Content Planning Made Simple(r)

Let me start by saying something controversial: Content Planning Shouldn’t Be Hard.

Exciting? Yes! Creatively challenging? Of course!

Maybe a little overwhelming? Sure.

We should be applying all the expertise, creativity, and strategic thinking we have in our big brains when we create a content plan, but we shouldn’t make it hard.

Because if it’s hard, we might not do it.

If you’ve read this far, I’m willing to guess you know the importance of a solid content plan. And maybe you’ve done the hard thing before, so you’re looking for a different way to do it this time. Cool, I can help.

For starters, I want to dispel a couple of myths that have held me back in the past.

Myth #1: YOU have to have all the good ideas.

Sure, you might be the one in charge of corralling all those spunky little creative ideas and making sure they get released out into the world when they’re ready, but inspiration is all around you. If you don’t have a team to help brainstorm, try the R&D approach (Rip off & Duplicate).

Look for things you love out in the world, find a way to make them your own, and make them work for you.

Myth #2: You have to have all the good ideas RIGHT NOW.

If you’re starting your plans for the next year today (after you finish reading this, I hope) you owe it to yourself to let them take shape over time. Starting now with a high-level plan, and then drilling down into specific content that meets the moments when they happen will help you stay flexible and relevant all year long.

So, plan, and be as thorough as you can, but don’t OVERPLAN and create something that could go from REALLY FANTASTIC to TOTALLY IRRELEVANT with one little shift in the landscape of your industry.

Now, with those myths dispelled, what always helps me when I get into planning mode is to have a framework to start hanging ideas on. There are a lot of great free and low-cost tools out there, and we’ve got one to share behind the shiny button (and a quick little form so we know you’re a human who’s paying attention) at the bottom of the page.

Before you jump there, though, here are some words of advice to get you started.

1. Start with the big picture: Some businesses (like the credit unions we serve and retailers of all kinds) have a reliable seasonal groove. Tax time, then Mortgage Season, then Cars and Vacations… you get the idea. If your business is like that, capture those themes in your plan to get you started.

   For Exclamation’s plan, we’re young enough that we’re still learning what that groove would be. To make our plan for the year, we choose quarterly themes and create content to match.

2. Write what you know: Next, add the holidays and other annual celebrations you know you’re going to recognize next year. While those might be just a fraction of the content you’ll create, seeing them spread across the year can help you plan complimentary seasonal content or see possibilities for blogs, videos, etc. that will make your content mix even richer.

3. Think out loud (and outside the box): For your first draft, go into brainstorming mode and write down any ideas you have that can fill the plan and fit the themes. This isn’t a sacred pact, this should be a living document.

   Is there a chance you get to July and can’t remember for the life of you what you meant when you wrote that clever headline? Yes, and that’s ok. Stephen King once said "I think the writer's notebook is the best way to immortalize bad ideas" meaning that the great ideas will stick with you, even if you don’t write them down. So, just for your own sanity, assume that if it didn’t stick, it wasn’t a great idea.

4. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket: I started on the team as a content writer and, admittedly, it’s hard to break the habit of approaching content with a blogger mindset. But, as a content planner I do have to remind myself that a healthy marketing mix reaches more of my audience and keeps my creative muscles active.

   And I’ll tell you a secret: bloggers can help with graphic design, graphic designers can write blogs, and all kinds of other possibilities are out there with some planning and patience.

   Don’t fence your content plan in. If you have a great idea, share it in words, images, and video, and all the ways you can express it to reach your audience where they live.

5. Step up to the plate: Remember (three minutes ago or so) when I said you don’t have to have all the good ideas? This is a good place to practice that.

   Assign an owner to each piece of content and share the responsibility of creating that healthy marketing mix. If you’re running solo, look for partners that can help you source great content to share. It can be as formal as inviting a guest blogger to write something for your website, or as casual as sharing a cool tool you’ve found that helps get the job done.

   Like this content planning spreadsheet we created.

6. Wrap it up: The final piece of the puzzle is to track where each piece of content is, from conception to publishing. That way you can pop in and easily see what’s ready to roll or who’s about to hit a deadline square in the face.

   And, listen, Friend, we all know the feeling of putting your blood, sweat, and tears into a project only to have it shelved for one reason or another, so track what happens to everything on the plan and take time to make some notes. Future You will appreciate that.

Ok, I hear you. I told you not to make it hard, and then I gave you multiple steps to think about. No worries, I got you. What you need now is a tool to make it all real.

Click the button below to get to our free Content Planner!

About the Author: Suzanne Campbell is the Lead Creative & Brand Champion on the Exclamation Marketing team and the self-proclaimed evangelist for Brand Voice. She’s picked up a lot of smart ideas from a lot of amazing people in her nearly 25 years of experience, and you can frequently hear them on the Awsomology podcast.