Content marketing can feel like a constant uphill climb. One day, you’re full of ideas, ready to share your insights with the world. The next, you’re staring at a blank screen, unsure of what to say or where to start. We’ve all been there; looking for a way to plan and create content without feeling overwhelmed. That’s why we’re bringing 7 tips from our content marketing specialist to help you stress less and create more!
When you think about content marketing, consistency is the key to growing an audience and reaching your goals. But keeping up with daily or even weekly posting can quickly turn into a chore.
- What if we approached it differently?
- What if we simplified the whole process by planning a month at a time and focused on having some fun with it?
In this blog, we’ll break down seven steps that make it easier to become your own content marketing specialist. We’ll explore how to set goals, choose monthly themes, and create content that flows from week to week. The idea is to develop a system where you stay consistent without overthinking or stressing about what comes next.
Let’s dive in and simplify your strategy together.
1- Why Monthly Planning Works Best
Monthly planning is essential for keeping your content marketing strategy on track. With digital marketing campaigns evolving rapidly, long-term plans can feel inflexible.
A lot can change in 90 days, making it difficult to stay relevant. Monthly planning offers a balanced approach, allowing you to keep a consistent schedule while adapting to shifts in your target audience’s preferences.
Let’s look at why this approach works and how it can streamline content creation for content marketing specialists and businesses alike.
Monthly Planning Keeps Your Strategy Flexible
Planning for one month at a time lets you make meaningful progress while remaining agile. If audience interests change or a new trend in social media marketing emerges, you can quickly adjust your approach without abandoning your entire strategy. This method allows you to incorporate real-time feedback into your marketing plans, keeping your content responsive and relevant.
A monthly editorial calendar enables quick reactions to what’s working. If a particular social media post generates high engagement, follow up with related content to maintain momentum. This approach helps digital marketers stay ahead of changes in search engine marketing and audience behavior.
Set Achievable Goals Without Overwhelm
Monthly planning allows you to set realistic goals that match your resources and skill level. Whether you’re focused on boosting website traffic through search engine optimization or increasing social media engagement, narrow your objectives to one or two key areas.
This focus makes it easier to measure success and refine your strategy each month based on your marketing analytics.
Creates a Clear Roadmap for Content Creation
Choosing a monthly theme helps establish a direction for your content marketing strategy. Break it down into weekly subthemes to provide a roadmap for all your content marketing efforts.
For example, if your focus is “SEO Fundamentals,” weekly topics might cover keyword research, on-page SEO, using SEO tools like Google Analytics, and internal linking strategies. This approach not only organizes content but also signals to search engines that your site is an authority on the subject.
Aligns with Regular Performance Reviews
Monthly planning fits well with ongoing reviews, allowing you to track progress and make adjustments based on marketing analytics. Tools like Google Analytics can monitor website traffic and conversion rates, offering insights that help you improve your content strategy continuously. This way, you stay proactive, refining your approach as needed.
Monthly planning offers a structured yet flexible method to keep your content marketing on course. By setting achievable goals and staying responsive to changes, you can maintain a consistent strategy while adapting to new insights and trends.
2- Set Up Your Monthly Content Plan
A well-structured monthly content plan provides the foundation for a successful content marketing strategy. As a business owner, setting up a plan helps you focus on key goals.
Here’s how to establish a plan that effectively engages your target audience and drives results.
Define Your Goals and Target Audience
Begin by identifying up to three primary goals for the month. These could include:
- Boosting website traffic through SEO
- Increasing social media engagement
- Driving conversions
Having specific objectives helps you track progress more accurately.
Know your target audience to create content that resonates. Use tools like Google Analytics to understand their behavior and preferences. This information will guide the tone and format of your content across different digital channels.
Choose a Monthly Theme and Break It Into Weekly Subthemes
Pick a central theme that aligns with your content marketing goals, such as “Digital Marketing Basics.” Divide this theme into weekly subtopics, such as keyword research, content optimization, and analyzing digital marketing metrics.
This method provides a consistent structure for content creation and ensures a well-rounded exploration of the topic.
Plan Content Formats and Channels
Decide on the types of content you’ll produce each week and where you’ll publish them. To reach different audience segments, use a mix of:
- Witten content
- Videos
- Social media posts
An editorial calendar can help you organize these formats, keeping you on track with deadlines.
Regularly Review and Refine Your Plan
Track performance using marketing analytics to measure metrics like website traffic and conversion rates. Make adjustments based on what works well. If certain content types perform better, adjust your strategy accordingly.
By setting up a monthly content plan with clear objectives and a structured schedule, you establish a strong foundation for a focused and effective content marketing approach.
3- Choose Themes and Subthemes
A strong content marketing strategy starts with setting monthly themes and breaking them down into subthemes. This approach helps you create content that resonates with your audience while making the planning process manageable.
Here’s how to choose effective themes and subthemes that align with your business goals.
Why Setting a Monthly Theme Matters
A monthly theme ensures that your content marketing efforts remain cohesive. It provides a clear direction for all content creation, whether you’re crafting social media posts, writing blog articles, or creating videos.
For example, if your goal is to increase organic traffic, a theme like “SEO Essentials” can structure your content around key aspects such as:
- On-page techniques
- Content optimization
- Using SEO tools for better search engine visibility
How to Choose a Relevant Theme
Select a theme that fits both your business goals and audience interests. Use marketing analytics tools like Google Analytics to identify high-performing topics.
Choose themes that are broad enough to cover multiple aspects but focused enough to stay relevant, such as “Mastering Content Strategy.”
Break Down Themes into Weekly Subthemes
Divide your monthly theme into four weekly subtopics to cover different facets of the main topic.
For “SEO Essentials,” your subthemes could include:
- Keyword research
- On-page SEO techniques
- Optimizing existing content
- Improving search engine rankings
This method ensures organized, in-depth coverage.
Use Subthemes to Guide Content Types
Decide on the best formats for each subtheme, such as:
- Articles
- Videos
- Infographics
- Social media posts
Map these out in your editorial calendar to ensure consistency across all content marketing channels.
By establishing themes and subthemes, you create a structured approach that keeps your content marketing strategy effective while engaging your audience.
Whoosh Growth and Marketing takes care of growing your online presence so you can focus on growing your business. Get in touch today to schedule your FREE Strategy Session. Let’s start driving your business growth together.
4- Create Pillar Content to Drive the Week
Pillar content serves as the foundation of your weekly content marketing efforts, providing a starting point for all other content. By beginning with a comprehensive piece, you simplify content creation while keeping your messaging consistent across multiple channels.
Let’s explore how to use pillar content to guide your weekly content strategy.
What is Pillar Content?
Pillar content is a detailed piece that thoroughly covers a specific topic. It serves as a cornerstone for the week, giving your audience valuable insights while setting the stage for supporting content.
Choose topics that align with your weekly subthemes and monthly theme. For instance, if the subtheme is “Google Analytics for SEO,” the pillar content could be a guide on using analytics tools to track website performance and improve search engine optimization.
Why Pillar Content Simplifies Content Creation
Starting with a pillar piece helps streamline your content creation process. It lays the groundwork for everything else, from social media posts to short articles and videos.
The in-depth nature of pillar content allows you to easily break it into smaller pieces that can be repurposed throughout the week.
For example, take a detailed blog post and convert key points into social media snippets or create a video highlighting the most important aspects. This approach ensures consistent messaging while catering to different content consumption preferences.
Repurpose Across Multiple Digital Channels
Extend the life of your pillar content by repurposing it across various digital channels. Turn a blog post into an infographic, adapt it for LinkedIn as a series of short videos, or create social media posts that summarize the key points.
This strategy allows you to reach a broader audience while maximizing the value of each piece.
Tie Everything Back to the Pillar Piece
Ensure that all supporting content ties back to the main ideas presented in the pillar content. This reinforces your message and encourages your audience to explore related content.
When sharing a social media post or video based on your pillar piece, include links to the original content to drive traffic back to your website.
By focusing on pillar content that aligns with your themes and subthemes, you establish a strong foundation for your content marketing strategy. This approach keeps your efforts organized while maximizing the impact across different digital channels.
5- Break Down the Week: Daily Content Ideas
Once you’ve established your pillar content for the week, it’s time to map out how you’ll keep the momentum going with daily content. Think of each day as an opportunity to dig deeper into the weekly subtheme, using different formats and approaches to keep your audience engaged.
By planning out daily content ideas, you make sure that every day offers something valuable while reinforcing the main message from your pillar piece.
Repurpose the Pillar Content into Smaller Pieces
Start the week by breaking down your pillar content into smaller, digestible pieces. This strategy allows you to share key points without overwhelming your audience.
For example, if your pillar content is a comprehensive blog post, pull out three to five main takeaways and turn them into social media posts. You could also create a short video clip or podcast episode that focuses on a specific aspect discussed in the original content.
The goal is to give your audience multiple ways to consume the same information. Some people prefer reading, while others like visual or audio content. By offering various formats, you make it easier for different segments of your audience to engage with what you have to share.
Plan Interactive Content to Boost Engagement
Incorporating interactive content throughout the week can help you build stronger connections with your audience.
Plan a day to host a Q&A session, a poll, or even a live video where you dive deeper into the weekly topic. Encourage your followers to ask questions, share their experiences, or suggest related topics they’d like to learn about.
Interactive content not only keeps your audience engaged but also provides you with valuable feedback. Their responses can offer insights into what interests them most, helping you refine future content.
Use Mid-Week to Share User-Generated Content or Testimonials
Mid-week is a great time to mix things up by sharing user-generated content, testimonials, or case studies related to your weekly subtheme. This approach adds a social proof element to your content strategy, showing your audience real-world examples of the concepts you’re discussing.
For instance, if your theme for the week is “Using Google Analytics for SEO,” share a success story from someone who improved their search engine rankings using the tool. This not only reinforces the value of the topic but also gives your content a relatable touch that resonates with your audience.
Wrap Up the Week with a Recap and Teaser
End the week by summarizing the key points covered and giving your audience a glimpse of what’s coming next. You could create a quick recap post, video, or email that highlights the main takeaways from the week’s content. Add a call to action, inviting your audience to revisit the original pillar content for a more in-depth look.
Use this opportunity to build anticipation for the next week’s theme. Drop a hint about the upcoming content or share a behind-the-scenes preview. This helps keep your audience engaged and looking forward to the new content you’re planning.
Breaking down your weekly content into daily pieces ensures that you stay consistent without overwhelming yourself. Each day’s content serves a specific purpose, whether it’s to inform, engage, or entertain.
By planning ahead, you make the most of your pillar content and maintain a steady flow of valuable content that keeps your audience coming back.
6- Measure Success and Adjusting Plans
Creating content is only half the battle; you also need to know whether it’s hitting the mark. That’s where measuring success comes into play. By tracking the performance of your content and adjusting your strategy as needed, you can improve your results over time.
Let’s dive into how you can effectively measure success and make necessary tweaks to your content marketing strategy.
Track Key Performance Metrics
Start by identifying the metrics that matter most to your goals.
- If your main objective is to boost website traffic, focus on metrics like page views, organic traffic, and bounce rate.
- For social media content, look at engagement metrics such as likes, comments, shares, and followers gained.
- If you’re aiming to drive conversions, monitor metrics like form submissions, downloads, or sales.
Tools like Google Analytics can help you track these key performance indicators (KPIs) and understand how well your content is performing. Regularly check these metrics to see if you’re meeting your targets.
This ongoing measurement helps you recognize which types of content are driving the most value and which may need some adjustments.
Set Up Regular Review Sessions
Establish a routine for reviewing your content performance, such as weekly or monthly sessions. Use these reviews to look at the data, discuss what worked well, and identify areas for improvement.
If you’re working with a marketing team, include them in the review process to gather different perspectives on what’s driving success.
During these review sessions, look at both the quantitative metrics and the qualitative feedback. Pay attention to comments, direct messages, or other forms of audience interaction. This kind of feedback can offer insights into your audience’s preferences and help you fine-tune your strategy.
Make Data-Driven Adjustments
Once you’ve reviewed your metrics, use that information to adjust your content strategy. If you notice that certain content types consistently outperform others, consider creating more of that kind of content. For example, if your audience engages more with videos than written articles, shift your focus toward producing more video content.
Data-driven adjustments allow you to be agile and responsive to your audience’s needs. Rather than guessing what they want, you base your decisions on real-world results. This approach not only improves the efficiency of your content creation but also helps you allocate resources more effectively.
Test New Content Ideas Based on Insights
Use the insights you gain from your reviews to experiment with new content ideas. If the data suggests that certain topics resonate more with your audience, expand on them with fresh angles. Consider testing different formats, such as infographics or podcasts, to see how they impact your engagement metrics.
Testing new ideas doesn’t mean abandoning your original strategy. Instead, it’s about refining your approach to see what works best.
Start small with a few new content pieces and monitor their performance. If they succeed, incorporate similar content into your regular schedule. If not, adjust and try something different.
Set Realistic Goals for Continuous Improvement
While it’s important to have ambitious goals, make sure they are also realistic. Aim for continuous improvement rather than expecting drastic changes overnight. Set incremental goals that allow you to measure progress over time. For example, aim to increase website traffic by 10% over the next month or boost social media engagement by 5%.
Realistic goals help keep you motivated and provide a clear path for growth. By consistently setting and achieving smaller targets, you gradually build momentum toward your larger objectives. This process not only keeps your content marketing strategy on track but also helps you stay flexible and open to new ideas.
Measuring success and adjusting your plans based on real data ensures your content marketing efforts remain effective and aligned with your goals. Regularly tracking performance, making data-driven changes, and testing new content ideas help you refine your approach and deliver more value to your audience.
7- Stay Consistent With Your Content Creation
Staying consistent with your content marketing strategy can feel like a challenge, especially when juggling other responsibilities. However, with the right tools and techniques, we can make this process manageable and even enjoyable.
Let’s explore some practical tools and tips that will help keep your content plan on track, ensuring you deliver valuable content to your audience regularly.
Use an Editorial Calendar to Stay Organized
An editorial calendar is essential for managing your content schedule. It helps you plan what content to create, when to publish it, and how to promote it. By mapping out your themes, subthemes, and daily content in advance, you can maintain a consistent posting schedule without feeling overwhelmed.
Digital tools like Trello, Asana, or Google Calendar can serve as your editorial calendar, allowing you to set deadlines and track progress.
If you prefer a more tactile approach, consider using a wall calendar or planner to keep your schedule visible at all times. The key is to find a system that fits your workflow and keeps you organized.
Leverage Content Automation Tools for Efficiency
Automating certain aspects of your content strategy can free up time for creating and engaging.
- Social media management tools like Buffer, Hootsuite, or Later let you schedule posts across different platforms, ensuring your content goes live even when you’re busy.
- For email marketing, services like Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign can automate sending newsletters or follow-up sequences.
Automation doesn’t mean setting and forgetting. It’s about streamlining tasks so you can focus on crafting quality content and connecting with your audience. Use these tools to maintain consistency, but stay involved by responding to comments, messages, or emails personally when needed.
Batch Content Creation to Save Time
Batching your content creation can make a huge difference in staying consistent. Instead of creating one piece of content at a time, dedicate specific blocks of time to focus on one type of content.
For example, set aside one day a month to write all your blog posts, another day for video production, and yet another for designing social media graphics.
This approach helps you get into the right mindset for each task and reduces the time lost when switching between different activities. Batching content also ensures that you always have something ready to publish, making it less likely to miss a deadline.
Content Marketing Specialist Secret: Repurpose Existing Content to Maximize Effort
Don’t let your existing content sit unused after its initial publication. Repurpose it to get the most value from your efforts.
- Turn a blog post into a video
- Transform a video script into a podcast
- Summarize key points from an article into a series of social media posts
This approach allows you to reach different segments of your audience who prefer various content formats.
When repurposing content, make sure to adjust the format to fit the platform. A detailed blog post might need to be condensed into a quick, eye-catching infographic for social media. This kind of flexibility ensures your content stays relevant across different channels while saving you time.
Make Use of Analytics Tools for Continuous Improvement
Tracking your content’s performance is crucial for staying consistent and improving your strategy. Use analytics tools like Google Analytics for website metrics, or social media insights to measure engagement and reach. These tools provide data that helps you understand what works well and what doesn’t, enabling you to make informed adjustments.
Regularly reviewing these metrics keeps you grounded in your goals and allows you to refine your content plan based on real results. This continuous cycle of planning, executing, measuring, and adjusting helps you stay consistent and grow over time.
Staying consistent doesn’t have to be a struggle. By using tools like editorial calendars, automation, and analytics, and incorporating strategies like batching and repurposing, you can make the content creation process smoother and more manageable.
These practices not only help you maintain a steady content flow but also allow you to focus on creating value for your audience.
Need Some Help From a Content Marketing Specialist?
Navigating the world of content marketing can be challenging. From developing a strategy to creating engaging content, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by everything that needs to be done.
That’s where we come in. At Whoosh Growth and Marketing, we partner with you to simplify the process and elevate your digital marketing efforts. In essence, we help transform your content strategy into a growth engine for your business.
Get a Tailored Strategy That Works for You
Your business is unique, and your content marketing strategy should reflect that. We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions.
Our team at Whoosh Agency takes the time to understand your business goals, target audience, and competitive landscape. By focusing on your specific needs, we craft a content strategy that resonates with your audience and aligns with your objectives.
Whether you want to increase organic traffic, enhance brand visibility, or generate more leads, we’ve got the expertise to make it happen.
Boost Your Online Presence Across Multiple Channels
Effective content marketing goes beyond just writing blog posts. To stand out, you need a presence across multiple digital channels.
We help you reach your audience where they are—whether that’s through SEO-optimized written content, engaging social media posts, or targeted pay-per-click ads.
By leveraging a mix of strategies, we ensure your message is consistent and impactful across platforms, driving more website traffic and boosting conversions.
We Handle the Details, So You Don’t Have To
Creating high-quality content takes time, research, and effort. As a business owner, you have enough on your plate. Let us manage the content creation process, from keyword research and writing to editing and promoting content.
Our team uses data-driven insights to guide each step, ensuring your content not only captures attention but also ranks well in search engine results.
With Whoosh Agency, you can focus on running your business while we take care of growing your digital presence.
Measure Results and Refine Your Strategy
Successful content marketing is not just about creating content; it’s about understanding what works and improving on it. We provide ongoing analysis of your marketing performance using tools like Google Analytics and other advanced metrics.
Our continuous tracking allows us to identify areas of improvement and make data-driven adjustments to your strategy. With Whoosh Agency by your side, you’ll always know how your content is performing and what steps to take next.
Let’s Elevate Your Content Marketing Together
Ready to take your content marketing to the next level? Partner with Whoosh Growth and Marketing Agency, and let’s build a strategy that drives real results for your business. Contact us today to get started.
Get in touch today to schedule your FREE Strategy Session. Let’s start driving your business growth together. We can’t wait to help you achieve your goals!