![\"Content](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Content-plan-cover.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nWhat is a content plan?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A content plan is a tactical step-by-step process of creating meaningful content to achieve specific strategic goals. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Gareth Hoyle,<\/a> Managing Director at Coveragely, a content plan should include the following details:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA good content plan will detail who is creating the content, what kind of content is being created, when and where it will be published, along with why it\u2019s being written and how it will be marketed and analyzed (including how it will be measured). It will also include details on the target audience, the tone of voice as well as the proposed style and formats, as not all marketing content is written, it could be audio, imagery, or videos.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Whether driven by marketing campaigns or not, content planning contributes to your business objectives in 2 ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Either way, successful content planning is likely to convert your content consumers into potential paying customers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udca1 Plaky Pro Tip<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Our content calendar templates help you with better organization:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The 5 basic steps for creating a perfect content plan include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s dive into the details of each step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The starting point of any good content plan should be proper goal setting, as it steers you in the right direction from the very beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s important that your goals are clear and specific. As Gareth Hoyle explains, poorly defined goals often bring negative results:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou could spend a long time creating a large piece of content and see absolutely no success from it. This is why goal setting at the start is imperative, so you can determine what success (or failure) looks like.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n A staff writer with Fit Small Business, Michael DeVault<\/a>, explains the importance of setting specific goals:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd no, \u2018Get more customers\u2019 isn\u2019t a specific goal. \u2018Rank on Google for this particular keyword\u2019 is a specific goal. That means you\u2019re going to have to roll up your sleeves and dig into some data about how people are finding businesses similar to yours. If you just go create content willy-nilly, your website is most likely not going to rank well.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n All in all, proper goal-setting helps align content with your objectives, as well as measure your content\u2019s success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udca1Plaky Pro Tip<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re not sure whether your goals are clear enough, read the following blog post:<\/p>\n\n\n\n To create the right content for your target audience, you need to meet your audience first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our contributor, Shanna Morgan<\/a>, a PR Strategist at NightSky PR, says that one way to truly understand your target audience is to actually talk to them: <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAsk good questions and inquire about why they feel the way they do. This seems incredibly obvious, but you would be surprised how many marketers don\u2019t talk to their target audience. Instead, they assume and scratch their head when the content falls flat. Always start with informational interviews with your audience to guide you toward what they care about.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Also, you can always conduct keyword research on Google and incorporate some SEO (Search Engine Optimization) tools into your content planning process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Gareth Hoyle suggests in-depth research to get into the mind of your target audience:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere are various research methods including keyword research, social listening, and competitor content analysis as well as looking at what topics are currently being discussed in the wider media landscape. Tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, Buzzsumo, and Talkwalker can help you better understand your target audience’s preferences, search behavior, and content engagement patterns.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s how Farhan Siraj<\/a>, the Co-Founder and CEO of OSHA Outreach Courses, finds inspiration for the appropriate content:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI employ a cocktail of tools to ensure a well-rounded strategy. Google Trends is my go-to for identifying evergreen topics by revealing what remains consistently in trend. This allows me to create content with lasting relevance. Ahrefs provides insights into competitor strategies and helps me identify gaps and opportunities to set our content apart. Lastly, Buzzsumo offers real-time trending data. I believe content strategists should create their own cocktails of tools to create an effective content strategy.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019re familiar with your target audience, it\u2019s time to focus on choosing appropriate channels for placing your content. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To know which platform to use, firstly, you need to understand your target audience\u2019s:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The CEO of Flawless SEO, Israel Gaudette<\/a>, explains that you should choose the right platform based on the purpose of your content:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou need to think about the platform that is most appropriate for your content based on its purpose. If you\u2019re looking to reach a very specific audience, then you should use a platform that has a large number of users in that group. If you\u2019re looking to get your message out there as widely as possible, then you should choose a more general-purpose platform like Twitter or Facebook.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Communication Consultant Jamie Levin<\/a> explains why choosing the right distribution channel matters:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYour audience will drive how you communicate, when you communicate, where you communicate, and more to reinforce the intentional planning behind your content plan. When thinking about your target audience, how do they like to receive their news? Do they prefer a text, an email, a video, a social post, recognition in a newsletter, etc.? Even if the materials are spot on, if the method in which one is communicating is not aligned with the preference of the target audience even the most perfect content won’t reach the end-user.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Knowing your goals and audience are key factors in determining the right platform for your content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Managing content on multiple platforms can get quite challenging, as you need to keep track of several timelines at once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Luckily, content calendars<\/a> are a useful asset in planning when and where you will publish your content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Israel Gaudette cites deadline-related issues<\/a> as one of the biggest challenges in content planning:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen you are working on a new piece of content, it\u2019s easy to feel like you have an infinite amount of time before it needs to be finished, but once the deadline is upon you, there\u2019s a lot of pressure to get things done fast. That\u2019s why I recommend creating a schedule as soon as possible\u2014it will help keep you on track and ensure that your content is ready with plenty of time to spare!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Using a content planning platform such as Plaky<\/a> by CAKE.com<\/a> facilitates the overall content organization and the creation of a content plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a perfect content planning tool, Plaky offers a pre-made content calendar template<\/a> that can spare you the trouble of creating your content calendar from scratch.<\/p>\n\n\n As you can see in the picture above, Plaky\u2019s content calendar template allows you to break down your content by types (e.g. articles, blog posts, and videos).<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also add further content details within Plaky\u2019s fields, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re looking specifically for a social media calendar, Plaky also offers a social media calendar template<\/a> for free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udca1 Plaky Pro Tip<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n To learn the difference between editorial and content calendars, read this blog post:<\/p>\n\n\n\n An important part of content planning is measuring success and optimizing your content and content plans accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As stated in The State of Content Marketing 2023 Global Report<\/em>, 61% of marketers conduct content audits 2 or more times a year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The same research found that running regular audits has several advantages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A good way to learn how your target audience responds to your content is to consider the following metrics: <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Co-Founder and CMO of GreenPal, Gene Caballero<\/a>, agrees that content requires ongoing attention and refinement: <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cContinuously monitor your content’s performance, be ready to adapt to new trends or audience preferences, and always be looking for ways to innovate.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n After all, as Farhan Siraj highlights, engagement should be at the core of any content planning strategy: <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cContent planners should think from the perspective of the audience they are trying to reach, understanding that no one enjoys dull, uninteresting content. Engagement goes beyond merely capturing attention; it’s about sustaining that interest and fostering a connection with the audience. When content is engaging and entertaining, it keeps the audience coming back for more, sharing it with others.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Sara Jensen, the owner of Brighter Messaging<\/a>, says that they regularly audit content and make updates at Brighter Messaging, particularly with content that has lots of traffic or driving conversions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sara shares that they also conduct regular audits with content that isn\u2019t performing well:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe measure audience response in a few ways, depending on the content. First, did the content move up in organic rankings? Is it getting more organic traffic? If it’s a piece that offers an opportunity to convert or drive leads, we look at those metrics as well.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Plan your blog posts, publications, articles, videos, and more with Plaky by CAKE.com.<\/p>\n As explained by the Content Marketing Institute, \u201ccontent strategy<\/a>\u201d is a more general term than \u201ccontent plan\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Creating a content strategy includes setting specific goals and objectives that a company wants to achieve, thus making space for business growth.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some of the objectives a content strategy can have:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A content marketing plan is a tactical step-by-step guide that outlines all the specifics of how you plan to execute your strategy<\/strong>, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s important to remember that only after you\u2019ve determined your content strategy, can you move on to crafting your content marketing plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udca1 Plaky Pro Tip<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to learn how to make a perfect strategic marketing plan, make sure to read this blog post: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Having a good content plan should help you deal with some of the common obstacles content creators face every day, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s an example of how having a good content plan helped out Israel Gaudette:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ve seen a lot of content that\u2019s been successful because it\u2019s been planned out very well. For example, I worked with a client who was creating an e-commerce store for an audience of people who were looking for specific products. The client had a lot of data about the types of products that were in demand, but they weren\u2019t sure how to present them in a way that would be useful to their audience. We looked at our analytics and found that people who were looking at certain types of products tended to look at other types of products as well. So we created a plan that focused on presenting related products together.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n And, here\u2019s how content planning helps Julia Voloshchenko<\/a>, PR Manager at Usetech, solve a problem many content creators face:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c[A common problem is] frantically searching for topics about what you want to share. When you search for a topic in a hurry, nothing good will come of it. It\u2019s better to have a plan in front of you that you can adjust, if anything. Or this problem might be otherwise called \u2014 \u2018nothing to publish.\u2019\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n In the following section, we’ll highlight 8 content planning tips that our expert collaborators use on a daily basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep reading to learn more about their practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Gareth Hoyle explains, your content should have a wider business purpose: <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFrom a marketing perspective, aligning the content with broader business goals is important because it makes it easier to sell the idea to senior stakeholders. Moreover, it will give the content a business purpose rather than being seen as writing content for content’s sake, which is an easy trap many businesses fall into\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n To create meaningful content, you need to listen to your audience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is what Shanna Morgan, PR Strategist at NightSky PR, practices regularly \u2014 actually engaging in meaningful dialogue with the audience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019ve gained their feedback, Shanna suggests segmenting the feedback into the following 4 categories: <\/p>\n\n\n\n With these 4 categories, Shanna adds, the content topics are endless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Gareth](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Gareth-Hoyle.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
\n
How to create a content plan in 5 steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
#1 Setting your goals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"Michael](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Michael-DeVault.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
#2 Analyzing your target audience to find appropriate content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Shanna](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Shanna-Morgan.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Farhan-Siraj.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n#3 Choosing an appropriate platform for your content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
![\"Israel](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Israel-Gaudette.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Jamie-Levin.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n#4 Creating a content calendar<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"Content](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Content-calendar.png\")
\n
\n
#5 Measuring results and running audits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
![\"Gene](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Gene-Caballero.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Sara-jensen.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"Plaky](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/cake-blog\/theme\/images\/banners\/templates@2x.png)
\n <\/picture>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n \n\n\n\nWhat\u2019s the difference between a content plan and a content strategy?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n
Why is having a content plan important?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Julia-Voloshchenko.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n8 content planning tips by experts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
#1 Align content with wider business goals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n#2 Listen to your audience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
#3 Segment the audience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/JeffMains-min.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/plaky.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Gauri_Manglik-min.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n