Content Planning

Overview

Content Planning is the strategic process of organizing and scheduling content creation, publication, and promotion to ensure consistent, high-quality output that aligns with business goals and audience needs.

What is Content Planning?

Content Planning involves:

Strategic topic selection based on data and goals
Editorial calendar creation with deadlines and assignments
Resource allocation for content production
Distribution planning across channels
Performance tracking and adjustment

Why Content Planning Matters

Consistency: Maintain regular publishing schedule
Quality: Allow adequate time for research and creation
Alignment: Ensure content supports business objectives
Efficiency: Optimize team resources and workflows
Accountability: Track progress and deliverables

Components of Effective Content Planning

1. Content Strategy Foundation

Define Objectives:

Business goals (traffic, leads, revenue)
Audience goals (education, engagement)
Brand goals (awareness, authority)

Understand Audience:

Demographics and psychographics
Pain points and challenges
Content preferences
Customer journey stages

Establish Metrics:

Key performance indicators (KPIs)
Success benchmarks
Tracking mechanisms

2. Content Audit and Inventory

Assess Existing Content:

What content exists
Performance data
Content gaps
Update opportunities

Create Content Map:

Organize by topic clusters
Identify coverage gaps
Note duplicate content
Map to customer journey

3. Topic Research and Selection

Research Methods:

Keyword research
Competitor analysis
Customer questions
Industry trends
Sales team insights

Topic Evaluation Criteria:

Search demand
Business relevance
Competition level
Resource requirements
Expected ROI

4. Content Types and Formats

Written Content:

Blog posts
Articles
Guides and ebooks
Case studies
Whitepapers

Visual Content:

Infographics
Images and graphics
Presentations
Videos

Interactive Content:

Quizzes and assessments
Calculators and tools
Interactive infographics
Webinars

Repurposed Content:

Blog to video
Guide to email series
Webinar to blog posts
Infographic to social posts

5. Editorial Calendar

Calendar Elements:

Content title/working title
Content type/format
Target keyword(s)
Author/creator
Due dates (draft, review, final)
Publication date
Distribution channels
Status tracking

Calendar Timeframes:

Monthly view for detailed planning
Quarterly view for strategic alignment
Annual view for major campaigns

The Content Planning Process

Step 1: Set Goals and Priorities

SMART Goals:

Specific: "Increase organic traffic by 30%"
Measurable: Track in analytics
Achievable: Based on resources
Relevant: Aligns with business
Time-bound: Within 6 months

Prioritization Framework:

High impact, low effort = Do first
High impact, high effort = Schedule strategically
Low impact, low effort = Fill gaps
Low impact, high effort = Avoid

Step 2: Research and Ideation

Generate Content Ideas:

Review keyword research
Analyze competitor content
Survey customers
Interview sales team
Monitor social media
Check analytics for high-performers

Validate Ideas:

Search volume exists
Competition level appropriate
Resources available
Audience interest confirmed

Step 3: Create Content Briefs

Brief Components:

Content title and slug
Target audience
Primary and secondary keywords
Content objective
Outline/structure
Required word count
Reference materials
Due dates
SEO requirements

Step 4: Build Editorial Calendar

Choose Calendar Tool:

Google Calendar
Spreadsheet (Google Sheets, Excel)
Project management tool (Asana, Trello)
Content management system
Specialized tools (CoSchedule, ContentCal)

Populate Calendar:

Assign dates to topics
Balance content types
Consider seasonal relevance
Account for team capacity
Build in buffer time

Step 5: Assign Responsibilities

Role Definition:

Content strategist
Writers/creators
Editors/reviewers
SEO specialist
Designers
Promoters

Workflow Stages:

Research and brief creation
Content creation
Editing and revision
SEO optimization
Design and formatting
Approval
Publication
Promotion

Step 6: Production and Publishing

Content Creation:

Follow brief guidelines
Maintain brand voice
Meet quality standards
Include SEO elements
Add internal links

Review Process:

Content quality check
SEO verification
Brand compliance
Technical check
Final approval

Step 7: Promotion and Distribution

Distribution Channels:

Website/blog
Email newsletter
Social media platforms
Guest posting
Content syndication
Paid promotion

Promotion Timeline:

Pre-launch teasers
Launch day push
Week 1 follow-up
Ongoing evergreen promotion

Step 8: Monitoring and Optimization

Track Performance:

Traffic and rankings
Engagement metrics
Conversion rates
Social shares
Comments and feedback

Optimize Content Plan:

Double down on winners
Improve underperformers
Adjust topic mix
Refine publishing frequency

Content Calendar Templates

Monthly Content Calendar

Date	Title	Type	Keywords	Author	Status	Notes
12/3	How to X	Blog	keyword-1	Jane	Draft
12/10	Guide to Y	Guide	keyword-2	John	Review
12/17	X vs Y	Comparison	keyword-3	Jane	Planned
12/24	Top 10 Z	List	keyword-4	John	Idea	Holiday week

Content Mix Example

Monthly Publishing Schedule (12 pieces/month):

4 blog posts (1,500 words)
2 comprehensive guides (3,000+ words)
2 quick tips/how-tos (800 words)
2 case studies/examples
1 infographic
1 video

Planning by Business Type

B2B SaaS

Educational content (60%)
Product-focused (20%)
Thought leadership (20%)
Long-form, detailed articles
Case studies and ROI calculators

E-commerce

Product guides (30%)
Buying guides (25%)
How-to content (25%)
Trend articles (20%)
Visual-heavy content
Seasonal planning critical

Service Business

Problem-solution content (40%)
Process explanations (30%)
Portfolio/case studies (20%)
Local content (10%)
Trust-building focus

Media/Publishing

News and timely content (40%)
Evergreen content (30%)
Opinion/analysis (20%)
Multimedia (10%)
High-frequency publishing