Content Planning 101: Stay Focused and Connect with Your Audience

Have you ever felt like your content was missing the mark? Or if it was even helping your business?

The answer to both those questions can be found with strategic content planning.

So, you might be thinking, “Content planning? That sounds like just another task on my to-do list, and it’s already too long.”

But here’s what I want you to take away today. Strategic content planning helps you create content that consistently connects with your audience. And that helps you achieve your business goals.

I’ve been creating content for, well, it seems like forever.

But for a long time, I wrote blog posts based on what I felt like writing that day. And then, for a while, after  I took an SEO course, I got on this kick about creating content around keywords that my quote “competitors” were ranking for.

That’s not a bad strategy if you can create lots and lots of content, but it’s really more relevant for people who are making income from display ads.

And when I was doing that, I always felt a real disconnect, because the content that I was creating didn’t really have anything to do with what I sell. So, I’ve ended up with all these blog posts that generate traffic, but they’re not attracting my ideal customer.

In other words, the content I created wasn’t strategic, and it wasn’t helping me achieve my business goals.

So, I decided to take a step back and really plan my content strategically. And that meant creating content tied to my offers. When I think about it now, I’m like, “Duh. Why didn’t I do this before.” It seems like such a no-brainer.

And it’s also a lot easier because everything works together.

In this post, we’ll look at why it’s not just a “nice-to-have” but a “must-have.” We’ll talk about how to make sure your content is closely related to your business goals and audience needs.

Then, we’ll walk step-by-step through how to create a content plan.

I’ll also share some of my favorite tools and tips to make content planning easier.

So, whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your content strategy, then you’re in the right place. Think of it as “content planning 101.”

Let’s get into it.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase using this link. For more information, see my full disclaimer here.

Why Content Planning is Essential

So, let’s peel back the layers on why content planning isn’t just a nice-to-have but why it’s a must-do task for any online entrepreneur.

I know it’s easy to think of content planning as just another item on your endless to-do list. I said that earlier. It really is the backbone of creating content that resonates with your audience and also moves you closer to your business goals.

So, when I say “strategic” content planning, I’m talking about creating content with intention. Making sure that every blog post, every video, every social media post aligns with your business goals and what your audience wants to get from you. It isn’t about posting just for the sake of posting. It’s about posting with purpose.

Here are a few stats that really put things into perspective:

For example, let’s just look at blogging for a minute. I hear people say sometimes that blogging is dead, and here’s a fun fact. I’ve been hearing that since I started my first blog in 2008.

But, according to HubSpot, “blog posts remain the most popular content format, with 9 out 10 marketers using blogging to achieve content goals.” 9 out of 10. And that stat is as of 2023, by the way.

Of course, content creation doesn’t only mean blogging. How about podcasting? Well, it’s projected that there will be nearly 505 million podcast listeners worldwide by this year – 2024.

And what about video? 90% of content marketers use video as a marketing tool. Furthermore, people who haven’t been using video in the past are planning to add it in this year.

And just to pull it all together, 90% of businesses use content in their marketing strategy.

With numbers like those, you can see why content is so important.

But without a plan, it’s easy to fall into the traps of inconsistency, content burnout, or, even worse, creating tons of content that doesn’t attract or engage your ideal customer.

And I’ve been there. Creating posts on the fly, chasing after keywords, and ending up with a bunch of traffic that, well, it just really didn’t do anything for my business. Such a waste of time!

But when you have a plan – a strategic plan – it’s so much easier to create content that draws in the right traffic. I. E. your ideal customers – the people who are actually interested in what you have to offer.

And when all the content you create works together, it feels less like work. When you find that sweet spot where your content speaks to your audience and also supports your business goals, and it’s in a format that you enjoy,  it makes content creation fun again.

Types of Content to Include in Your Strategy

Alright, now let’s dive into the types of content you can create because that’s an essential part of your plan. You have to understand the different types of content and how to use them effectively. Choosing the right format options can help you connect with your audience and showcase your brand’s unique voice.

1. Blog posts. So, let’s start with the backbone of many content strategies – blog posts. Blogs are a great way to share in-depth insights, tips, and valuable information with your audience. They’re an ideal way to tap into the power of SEO (search engine optimization). They help establish you as an authority in your niche, And they give you content that’s easy to repurpose. Whether you’re sharing how-tos, personal stories, or industry news, blog posts are a versatile way to drive traffic.
2. Podcasts. Podcasts are a personal way to reach your audience. They allow you to dive deep into topics, interview other experts (if that’s your jam), and speak directly to your listeners. Hearing your voice creates a connection that’s hard to forge through text alone. I know that, personally, I feel much closer to the people whose podcasts I listen to compared to the ones that I just read their blog posts. They feel more like friends because I know their voice. Plus, podcasts are great for audiences who prefer to consume content on the go, which also adds to that personal friend feeling. Think about it. You’re in their head while they’re driving or, walking or doing stuff around the house. It’s like you’re part of their life.
3. Videos. There is no denying the power of video content. Platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram Reels have shown us that video is highly engaging. Whether it’s tutorials, behind-the-scenes peeks, or product reviews, videos can capture attention in ways that text or audio alone just don’t. They engage more senses. And they’re especially effective if you have a visually appealing product or if you can present information visually.
4. Social Media Posts. These are your engagement gems. Social media allows for real-time interaction with your audience. Each platform has its own strengths. Of course, Instagram is great for visuals. Twitter (sorry, I just can’t call it X) is great for quick updates and back-and-forth discussions. Facebook is better for community building. TikTok is best for dynamic, short-form video content that can quickly go viral (Instagram is also good for short-form video, but I think it’s harder to gain traction on Instagram when you compare it to TikTok). Social media posts can also drive traffic to other content types and help build brand awareness.
5. Email newsletters. And then, of course, there’s email. People sometimes forget that email is content, but it is, and it should be part of your content plan. Email is a super powerful tool for direct communication with your audience. Your newsletter lands directly in their inbox, so you can provide updates, share insights, or exclusive offers. It’s the best way to nurture leads and convert your audience into loyal customers.

Choosing the Right Format

You do need to understand which format best aligns with your audience’s preferences and your own. For example, if you’re great at writing and your audience loves reading detailed guides, then blogging might be your main type of long-form content. Or if you have a knack for speaking or your audience is made up of busy people who are also on the go, then podcasts could be a better match.

And here’s a tip. Don’t choose a format that you don’t like. Because then creating content will just feel like a chore.

I occasionally go on these tangents where I think I should repurpose my podcast episodes to YouTube. And, in fact, I’ve been on one of those tangents recently. But I finally reminded myself of all the things I said earlier about podcasts and how personal they are. And that I don’t enjoy watching videos as a consumer. Plus, creating video brings out the perfectionist in me. I stress out about things like lighting and camera angles, microphone positioning, and all that stuff. I started this podcast as opposed to a YouTube channel for a reason. And I need to stick to it.

Finally, if you’re just getting started, don’t try to do everything. Pick one format and really get your processes down pat before you add on.

Content Pillars: Simplifying Your Content Strategy

Now, let’s talk about a concept that can simplify all of this – content pillars. Content pillars are essentially the key themes for topics that your content will revolve around. They’re broad enough to allow for creative flexibility but specific enough that they keep your content focused and relevant to your audience.

Why Content Pillars?

Well, they help you stay consistent with your message and make planning easier. And they keep you from going off track. For example, let’s say you run a wellness blog. Your content pillars might be nutrition, exercise, mental health, and wellness tips. Each of those pillars can then be broken down into subtopics and related content pieces.

So, how do you implement content pillars in your strategy?

1. Identify key themes. Start by identifying the broad topics that are relevant to your business and interesting to your audience. What can you talk about authoritatively? What does your audience want to learn about? And then think about where those ideas intersect. For example, I could talk authoritatively about a lot of things, like genealogy, growing houseplants, or bread baking. But that’s not relevant to my business. So, they’re not included in my content pillars.
2. Brainstorm content ideas. Once you have your pillars, brainstorm specific content ideas for each pillar.
3. Plan and schedule. You can then use your pillars to help plan out your content calendar. Make sure that you touch on each pillar periodically. That way, you have a balanced approach that keeps your content dynamic and engaging. I try to touch on each of my five pillars at least once per quarter. I don’t always hit that, but it’s what I shoot for.
4. Review and adapt. Keep an eye on how well the content under each pillar performs. This isn’t about just sticking to a plan. You want to adapt your plans based on what works.

By focusing on key themes relevant to your audience and aligning them with the content types that best suit your strengths, you’ll create content that resonates and that fulfills both your business goals and your audience’s needs.

Remember, the goal of content isn’t just to fill up space on your website or social media. It’s to communicate, engage, and convert. Content pillars can help you simplify the process, stay focused, and maximize your impact.

Developing Your Content Plan

Okay, now let’s dive deeper into actually creating your content plan.

This isn’t about just throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. It’s about making intentional, strategic decisions.

Step 1: Define your goals

You have to know what you want to accomplish. We know this.

What do you want to achieve with content? Do you want to increase brand awareness, drive sales, boost engagement, or establish yourself as a thought leader? Set some SMART goals to give your content direction and purpose.

For example, you could set a goal to increase website traffic by 20% within the next 6 months by creating a weekly blog post and promoting it 3 times on Instagram. That goal is specific, it shapes your content strategy, and it includes a measurement.

Step 2: Know Your Audience

Understanding your audience is crucial. This step goes beyond just knowing their age or location. You want to understand their needs, their pain points, their desires, and their consumption habits. What challenges are they facing that your products or services can solve? What type of content do they prefer? Is it tutorials, case studies, personal stories? Where do they usually hang out online?

You can use tools like surveys, social media listening, and Google Analytics to gather insights. You can also ask ChatGPT – I find that to be a great way to learn more about my target audience. Remember, the more you know about your audience, the more tailored and effective your content can be.

Step 3: Content Ideation

This is the fun part! Content ideation is just a fancy way of saying brainstorming. Here are a few tips to get the ideas flowing:

• Use content pillars. As we talked about earlier, content pillars help you organize your topics under key themes. And that makes it easier to brainstorm ideas.
• Competitor analysis. Look at what other people in your niche are doing. This is not about copying! It’s about getting ideas for what’s working and looking for gaps that you can fill.
• Customer feedback. Listen to your audience. Their questions, comments, or concerns can inspire content that directly addresses their needs.
• Trend watching: Stay updated with industry news. Tools like Google Trends, Pinterest Trends, and BuzzSumo can help you see what’s hot right now.
• Content recycling. Don’t be afraid to revisit and refresh old content that performed well. Or to approach the same topic from a different angle. You may find yourself thinking, “Oh, I already wrote a blog post or created a podcast about that.”  But shut that idea down. It’s a limiting belief that you can only create content about something one time. Your audience needs to hear things more than once and more than one way.
• Upcoming launches. Think about upcoming product or affiliate launches. Creating related content is a fantastic way to generate buzz and ensure that your content is timely and relevant. Planning content around your offers can build anticipation and drive engagement, and it can help convert interest into sales.

With these strategies, you’ll never be short of content ideas. In fact, you may have the opposite problem – too many ideas! Which leads us into the next step.

Step 4: Planning and scheduling

Okay, now that you have a bunch of great content ideas, it’s time to organize them into a content calendar. It doesn’t do you any good at all to have all those ideas without a plan for getting them out into the world.

A content calendar tells you what to publish, when, and where. It helps you stay consistent, and it prevents that last-minute scrambling for what to write about or what to record. So here’s how to set it up:

• Choose a tool that works for you. There are a lot of tools you can use for your content calendar. A spreadsheet, Asana, Trello, even just a paper calendar. I use a combo of Google Sheets and AirTable for my content calendar. I plan out the big-picture view in Google Sheets and keep the details in AirTable so that I can take advantage of its relational database capabilities.
• Timing. Take into account key dates, like product launches, seasonal events, relevant holidays, etc.
• Include all the different types of content that you create. For me, that means podcast episodes and blog posts, emails, Pinterest, and Instagram. That way, I can make sure I’m hitting all my channels and that my content is working together.
• Assign dates. Don’t get too stuck on this because you can always change the dates. But go ahead and pencil them in because it’s better to have a deadline to aim for.

Step 5: Execution and adaptation

Execution is about creating and publishing your content according to your calendar.

• Try to be consistent. Notice that I said “try.” I do think publishing consistently is ideal, but it’s better to publish inconsistently than not at all.
• Quality matters. Invest time in creating high-quality content that provides value. That doesn’t mean it has to be perfect. Quality for you might mean engaging visuals, well-researched information, or compelling stories.
• Be flexible. Just because you’ve created a plan, don’t consider it written in stone. If something isn’t working, change it. Or, if new opportunities arise, be flexible enough to make adjustments to your plan.
• Measure and tweak. Pretty much every platform has analytics that you can use to track the performance of your content. See what works and what doesn’t. And then tweak your strategy accordingly.

Practical Tips and Tools for Effective Content Planning

Next, I want to share some practical tips and tools that can make your content planning smoother and more effective.

Favorite tools for content planning and organization are:

1. Google sheets. My go-to tool for organizing anything is a spreadsheet. And for content planning, it’s great if you’re just getting started or if you prefer a straightforward, accessible approach. You can create editorial calendars, track your metrics, and a lot more. The best part is that it’s free, and you can access it from anywhere.
2. AirTable. If you’re looking for something that combines the simplicity of a spreadsheet with the robust features of a database, then AirTable is your friend. It’s especially useful if you want to be able to see how your different pieces of content tie together.
3. Asana. If you thrive on details and project management, then Asana is a great option. It helps you keep up with all the nitty-gritty details of your content projects with tasks, subtasks, and deadlines. Asana also allows you to visualize your content calendar in different formats, such as lists, boards, and calendar views.
4. Content Planning Toolkit – And if you want a deeper dive into my strategic content planning process along with my own tools and templates (like my Quarterly Content Map and Airtable Content Library), then check out my Content Planning Toolkit.

And finally, let’s touch on a couple of practical tips for efficient content planning.

• Batching content. One of the most efficient ways to handle content creation is batching. This involves dedicating blocks of time to create multiple pieces of content at once. For example, you might set aside one day to write all your blog posts for the month or a day to record several YouTube videos. Batching helps reduce setup and context-switching, which makes you more productive.
• Repurposing content across platforms. Don’t reinvent the wheel with every piece of content. Instead, think about how you can repurpose what you’ve already created. Turn a blog post into a series of social media posts. Cut up a YouTube video into several shorter videos for Reels or TikTok. You can do the same thing with podcast episodes. Don’t overthink this. Decide ahead of time how you’ll repurpose your long-form content and then stick to the plan.

Embracing Imperfection

Before we wrap up today, I want to mention something that people often overlook when it comes to content planning and creation, and that’s embracing imperfection. It’s easy to get caught in the trap of tweaking and refining endlessly. And putting off publishing until the piece is “just right.”

A plan is never meant to be perfect. It’s just a plan – it’s a guide or roadmap if you will.

And striving for perfection can really hold you back. It creates unnecessary stress, and it hinders your progress.

So, adopt a growth mindset of progress over perfection. Remember that every piece of content you create doesn’t have to be flawless. It just needs to convey your message and resonate with your audience.

Content Planning 101: Action Steps

Let’s wrap up with some action steps.

1. Start small. If you don’t have a content plan or you’re not happy with your plan, then begin today and just take it one step at a time.
2. Define your goals. Carve out some time to sit down and clearly define what you want to achieve with your content.
3. Spend some time getting to know your audience. The more you understand their needs, the more effectively you can tailor your content.
4. Establish a regular brainstorming routine. This will keep your ideas flowing and ensure that you’re never stuck for content ideas.
5. Draft a content calendar. Go ahead and draft a content calendar for the next month. This will help you stay organized and on track.
6. Implement a new tool or strategy. Choose one new tool or strategy we covered today and integrate it into your planning process. That might be a new software like Asana or a technique like batching content.

And there you have it, friends. Remember, “done is better than perfect.” Don’t wait for the perfect moment. Just get started.

And if you want to level up your content creation, I have a free Content Creation Checklist & Worksheet set that you can grab.

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