Why Planning Content Is More Important Than Producing It

In the information age, producing content has all but become a requirement for a company to be found on the internet. However, what many forget is that planning content is so much more important than creating it. Writing content is the artistic part of the communications craft, but in this day and age, there needs to be a scientific counterpart to engineer the who, what, when, and where to ensure that content is effect.

What to consider before producing?

There are those who create content just to fill a gap, but there are also those who, in fact, want that information to be read. In the latter case, the essence is in planning the content according to the needs of the audience. Any type of material that your company creates needs to be memorable, to instigate people and be good enough to be commended. For this, it is important that, before putting your hand in the mass, answer at least three questions:

Who are you writing to?

This is the understanding of your target audience, i.e. to whom you are writing. Think about the type of content these people expect from your business and find the best language to communicate with them.

When will the content reach the audience?

All material must also have a certain date of disclosure, so that your audience gets used to it. This holds true for articles on blogs, posts on social networks, videos on Youtube, emails and any other type of content. The important thing is to establish a frequency of publication.

What is the timing of the readers?

Each person lives a very specific and individual moment. That's why it's important that you start planning your content according to the pain your audience is feeling right now. If you sell real estate and your leads are looking for a new apartment, for example, look for the reason behind that decision. Several reasons may encourage this, and for each alternative, a type of content must be created.With all the information you have in hand and ideas for your upcoming posts, it's time to effectively create your content:

Dedicate yourself to content marketing planning

The best way to achieve any goals is to plan the journey. Dedicating yourself to content marketing planning means taking all the ideas and desires you and your team have to achieve well-deserved success and knowing how to make them happen in practice.Who is your audience and what do they want and need to know about their area of expertise and solutions offered? How are you going to offer these answers? What are the current market practices regarding content marketing and what are their differentials? What is the client's journey, from the moment he knows the brand until closing the deal? What are the steps of your sales funnel? Remember: more than answering these questions, you need to have the discipline and patience to stay true to the answers and to your plan.

Set goals and goals

What do you want to get out of your content marketing strategy specifically? What is the reason behind each action?By setting your goals (and analyzing them from the point of view of your priorities) and setting your goals, you not only help organize the action calendar (what to post, how and where to post it) but also to understand how all content marketing planning should behave to have good results. The important thing is not to forget that each goal and goal needs metrics to evaluate its performance.So, if one of the goals is to increase the number of leads generated, for example, you need to set desirable patterns for that growth (How much or what percentage increase would you like? How long to achieve that?) What indicators will help me analyze success?).

Know your audience

A great speech is one that finds attentive ears. Who do you want to relate to? Fundamental to content marketing planning is knowing the target (the target) of your actions. Because? To know what to say, how, which channels and which channels. That is: to be able to produce interesting content.Instead of producing content that you simply find cool or interesting (and waiting for the audience to like it), reverse the path. Try to understand what he wants and need to know so that the materials you make are welcomed with open arms.

Choose content types

It's no use putting yourself in posting the same thing. If you already know your audience, know your client's journey and have a good idea of the questions that need to be answered, try to understand what the best material for each case is. You have several content options:

1. Infographics
2. Guides
3. Webinars
4. Articles
5. Ebooks
6. News
7. Research
8. Interviews
9. Cases

Also, try to know how good answers can behave for the production of different materials. For example: this article could also yield a well-done infographic, or even a killer eBook with a step-by-step. With this, you can increase the chances of attraction, clicks and, from good actions and CTAs (Calls-to-Action), sell more.

Create a distribution plan for your content

It's no use investing in great formats, posting them on your blog and crossing your fingers. An integral part of content marketing planning is knowing how to distribute it. The idea is very close to the plan of distribution of your own product or service. If you already know what your audience wants to know, who the audience is, you need to be where they are. Magazines? Social networks? Video pages? Make your brand content a constant and desired presence in your customer's life.

Are you on social networks? Communicate with your audience!

It is a fact that one of the most popular channels for the distribution of content is through social networks. But they should not serve only as a channel for publication. Enjoy the interaction environment these networks offer to get closer and communicate with your audience! Read and respond to comments, take ideas from content, or even your business. This proximity, added to the quality of the company and the materials you already offer, will only increase confidence in your brand, which is reflected directly in more sales and more customer loyalty.

Optimize your content

You've probably heard of SEO (Search Engine Optimization or Website Optimization). In the digital world, this is one of the best ways to help your content to be found. If you already are planning content with the questions and issues of the audience in mind, be sure to research the search terms they normally use and produce content with them!

Conclusion

More and more companies and brands are focusing on content marketing as their strategy to stand out from the competition, attract visitors and help drive sales. Even if you are a neophyte or do not have so much experience in the subject, you should know that planning content is the backbone of your strategy.