Let’s say you have a pile of content like product photos, blog posts, and how-to videos and you are wondering how to get all that great content out in front of your audience. 

Unstructured, content marketing sometimes feels random and less effective. You’re scrambling out for what to post. Which channel works best with which content? You realize way too late that you haven’t posted anything. 

Without a clear plan, it’s easy to get lost and miss your goals. To really hit the mark, you need a solid content marketing plan that guides you every step of the way.

In this blog post, we are going to talk about what a content marketing plan is, why it is necessary, and how you can create one for your business goals.

What is a Content Marketing Plan?

A content marketing strategy or plan is a strategic roadmap that outlines the who, what, when, where, why, and how of your content efforts. It answers key questions like:

• Who is responsible for creating the content?
• What kind of content is created?
• When will the content go live?
• Where will the content be distributed?
• Why do you do content marketing?
• How is promotion and analysis going to be done?

How to Build a Successful Content Marketing Strategy 

Below we are sharing the steps for developing the best content market plan 

1. Set Goals and KPIs

Start with establishing what you want to achieve with your content marketing. Usually, these are 

• brand awareness
• credibility
• audience education. 

Yes, for each of those goals, identify KPIs. These could include metrics like reach, engagement, conversions, and customer loyalty.

2. Identify Your Target Audiences

Identify who your content is targeted to. In most cases, this falls in line with your existing buyer personas or social media personas. If you have various audiences, create content to appeal to their preferences and to their needs.

3. Audit Your Existing Content

Before you go further, take the time to assess what you’ve built. Catalog the content in terms of type, topic, and performance. This will provide insight into what works / doesn’t work and help inform you on what’s missing from your content strategy.

4. Choose the Right Content Channels

Identify the channels where your audience is most active. Utilize findings from both your content audit and web analytics to help you determine which channels to focus most of your attention on. In this way, you can rest assured that the right people are receiving your content on the proper platforms.

5. Choose Forms of Contents

Not all the formats work well on all channels. Choose content formats based on your goals and audience preferences: videos, blog posts, infographics, or podcasts. Keep in mind the marketing funnel stage when choosing the type of content. 

6. Plan Your Budget and Resources

Identify what resources you have at your disposal and which ones you will require. This includes budget, tools, team members and SEO experts. Regardless of whether in-house talent or freelancers will be used, make sure you have all you need to create high-quality content.

7. Create a Content Calendar

A content calendar shows the right way to keep your content strategy on track. With one, you’ll plan topics, assign responsibilities, and schedule publication dates for creation, thereby enabling you to manage production efficiently.

8. Create Quality Content

This is where you planned; now it’s time to create. Develop SEO optimized content that will engage your target audience and help you achieve the goals of your strategy. Remember, quality will always beat quantity, so every single piece of content should be considered and worthwhile.

9. Publish and Promote Your Content

When the content is ready, it is time to publish on schedule. Now comes the time for publishing the content via various channels you choose and promoting them accordingly. Give maximum exposure to good-performing content by repurposing through various platforms.

10. Results Measurement and Analysis

Lastly, measure the performance of your content in line with your KPIs. This will involve reach, engagement, and conversion using analytics tools. Run these statistics regularly to amend your strategy for better results in content marketing.

Conclusion

Now it’s your turn to take those steps and develop a content marketing strategy that will work for your business. Having this documented plan means you can approach your content with confidence, knowing that every single piece is contributing to the overall success.