Why is content important?
Adding consistent content to your website is important if you want to be discovered in search engines.
And having great content to share with your online audiences is going to help build know, like and trust factors.
It’s also going to help with the dreaded question ‘what shall I post on my social media channel!’
Because over time, you are going to build a great bank of created content you can share again and again.
That’s why it’s key to take the time to plan the content you are going to create each month.
Read on for 10 Tricks for successful content planning.
How does content planning help?
We can apply Benjamin Franklin’s words to our content planning. “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
I find that if I take the time to do the hard work of planning – if only to get a subject and a deadline date – I will then create the content. I know I’m not alone in this.
Because the ‘doing’ comes more easily.
Different Types of Content
Before we look at some tips for creating content let’s discuss some different formats.
- Video: pre-recorded or live. This can go straight onto your social channels or onto your website, or both.
- Blog: this will sit on your website.
- Podcast – you can sign up to a platform like Castos or Captivate to host your podcast
- Long form social media post – this will sit on your social channel. For example LinkedIn article, long form Facebook or Instagram post.
- Multiple image post / carousel / slide show – these will sit on your social channel.
Start with the end in mind.
First, get clear on your goals. For example: –
- Are you trying to drive traffic back to the website?
- Do you want more visibility on social channels?
- Do you want more leads
- Do you want to improve engagement levels
- Do you have an offer to promote?
Whichever it is, ensure your call to action – the thing you want people to do once they have consumed your content – helps you to achieve this.
Content Planning Tips
Next, let’s look at some tips for creating great content.
Know your audience and brainstorm content which is relevant to their needs or interests. If the content doesn’t resonate, it won’t perform well.
Use Google and Answer the Public to see what people are searching for in relation to your offering.
Stay on top of industry trends and news and share your view – be ahead of the game
Create a content calendar, decide how often you will publish your content and decide your topic for each date. Keep your content creation schedule manageable for the resources you have.
Tip – there is a simple content plan in my free PDF guide – 5 Steps to Planning Engaging Content. You can grab it here.
Plan your posts in advance and outline them before writing anything. Sit down for an hour and map out your next 4 pieces of content.
When it is time to create your content, start with a hook that will immediately grab the attention of your ideal clients. Make them want to read more.
Keep your content to the point – people are busy. They won’t sift through waffle.
Once you have created your content share it on all your platforms. For example:
- Update your Instagram bio with the link
- Add the link to your Instagram Stories (yes, even if you don’t have 10,000 followers! Learn how here
- Share as a regular post on your Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn accounts
- Send out to your email list
- In future, comment, or if appropriate, direct message it to anyone who is asking about the topic in groups, if it will help them.
Repurposing Content
Once you get into the flow of creating content consistently, you can add the step of repurposing. This is taking a blog and making it into a short video, or a set of Canva graphics for a carousel post. Or taking the audio from a video and making it into a podcast.
People consume content in different ways, and this ensures you get maximum use out of the content you create.
In Summary
Getting consistent with sharing great content is going to transform your business. If your content is great you will find that people are eagerly awaiting it ahead of it being published.
They will tell their friends and colleagues. And you will start to get traction from your content marketing efforts.
I’d love to know how you get on! You can let me know or ask any questions in my free Facebook Group here.
