Creating a content planning workshop

Make your content plan achievable

Content marketing and SEO are very effective tools to reach your clients and consumers, but they do require effort and resources.

As a micro-business owner, I know I am guilty of letting content fall by the wayside when it gets busy. Build success into your plan with a content planning workshop.

What capacity do you have? Are you the only writer? Can it be outsourced?

You should also consider how often you want to engage with your audience. Unless you’re a major organisation or a very consumer-focused retailer, do you need content more than weekly or even monthly? Questions worth considering.

How to create a content plan by quarterly theme

Writing an effective content plan means figuring out what goals you want to achieve.

At the content planning workshop, start with an overarching theme for the quarter. It could be focused on launching a new product or campaign. Alternatively, it could be about demonstrating expertise in one sector. It could be just reinforcing your business experience in one area. 

Choose a different theme for each quarter, building on the previous one. For example, if your quarter one theme is launching a campaign, your second quarter could be taking that campaign to a different sector or industry, or demonstrating its outcomes.

 Then set out the specific goal you want to achieve for the quarter. Do you want your content to drive search volumes through SEO? Or do you want your subject matter experts to become more prominent in sector media? Or are you seeking better brand awareness across your wider industry?

 This will determine the type of content you should create. Try not to forget your existing website pages. In order to make the best use of resources, perhaps use one week a month to update an existing page with a case study instead of just creating new content. Check your analytics or discuss it with other parts of the business. The most effective and efficient use of your resources could be in revising existing brochures or updating a sales page or FAQ page on your website for SEO or conversions.

By planning your content strategy by quarter, you can break down each goal and create articles, blogs and media opportunities to suit each priority.

Service each part of the business with your content

Each segment of your operation should attend and have input into the content planning workshop.

Creating content that hits one strategic priority per piece means you can make gains for each goal independently. It is also important to highlight different parts of the business. Your bread-and-butter business should be respected and cultivated, but make sure you find space in your content plan to highlight other aspects. 

Showing your capacity for high-value work, or experience in related industries, can generate leads that could grow your organisation and move it into other directions. 

Mapping out the content also allows you to delve into different topics or media and explore their potential, and their return on investment (noting that SEO and media coverage can be a long game).

Establish weekly plans for your content

Once you’ve established your quarterly goals, consider the mix of content you want to create and map out the content to the topic. 

You might want to try a Q&A video of one of your executives posted to LinkedIn, or have a series of ghost-written articles from another expert discussing various aspects of their work.

Case studies from clients are always a great way to demonstrate your work to a broader audience.  

Don’t forget the additional requirements you will have for your annual report planning and delivery, or other communications requirements.