This content originally appeared on Envato Tuts+ Tutorials and was authored by Andrew Childress
Want to transform your content marketing from scattershot to strategic? You're not alone. While 88% of B2B marketers use content marketing, only 29% say their content strategy is very effective, according to the Content Marketing Institute.
But here's the good news: creating a solid content marketing plan doesn't have to be complicated. Whether you're just starting out or looking to level up your existing strategy, this guide will walk you through building a content marketing plan that actually works.
Let's cut through the complexity and create a plan that turns your content efforts into real business results. Ready to get started?
7 steps to create your content marketing plan
A successful content marketing plan isn't just a document. It's your roadmap to reaching and engaging your target audience. Whether you're creating your first content marketing strategy plan or refreshing an existing one, these seven steps will guide you through the process.
We'll walk through each step with practical examples, plus real-world case studies that show these principles in action. By the end, you'll have all the tools you need to create a content marketing plan template that drives real results.
1. Set your content marketing strategy
The foundation of effective content marketing isn't just creating content—it's creating content with a clear purpose. Without defined goals, you risk wasting resources on content that doesn't serve your business objectives.
Start by identifying your primary content marketing goal. While you may have multiple objectives, focusing on one core goal helps ensure your strategy stays focused and measurable. Here are the five most impactful goals to consider:
Brand awareness and reinforcement
This is the most popular reason people advertise. They’re trying to get more eyeballs and broader awareness. Brand awareness can be difficult to measure, but is a crucial part of growing your business.
Content marketing through blogging and social strategies is the best route for this because it’s organic and authentic, meaning people will trust your brand more and feel more loyal to you. However, it's not an overnight investment.
Lead conversion and nurturing
Once someone subscribes to your emails, they’ve given you “permission” to market to them (of course, not in a spammy, salesy way).
Depending on what their conversion goal is, businesses may want to convert visitors into signing up for a webinar or downloading an ebook. You can keep using content to move them through the buying cycle on their customer journey.
Customer conversion
In this stage, the goal is to convert a subscriber into a customer. At this point, the subscriber is now a marketing qualified lead (MQL) so you start to send them content about your product or service.
You could send them case studies of how your product or service worked for other clients. They need to know, in this stage, why your offering is best for their needs.
Customer service
Good customer service content helps your customers succeed with your products. Make how-to guides and tips that teach them to use what they bought. When you help customers learn early, you'll get fewer support tickets and build better relationships.
Pay attention to what your customers ask about most often. If many people have the same question, create content that answers it. You can make videos, guides, or updates that help new customers become comfortable using your product.
Customer loyalty and retention
You have customers—now, it’s time to keep those customers. You could do something like create a customer newsletter or host an event or create a webinar series.
The more engaging, high-quality content you create, the better you drive customer loyalty and retention.
2. Research and define your audience
It's all about sending the right message to the right person at the right time.
But here's the thing: you need to know exactly who that "right person" is before you can create content they'll care about. Many content marketing plan templates fail because teams skip the research and rely on guesses about their audience.
Don't fall into the trap of chasing bigger numbers. More email subscribers or social media followers won't help if they're not the right fit for your business. Focus on understanding and reaching the people who really need what you offer. Quality always beats quantity when it comes to building an audience.
Action item 1: Gather information
Start by learning everything you can about your target audience. Talk to current customers, watch what people say online, and study your competition. This research helps you create better content marketing plan templates that really connect with readers.
Ask yourself key questions about your audience:
- What other products or services do they use now?
- Which websites, social media, or online groups do they visit most?
- Who's already serving these customers well?
- What common traits do your best customers share?
Look for patterns in the answers. These insights will help shape your content marketing strategy. The better you understand your audience, the more likely they'll pay attention to what you create.
Action item 2: Make lists
Once you understand who your audience is, it's time to find where they spend their time online. Your future customers are already out there—you just need to know where to look.
Professional networks like LinkedIn and industry-specific forums are often goldmines for B2B audiences. For consumer brands, focus on social platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook groups. Don't forget about specialty marketplaces either—places like Etsy for crafters or Product Hunt for tech enthusiasts.
Industry events and conferences can also point you toward active online communities. Whether they're posting on LinkedIn or sharing on Discord, most professional groups now have a strong digital presence. Look for places where your audience already talks about problems you can solve.
Pro tip: Start with 2-3 platforms where your audience is most active rather than trying to be everywhere at once. This helps you build real connections instead of spreading yourself too thin.
Action item 3: Target
Now that you've gathered information and found where your audience spends time online, it's time to get strategic about reaching them. This is where your content marketing plan starts taking shape.
Different platforms need different approaches. LinkedIn users might want industry insights and professional tips, while Instagram followers often connect better with behind-the-scenes content and quick how-to guides. Match your content style to how people use each platform.
Start by focusing on one main channel where most of your potential customers hang out. Test different types of content to see what they like best. Once you know what works, you can adapt those winning ideas for other platforms.
Want to dig deeper into understanding your customers? Check out our complete guide to crafting customer personas that actually work.
3. Do keyword research
Think about the last time you needed an answer to something. You probably went straight to Google, right? That's exactly what your potential customers do too. They type in questions and look for helpful answers.
This is where keyword research becomes a crucial part of your content marketing plan. It helps you understand exactly what your audience is searching for online. When you know their search terms, you can create content that answers their questions.
Good sample content marketing plans aren't just about writing what you think is important—they're about matching your content to what people actually want to know. Start by listing questions your customers often ask. Then use tools like Google's Keyword Planner to find related terms that lots of people search for.
Focus on topics where you can offer real help. If you sell garden tools, for example, you might write guides about "how to start a vegetable garden" or "best tools for new gardeners." Your content marketing strategy should connect what you know with what people want to learn.
4. Plan your content map
Every strong content marketing plan needs main topics that anchor your strategy. These big topics, called content pillars, are like the foundation of a building—everything else connects back to them.
Think of content pillars as your core topics. If you sell camping gear, your pillars might be "Beginner's Guide to Camping," "Camping Safety," and "Family Camping Tips." These big topics give you plenty of room to create related content. From each pillar, you can create many smaller pieces of content:
- blog posts that dig into specific details
- quick social media tips
- how-to videos
- helpful email newsletters
Start by choosing three or four main topics that matter most to your customers. Make sure each topic:
- connects to your business goals
- answers important customer questions
- gives you room to create lots of related content
- helps establish you as an expert
This approach helps organize your content marketing strategy and makes it easier to plan what to create next. Plus, when you link related content together, you help readers find more of what they need—and keep them coming back to your site.
5. Create your content calendar
Planning beats winging it every time. A content calendar helps you stay organized, maintain a steady publishing schedule, and keep your content marketing plan on track. Here's how to build one that works for you.
Pick your planning tool
Tools help bring sanity to the creative process. While you can use a content management system like WordPress to draft and publish content, a separate tool for planning is highly recommended.
Many creatives choose Notion for this because of its flexibility. In my own workspace, I can pivot between a spreadsheet-style view, Kanban board, and individual cards with notes and briefs. I tag each piece I'm producing with due date, content intent, and focused keywords.
Choose a tool that fits how you work. You can view your calendar as a list, board, or timeline. Trello and Asana are also popular choices, especially when working with teams. Even a simple Google Sheet can work well if you prefer spreadsheets!
Set your schedule
Decide how often you'll publish new content. It's better to post less often but consistently than to start strong and fade out. Look at your resources and be realistic about what you can maintain:
- Weekly blog posts?
- Monthly in-depth guides?
- Daily social media updates?
Whatever schedule you choose, stick to it. Your audience will come to expect and look forward to your content.
Plan your content pieces
For each piece of content, outline these key details:
- Main topic and angle
- Target audience
- Key points to cover
- SEO keywords to include
- Type of content (blog post, video, etc.)
- Call to action
Pro tip: Use your content pillars from the previous step to guide what you create. Each piece should connect back to one of your main topics while helping reach your overall content marketing goals.
6. Design your content distribution strategy
Creating great content is only half the battle. Your content marketing plan needs a solid strategy for getting your work in front of the right people. Think about distribution as building bridges between your content and your audience.
Social media continues to lead content distribution, but with a twist. While platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn remain strong, TikTok and YouTube Shorts now drive significant engagement. Choose platforms where your target audience spends their time. Community engagement also matters more than ever. Look for:
- industry-specific Discord servers
- professional Slack communities
- Reddit communities in your field
- niche forums where your audience gathers
The key is to share your content where it adds value to existing conversations. Don't just drop links—instead, join discussions, answer questions, and become a trusted voice in these spaces. Your content marketing strategy should focus on building relationships, not just driving traffic.
7. Measure your results
Every good content marketing plan needs clear ways to track success. Instead of just hoping your content works, set up specific goals you can measure. This helps you know what's working and what needs to change.
Pick numbers that matter
Focus on measurements that connect to your business goals. For example:
- If you want more website visitors, track your monthly traffic.
- If you're building an email list, watch your subscription rate.
- If you're after sales, monitor how many readers become customers.
Make your goals SMART
The best goals are:
- Specific: "Grow our email list" becomes "Add 100 new subscribers."
- Measurable: Use real numbers you can track.
- Attainable: Set goals you can actually reach.
- Relevant: Choose goals that help your business grow.
- Time-bound: Set clear deadlines for each goal.
Check and adjust
Look at your numbers at least once a month. Ask yourself:
- Which content pieces performed best?
- Where did most of your visitors come from?
- What made some content work better than others?
Use what you learn to make your content marketing strategy better. Sometimes you'll need to change your goals, and that's okay. The point is to keep improving based on real results.
You're ready to launch your content marketing plan
Creating a winning content marketing strategy is a marathon, not a sprint. Look for early wins, but remember that the real impact comes from consistent execution.
Even the most successful content marketers regularly evaluate and adjust their strategies. Approach content marketing with the scientific method in mind: hypothesize, test, measure, and iterate. Use the metrics you defined earlier to track progress, identify what's working, and optimize your plan as you grow.
Ready to bring your content marketing plan to life? Explore Envato's collection of professional assets. From website templates to social media graphics, you can create great posts with less effort than ever.
This content originally appeared on Envato Tuts+ Tutorials and was authored by Andrew Childress
Andrew Childress | Sciencx (2016-04-08T20:36:48+00:00) 7-step content marketing plan: A quick-start guide. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2016/04/08/7-step-content-marketing-plan-a-quick-start-guide/
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