Content creation and distribution is becoming an increasingly vital part of a marketing strategy, as brands and businesses wake up to the power of good content.
A strong content strategy is at the heart of any content marketing campaign, helping you to map out the process from start to finish.
Content strategy incorporates every aspect of content marketing; from creation to distribution, short term aims to long-term goals. So where does a content calendar fit in?
A content calendar is just one part, albeit a very vital part, of a content strategy. It helps you to set out exactly what content you are going to create, from topics and titles to tone and style. So how do you go about building your content calendar?
Think about your customers
Before you go anywhere near a spreadsheet, there are a few questions you need to ask yourself about your customers.
What interests do they have? What do they want to read about? What sort of content is likely to get them talking and sharing with their friends?
Content marketing is all about engaging with your customers through the generation of excellent content, so you need to consider the type of content and the target readership you want to create before you start.
Think about the type of content you want to create
Once you have an idea of what your customers are after, it’s time to get thinking about the type of content you want to produce.
The first thing that springs to mind is obviously straightforward copy, usually in the form of blog posts. But content can be so much more than that.
Good content can include photos, videos (which can be created incredibly easily with Twitter app Vine), whitepapers, case studies, featured articles and social media, to name but a few. So think about what is appropriate for your brand and what your customers will engage with most.
Get brainstorming for content marketing ideas
Now it’s time to really put your thinking caps on and get creative with some content ideas. This can be tricky, so take inspiration from wherever you can.
Upcoming events that your customers would be interested in, new products or services your company is promoting, and even rivals’ content can all provide inspiration – just make sure it is unique!
Once you have some strong ideas on the page, more are sure to follow, and you’ll have the start of a comprehensive content calendar. Now where’s that spreadsheet?
