Copywriter to the glazing industry, Helen Savage, discusses why planning is so important when it comes to content creation and explains step by step how to create a plan you will stick to.
People now use the word ‘content’ to mean a lot of different things. Some use it to describe social media messages or videos specifically, others use it to cover any online material, while others still incorporate its traditional meaning covering any words or pictures featured in print and/or online. If there is a shared understanding among all stakeholders as to what the term ‘content’ covers, it doesn’t really matter which definition is used. And I would argue creating a plan for all types of content is useful. The key is to keep it simple.
First things first, what shall I write about?
Whether you are planning for your social media channels, blog posts, or articles in a trade magazine, a good first step, is to make a list of topics you want to talk about. Some ideas that you could use, or that may inspire you, include: advice for your audience, benefits of services or products you offer, a new launch, step by step guides related to your field, answers to questions you have been asked, and an insight into the more personal side of your business such as introducing team members or ‘behind the scenes' entries.
Timing is everything
Once you have your list of topics, there are lots of online tools you could use to plan out your content including Trello, Monday.com, or Asana, but if you’re just starting out you can keep it simple to begin with and draw up a table or excel spreadsheet with months or weeks listed and then use your bank of topics to populate your timeline. Some posts may be time relevant – for example if they relate to an event, product launch, or season – while others can be posted anytime. It can be helpful to keep this plan separate from anything else, so it is easy to read at a glance.
A well-balanced plan
When you have your plan, double check it to make sure it is well-balanced. You want to make sure that you don’t have three behind-the-scenes posts back-to-back, or you haven’t put all your more technical articles upfront and left all the softer issues for later.
Stay flexible
Once you have created your Content Plan, be prepared for things to change and allow your plan to be flexible. Things change, new things come up, product launches get delayed, your customers ask new questions that you think would be useful to share sooner rather than later. Whatever changes arise, try and keep your plan up to date.
Planning out your content in one place is incredibly useful because it allows you to immediately see topics you have covered, topics you have yet to cover and gaps in the content you’re providing. It also ensures you create copy consistently for maximum results.
