Having a content plan is one of the easiest ways to help you stay consistent, on message and have a clear focus. Yet a content plan is also one of the most overlooked parts of content strategy.
Why? For many people it feels rigid, inflexible and constraining.
I want you to know that having a content plan is an important tool for everyone. No matter what your content super power, you can use a content plan to your advantage. Even the most resistant members of The Content Effect come around to the idea that a content plan is truly the best way to create powerful content!
Here’s my top tips on creating a content plan and using it.
Start early
Don’t wait until you’re feeling overwhelmed and out of control to decide to formulate a plan. Coming to the planning process from an energy of desperation won’t serve you at all!
The earlier you start to use a content plan, the better. Even a simple, high level plan is better than no content plan at all.
Break it down
Inside The Content Effect I teach my members how to use the power of content planning by starting big and then breaking it down.
Start with all the content ideas you have (check out my new workshop if you need help with this), create a 90 day plan and then fill your calendar for the quarter. Take into consideration your objectives, planned promotions, then theme your months and write your possible core content topics.
From there you can use the power of reimagination to turn your core content into micro pieces of content for your socials and emails.
Track what’s happening
A content plan is great to help you focus your future actions. But it also helps you analyse what worked well in the past. When you track what’s happened, it helps you change direction or double down on what’s working well.
Be flexible
A plan is never set in stone. Ever.
Please don’t feel like you need to stick to your content plan 100%. Life happens. Changes happen. You create a new thing on a whim so your content direction needs to change! Whatever impacts are coming at you from different directions, accept them with grace and know that the content plan that you thought that you were going to follow can be re-used at a later date.
Be kind to yourself
If something happens and you fall off the content planning bandwagon, please be kind to yourself. Nobody is perfect and there’ll always be days when you just can’t adult, let alone be a super strategic and organised entrepreneur.
For me, family is one of my highest values so I know that if I have a choice between executing my well thought out plan or dealing with a family member, the latter will always prevail.
If you’d like to be able to not only plan your content for 2023, but fill it with ideas that your ideal client will love, come and join me for my next interactive, live workshop Fill your content calendar for 2023. I’ll step you through the exact process I use with my members of The Content Effect to get all the ideas out of your brain and on to paper.
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