Put your hand up if you’ve ever tried to put together flatpack furniture or set up a new device without properly reading the instructions. How did that work for you? We’d hazard (and this is purely from experience) that you styled out the fact that you had no idea what you were doing, it probably took longer than expected, and that you now have an integral piece for your flatpack hidden in a drawer somewhere.
There’s a reason why things come with plans and instructions; it’s so you can build them with as much efficiency and as little stress as possible. And that is why we love content marketing plans.
What’s a content marketing plan?
A content marketing plan is part of your content marketing strategy. We realise that there may be blank faces at the moment. Your content marketing strategy is your reason for choosing content marketing in the first place. It asks questions like “Why do you need content?”, “Who will your content be helping?” and “Will it help people in a way that no other business can?”. It also helps you identify why you are content marketing in the first place; so, do you want to build an audience, increase revenue, or get better customers?
Think of it as the reason why you end up buying flatpack furniture in the first place.
The content marketing plan is far more akin to the flatpack furniture instructions. It makes you think about how you will do things, who will handle the tasks, and whether you need a crosshead screwdriver.
In the same way that you might lay out the various pieces of your flatpack, identifying which tools you’ll need for the job, a content marketing plan enables you to identify key topic areas that you want to focus on, the type of content that you’ll be creating, when and how you will share content and specific calls to action you might have.
Do I need to document my content marketing plan, and do I need special software?
Yes, you do need to document it, and no, you don’t need any special software to do so. But, no matter whether you write it down, put it in a spreadsheet, or use a scheduling tool like ContentCal, it’s essential that you make sure that you have your plan written and saved somewhere. Aside from giving you a guide for your business for the coming year, having a physical content marketing plan will help you effectively communicate across all marketing channels.
It also helps you see where you’ve been and where you need to go next and enables you to make tweaks where things haven’t worked out as you expected (things don’t always go to plan; noticing this and adapting is what helps you succeed). Alongside this, having a plan and strategy in place means that you don’t end up repeating messages or creating content that already exists, saving you time and money.
What should a content marketing plan include?
The first thing any good plan should include is your business case. This is a list of reasons outlining why you’re creating new content, your vision of what success will look like, and the risks that may be involved—thinking back to flatpack furniture instructions that would be the picture of the finished item and the advisory that it may take more than one person to build. It provides a vision for success and acknowledges problems you may encounter along the way.
Within this section, you should also identify goals that you hope to meet within the marketing programme and the unique value that your content will provide. What will make it stand out from the rest of the stuff that we all see online?
Second on the list has to be audience personas and the specific demographics that you are aiming your content at. You can discover a lot about your customer base by chatting with your sales and customer service teams or by sending out a survey to existing clients. This will also help identify what their content engagement cycle will look like.
Your content marketing plan also needs to include your brand story. By that, we mean you need to identify the ideas and messages you want to communicate to your customer (and potential customer) base. An excellent way to start is to determine your unique selling point and research what your competitors are doing. You should also consider how you see the landscape of your business evolving. While none of us has a crystal ball, it’s still possible to make some predictions. For example, more people are searching for businesses and buying online, so will that impact the way you market yourselves and the content you offer?
Finally, you need to include a channel plan. This is a way of identifying the platforms you’ll be sharing your content on and acknowledging the criteria and processes for success on each. This can be easier said than done, as each platform is different and has different ways of measuring metrics.
Or you could get someone to build your flatpack for you
Did you know that there are people out there who can come to your home and assemble your flatpack for you, ensuring that none of the integral pieces ends up hidden in a drawer and leaving you to enjoy a stress-free cup of tea? Amazing, right?
In much the same way, NAMA can help you with your content marketing plan, come to meet you, talk to your staff and customers, research your competitors, and deliver a workable and understandable plan that works. What a time to be alive! If you’d like help with your content marketing (unfortunately, we don’t do flatpacks, but IKEA do!), get in touch.
