts in Chat GPT, it’s important to be as detailed as possible, specifying character limits, placement, style, and target audience. However, publishing original content is preferable, using AI mainly to generate ideas and outlines that you plan to develop.
Writing texts using neural networks requires thorough editing and authorial additions. Keep in mind that an AI’s database has chronological limitations and may not always provide relevant creative ideas. A copywriter who understands the brand concept and tone of voice will better convey this through specific phrases and real-life examples. Storytelling, case studies, and product reviews are best entrusted to a professional, not AI.
Let’s consider other methods for generating content ideas.
Analyzing Target Audience Problems
Based on the target audience profile, you can create a content map. The first level is the typical issues of existing and potential clients—needs that your product can meet. This list of problems can be the basis of main themes around which the brand’s content plan revolves. The second level is subtopics, or additional questions that may arise from a specific pain point. For example, if the theme is “I want to be a blogger but can’t become one”, the subtopics could be: “How to overcome the fear of an audience”, “Where to find beautiful locations for photos”, “How much time should I spend on blogging”?
Brainstorming
Conduct a quick survey about clients’ interests with your team, especially the sales department. The business owner can also discuss key questions with a marketer or someone familiar with the products or services of the company or a blogger’s personal brand.
Client Questions
Clients generate content ideas themselves if they can ask questions in Direct, leave comments, or book consultations.
Reviews
Monitoring user-generated content on specialized websites and forums helps identify what interests people most, what they like, and what doesn’t meet their expectations.
Competitor Analysis
If you know popular blogs in your field, pay attention to content topics, formats, and platforms used, as well as other content marketing characteristics of competitors. Avoid copying titles or rewriting entire articles — this will be too obvious for both users and search engines. Instead, get inspired by good ideas and adapt interesting formats to your own goals.
Checklists and Calendars
Some companies and bloggers regularly release event calendars. These should also be filtered and adjusted, but you can borrow many ideas related to important dates relevant to a specific business niche.
Not all posts should be 100% business-related. People enjoy reading personal content, so lifestyle content will appeal to readers of an expert blog. For stores or agencies, occasionally post about team life and topics that might interest your clients. For instance, followers of a home decor store may find it interesting to learn about creating coziness, visually expanding space, and more.
Commercial blogs often publish content on previously covered topics. This is a great way to remind subscribers of certain products or services and connect with new readers. Try changing the presentation or format of a post — for example, turning a month-old compilation into a series of stories.
Marketer’s Comment
At Marketing Link, we create a special document for each client, which includes tasks for copywriters and content managers: article topics, keywords, publication dates, and more. This allows our clients to track, in real time, what content has been published and what is being prepared for release.
We develop the content plan based on keyword frequency, relevance to the client’s business, and other needs. Before starting work, we always approve the topics and don’t always focus solely on traffic growth. Why? For example, a client may need a blog post on a highly specialized topic with zero frequency, but this article will be part of the sales department’s script and facilitate client communication, so we focus on it. As you can see, ROI in organic promotion isn’t always about traffic growth; we also consider business needs at any given moment and can make prompt adjustments to the content plan.
The screenshot shows an example of the file structure we prepare for clients.
Tools for Creating a Content Plan
There are several services that can help with finding blog topics and content ideas for external publications.
Feedly
This tool makes it easy to track trending topics across various industries. Simply specify a topic and choose from the most relevant news, newsletters, and social media posts.
BuzzSumo
This market research tool helps determine if content on a selected topic is popular, providing hints about which content ideas are successful and which are not as effective.
Blog About
This blog title generator suggests engaging titles and shows common headline formats with blanks for users to fill in. You can save the results from this brainstorming session in a dedicated notebook.
Headline Studio
The headline analyzer considers the keyword search frequency for topics. This tool can enhance an existing title and serves as an inspiration source to create something unique.
Once you gather content ideas, categorize and group them around goals or target audience segments. Test new ideas that aren’t found among competitors. It’s generally recommended that only 70% of content should be standard. Another 20% can address a new audience or be otherwise risky. The remaining 10% should be completely innovative. Bold solutions that your audience approves of will enhance your content strategy and help you stand out from competitors.
How to Create a Content Plan?
When creating a content plan, consider the campaign’s primary and additional messages, or overarching themes. These are generally based on the brand’s concept, principles, and commercial goals. For a personal brand, these messages often include the blogger’s core values and the most important aspects of their life and professional activity.
A content plan can consist of as little as two items (post date and title) or a detailed schedule of publications in a 10-column table. Key elements of a content plan might include:
- date and time of publication;
- content type (format);
- post topic;
- brief (reference and visual dimensions, keywords, CTA);
- responsible specialists;
- addition to stories, distribution;
- budget and promotion timelines;
- task status;
- performance metrics (reach, engagement, purchases via promo code).
If there are many planned publications across multiple channels, it’s advisable to create separate content plans for stories, IGTV, Reels (if using Instagram), the website blog, and external platforms.
Key Steps for Creating a Content Plan
Define Content Strategy Goals
Articles, videos, and other materials may be published to increase brand awareness, generate leads, convert followers into clients, improve search ranking (for websites), boost customer loyalty, and find brand advocates or ambassadors.
The content plan’s goal is closely tied to KPIs. It might be something like “Increase followers by 200 monthly” or “Boost engagement (likes, comments, saves) by 10%”.
With many possible tasks, clearly understanding the main goals allows you to create an effective content strategy. Much depends on target audience segments and sales funnel stages.
“Different sales funnel segments require different types of content. Therefore, you’ll need to decide which content is most relevant for someone at a given moment. This way, you’ll have the right conversation with the right person at the right time”. “Content Strategy: What Is It & How to Develop One [2023]”, — Neil Patel
After listing goals, prioritize each one. This will help in planning and preparing the necessary resources. You can use the SMART system to narrow down broad goals and make them more achievable.
Audience Analysis
Identify primary and secondary target audience segments and describe each in detail. A target audience profile should include demographic data, issues, fears, interests, interaction specifics with the product, and preferred platforms (e.g., specific social networks). For commercial pages, it’s also important to consider the problem-solving stage readers are at and how their lives may change after resolving the problem with your product or service.
Website and social media analytics provide valuable information about potential clients. Survey results, interviews, email questionnaires, and general communication with followers help refine the strategy. Well-formed client profiles help plan content plan categories and define the brand’s tone.
“Different personas and goals may require different types of content. Blogs generally convert better, while podcasts are great for building brand awareness. Your goals and audience should guide you in determining what works best for your business”. “How to Develop a Content Strategy in 7 Steps: A Start-to-Finish Guide”, — Caroline Forsey
Competitor Monitoring
Once you know what interests your target audience and where they find useful information, you can use competitors’ content as a source of ideas. Analyze popular blogs among your target audience for characteristics like text, hashtags, USP, visuals, interactivity, posting frequency, and timing. Highlight strengths and weaknesses of leaders in adjacent fields and adapt the ideas that get the most reactions from readers to suit your business.
Create a Topic List
At this stage, use the previously mentioned idea-generation methods and consider audience trends and needs.
Develop a Schedule
Create a calendar, defining when and where each type of content will be published.
Create Unique Content
Writing content should ideally be entrusted to a copywriter, except in personal branding, where it’s essential for the blogger to handle posts themselves. Spontaneous posts are acceptable for unpredictable events relevant to the blog. For companies, this may include press releases or important industry news.
Monitoring and Analytics
Tracking publication performance allows for an objective evaluation of the content strategy’s effectiveness and timely adjustments. We’ll discuss content plan analysis in more detail.
📌 Read on our blog: What is the Zipf Law in Copywriting?
How to Analyze Content Plan Effectiveness?
For platforms that allow active links, it’s essential to use UTM tags. This way, you can track where each user came from, which pages they viewed, and how much time they spent reading. To improve efficiency, it may be enough to place the call to action and link at the top of the post instead of the bottom — without UTM tags, you might never discover this.
To avoid confusion with charts and numbers, define content goals in advance.
- If the goal is to generate inquiries, include a link with a tag to an inquiry form. Then, in your analytics service, you can track how many people came from the article, how many contacted you, and how many converted into deals.
- The content’s goal may also be to introduce the product. In this case, publication success is measured by reach, which shows how many people saw the article or post.
- To assess if you effectively demonstrated expertise through content, check how many users read the article to the end, left comments, or took another action mentioned in the middle or end of the text.
- If the goal is to build a loyal audience, engage with your followers. On algorithm-driven platforms like Instagram and Facebook, reactions lead to viral reach, attracting new followers.
On social media, you can calculate ERR (Engagement Rate by Reach). This metric shows how much the post resonated with those who saw it. To calculate, divide the number of reactions by reach and multiply by 100%.
You can check website content effectiveness in Google Analytics 4 under the Engagement tab, where you can analyze metrics such as average time on page, bounce rate, and page views.
You don’t need to track all KPIs; focus on what’s crucial for your brand at this stage — increasing reach, generating leads, sales, or simply boosting loyalty.
Content Plan Preparation Tips
Allow enough time to prepare each publication. This is achievable only with a content plan, so text, video, and image creators know what and when to post in the blog. In any business field, it’s better to prioritize a well-crafted piece that meets customer needs and Google or social media algorithms than several poorly written articles or posts.
“Create content that stands out, is unique, has a clear voice, and, most importantly, offers genuine value to readers. The more specific you write and the more you focus on your niche, the better your chances of establishing yourself as an authority in your field, whether readers seek information or entertainment”. «Content Strategy: What Is It & How to Develop One [2023]», — Neil Patel
An important factor in creating a calendar plan is understanding business seasonality and company initiatives (product launches, online and offline events, etc.). Use Google Adwords Keyword Planner to understand how interest in target topics changes throughout the year.
A content planner should be well-informed about the business, key dates, and unique periods. For example, a legal blog should consider quarterly report preparation deadlines and legislative updates of interest to entrepreneurs.
Align your content plan with your business activities. If you’re preparing a new service launch, “warm up” your audience with posts about it without overtly advertising. Start doing this three to six months before the product launch.
📌 Read on our blog: Evergreen Content
Take time for review. It’s recommended to review the content plan quarterly and adjust as needed, adding new platforms or reducing the number. This not only boosts effectiveness but also conserves resources.
Additionally, you can repurpose your most popular posts — for instance, by turning articles into YouTube videos, e-books, or workshops.
Examples of Content Plan Formatting
Let’s look at a few examples of content plans for fictional businesses, using the Canva design platform for formatting.
A content plan for a school or any educational platform, such as a private tutor, should be more detailed, as attracting clients is particularly important in the education sector. Therefore, an optimal format for a publication schedule is a “Sales Funnel” content plan.
A content plan for a psychologist could be organized as a Mind Map with a list of main topics and subtopics. After creating the map, you can add promotional posts, case studies, and storytelling, formatting it into a convenient schedule.
For a beauty salon, it’s important to highlight quality service, special attention to regular clients, comfort, and a pleasant atmosphere. Therefore, there may be fewer informational posts, but it’s essential to maintain audience engagement through polls, humor, and videos.
You can beautifully format a content plan using Canva. There are many ideas and options, from simple tables to complex visualizations organized by day, month, and week.
Frequently Asked Questions
A content plan is a document that includes information on what content will be published, when, and where, either by you or your company.
A content plan is created based on the target audience profile and its specific segments, competitor analysis, business goals, and KPIs that the content should impact.
A content plan should include entertaining and interactive posts, branding (reputational) posts, educational (expert) posts, and promotional posts.
You can generate ideas during brainstorming sessions, record the results in a Mindmap, and expand it by dividing into sections. Typically, content plans are formatted in Excel or Google Sheets. For better visualization, Canva and Trello can be used.
A content plan can be in the form of a table, calendar, or step-by-step diagram, depending on its goals and business sector.
A content plan contains standard sections like date and time of posting, content type, category, post title, publication essence, and visual elements (such as a link to an image or description of the needed photo). In some cases, hashtags, platform for publication, link to the published content, and other elements may be necessary.
A content plan can be created specifically for one social network or website or for all promotion channels. It can be divided into publication schedules for different audience segments or designed according to sales funnel stages.
Conclusions
Today’s consumer searches on social media for bakers, manicurists, marketers, therapists, and even lawyers. First impressions are formed based on the blog’s design and content. Comparing the content on your page with competitors, people decide whether to work with or buy from you. Therefore, planning content correctly is crucial, whatever your purpose for the page.
The same goes for publishing texts on your own website or external resources, videos on YouTube, and other types of content on platforms where potential clients may find you. Randomly posting “as you feel” will not achieve the desired result. Only a carefully crafted content strategy will satisfy readers’ needs and generate profit.
Of course, content planning should not restrict you. A content plan should be a “living” document where changes can be made. Define your content marketing goals and choose effective ways to achieve them.
Perhaps you need to use a specific set of hashtags, collaborate actively with bloggers, or simply publish educational posts promoted via targeting. Interactive posts and engaging with followers in the comments will turn you from just another vendor into an interesting friend who helps, entertains, and has a face.
