There are many different approaches that organisations take to planning content. Thinking of ideas and putting together a content plan can feel like an insurmountable task but it doesn’t have to be. Thinking about it logically and taking it step by step will help.
Define your goals
The first thing to do is consider exactly what you are looking to achieve. Do you want to raise brand awareness, drive traffic to your website or is your focus on lead generation? Perhaps it is more about retention, relationship building and repeat business? Once you have clearly defined your goals then you can start to think about the actual content you want to create.
Think about who your audience is
Once you’ve defined your goals the next step is to think about your audience and which platforms will help you reach them. Remembering who you are trying to reach will help you to focus on content that is relevant. Your audience should be at the forefront at all times.
Consider different types of content
Often people think about content as specifically written content but it is worth remembering that content comes in different shapes and sizes. From substantial news articles to short twitter posts, video, photography and other imagery such as infographics and gifs. By using a combination of formats, it is possible to create more engaging content and consequently to reach a broader audience and be more memorable.
Choose the right platforms
Carefully consider the platforms that will work for you. As well as thinking about where your audience can be found think about time and budget constraints too. There are so many social media platforms. Does your organisation need to have a presence on all of them? Of course, the answer will depend on your organisation and your goals but there is an argument to say it is better to focus on a few areas and do them really well rather than spreading yourself too thin.
Generating ideas
For some people coming up with ideas is something that comes naturally others find it more difficult. Keeping your audience and goals in mind should help. Think about what will be of interest to your target audience. Can you create content which will be informative, give advice your audience will find useful or insightful? Are there ways you can entertain or amuse your audience? Look at what other organisations are doing and what is working well for them for inspiration.
Create a content calendar to ensure you post content at fairly regular intervals. Think about what is coming up and what is happening that is timely and would be relevant to your audience. It might be Wimbledon, the World Cup, the last episode of Game of Thrones or the new series of Love Island. What is your audience thinking about this week, next week and next month and is it in anyway relevant to your organisation?
Plan ahead but be ready to react
If you remember just one thing from this article then this should be it. The secret to content planning is to plan ahead whilst at the same time always reviewing what is happening in real time. Be ready to adapt or change your plan to encompass what is happening in the world. Always be ready to react. This can prevent mistakes and embarrassment when it comes to social media content but it is also when some of the very best content marketing comes to life. Spotting an opportunity and quickly capitalising on it with clever content can have real impact.