I remember my mother saying, “Planning at the beginning will save you stress and headache at the end.”
Thinking about my years in publications, we planned our issues at least four months in advance. We’re still early in the new year, so planning for your content marketing will yield high dividends as the year progresses.
First, make sure you include your events on your calendar. Are there seasonal events or sales you need to promote? Don’t just post once, plan key dates for several posts leading up to the event or sale. WordPress has an editorial calendar plugin that gives an overview of each relevant post which can help you create a content schedule. Google Docs has many editorial calendar templates that can be updated and shared by team members.
Go beyond the text – consumers respond well to images. “One picture is worth a thousand words.” If you keep that quote in mind, it will make it easier to remember to use them. Infographics are very effective. They are popular for use not just on your blog, but on Pinterest and Instagram. Videos are also a very powerful tool. Use Youtube whenever you can.
Your plan should reflect not only your goals but your image. Careful crafting of your message and content to properly manage customer perceptions is key. Don’t fall into the trap of sensationalizing in the hopes of going viral. You could spend more time repairing your image as a result.
Once you’ve posted your content, you need to measure the results. It will help you fine tune future campaigns and events and let you know how successful your efforts have been. This is your return on investment (ROI). Google Analytics is good for website and blog traffic numbers. Hootsuite offers a variety of analytics with customized reports.
Advanced content marketing plans will increase your chances of success and allow you to have multiple campaigns operating simultaneously.
So save yourself the stress and the headaches. “If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.”