Hello, and welcome back! In the last blog, I discussed how to create a content marketing strategy. Today, I’ll look at some tools and techniques to help you build a content plan that keeps you organised and on track with your goals.
Effective content planning is crucial for staying organised and aligned with your marketing goals. By planning ahead, you can save time, reduce stress, and create content that resonates with your audience.
Let's jump into a few of my favourite tools for planning content!
Essential Tools for Content Planning
Trello
My favourite tool to recommend to clients is Manage Your Team’s Projects From Anywhere | Trello). It’s incredibly user-friendly, and it works on a visual planning board where you can create lists and cards to organise your content. You could set up lists by content pillar, month, or week, and then use cards to plan out the specific content you’ll create.
The best part? Trello is free! The free plan offers plenty of functionality, and while you can upgrade, I haven’t found a need to yet.
Asana
Another great option is Manage your team’s work, projects, & tasks online • Asana • Asana. While Asana is more text-based than Trello, it’s fantastic for managing multiple projects and tracking tasks. I love Asana because it aligns well with how I think—it makes it easier to map out content in a structured way.
Google Calendar
If you prefer a simple approach, a shared Google Calendar is a great tool. You can set up your content schedule, share it with team members, and keep track of what needs to be published when.
Google Sheets or Excel
For those who love data, Google Sheets or Excel work well for planning. They’re especially useful if you’re working solo and need a straightforward way to manage your content. While sharing with team members can be a bit trickier, it’s definitely doable.
Advanced Tools
If you’re looking for more comprehensive solutions, there are also paid tools like CoSchedule Organize All Of Your Marketing In One Place - CoSchedule, which is a powerful content marketing platform. While these options aren’t cheap, they can handle everything you need to stay organised and productive.
Another popular tool right now is Notion Your connected workspace for wiki, docs & projects | Notion, which is AI-powered and great for managing tasks and distributing them among team members. It’s highly visual and perfect for those who prefer a more interactive approach to planning. And it's great for people who are perhaps on the neuro spicy spectrum.
Techniques for Effective Content Planning
Now, let’s move on to some techniques that can help you organise your content creation process.
1. Start with a Brainstorm
Begin with a big brainstorming session. I like to use a large piece of paper and post-it notes to jot down ideas, goals, and steps. This way, I can move things around as needed, and it helps get all the ideas out there, even if it’s a bit messy to start with.
2. Use Content Pillars
Content pillars or clusters are another great technique. Choose 4-5 main themes that you’ll focus on, such as entertainment, education, services, and sales. This helps give your content structure and ensures it aligns with your overall strategy.
3. Maintain an Editorial Calendar
An editorial calendar is your master plan for what content goes out when. If you know your business is busier at certain times (like around Christmas), you’ll need to ramp up your marketing efforts accordingly. By staying on top of your editorial calendar, you can plan ahead and ensure your content is aligned with your business goals.
In Summary
Effective content planning is all about using the right tools and techniques to stay organised, consistent, and aligned with your goals. Whether you prefer the visual approach of Trello or the project management features of Asana, there’s a tool out there for you.
I always recommend trying out a few systems to see which one suits your workflow best. Most offer free trials, so you can test them before committing.
If you want to learn more about content marketing, be sure to check out my YouTube channel where I go into even more detail on this topic - and many others!
You can watch the video that goes along with this blog right here: content marketing tools and techniques 1 (youtube.com)
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And don’t forget—join my mailing list for even more tips https://go.starchelle.com/mailinglist, or download my free guide to jumpstart your content marketing strategy https://go.starchelle.com/marketing-made-simple. It’s packed with practical steps to help you create content that really connects with your audience.