Planning in content marketing is very often based on channels, formats or "simply filling the editorial plan". However, a solid structure for topic planning is extremely important. In this article, I would like to explain why this is the case and what structure you can / should use to approach planning...
This post originally appeared on Mael Roth's blog in November 2016.
As part of the (highly recommended) " Practical Content Marketing Days" event, I was asked if I would like to hold a workshop on the topic of "Content Planning". My answer? Of course! After all, it's one of my favorite topics!
I always preach that we shouldn't let ourselves be pressured by a channel, just as little as by a publication rhythm that is quickly established or the format mindset ("we have to do a whitepaper sometimes")... But how do you manage that as a company? It's largely a question of structure.
In my earlier days as a project manager (of various channels and initiatives), I remember this way of thinking very well. And it's completely normal! Everyone wants to do their job well, and if the job is to "set up a blog" or "manage a Facebook page", then you think first and foremost about your task and your channel...
What can contribute to a paradigm shift is a fundamental structure with which you approach the topics that you want to occupy as a company, or at least have a say in. This is exactly what I wanted to convey in my workshop.
Why "strategic" content planning?
A strategic approach is - as the adjective suggests - long-term planning. If you want to fill a composition of channels, you quickly run after an editorial calendar that you fill either spontaneously or at editorial meetings. However, the big picture often fades into the background. How do our topics fit together? Does it all contribute to a big story? Which major topics do we actually cover? How often / regularly?
With the right structure in content planning, you can better prioritize entire topics and create clarity... Structurally, the best practice is to approach planning with the following framework: Core Story / Mission / Vision > Topics > Topics > Stories > Posts.
Stephan Tiersch has visualized this as follows in a blog post that is well worth reading:
Yes, that sounds very abstract at first. I have therefore come up with an example for the workshop participants that I would like to share here:
Experience has shown that planning your content (in whatever form it is created) with this structure has many advantages:
- Finding ideas is much easier.
- You think in terms of the topic/story rather than the channel or format (and therefore control the "story" better).
- With good tagging and the right tools, it is much easier to look at performance (in terms of the goals defined for the content) qualitatively rather than quantitatively.
Gradually, team members' roles should also be based on topics rather than on channels or the classic, often "obsolete" departments. I have made the slides from my workshop available on Slideshare and also shared some learnings from past projects at the end. Have fun browsing through them.
