Several marketers are about creating content, posting it, running ads and calculating metrics. A few are bothered about creating an effective strategy to ensure their marketing efforts are not futile. You must understand the dynamics of creating a strategy in your bid to market aggressively and get the results from it. Read more about BusinessAs a business owner or a company’s marketing/content strategist, you must create a workable plan for your marketing process. This involves creating an editorial plan. It can also be referred to as a content calendar. It is not enough to map out your marketing goals, it is necessary that you enforce actionable steps to help you achieve those goals. These actionable steps could serve as your editorial plan. According to Parsely, an editorial plan “partners with your content strategy, helping you maximize the value of your content and achieve your marketing goals”. In a nutshell, your editorial plan maps out your step-by-step approach to creating your content. It includes your content topics, ideas, and style guide. In this article, I will show you how to step up your marketing game by creating an effective editorial plan.
Know your audience
You must first identify your audience. This will help you know what kind of content will be valuable to them. Before starting a business, you should have studied your target market.Sign up for the Connect Nigeria daily newsletterWhat is their buying behaviour? What is their demography? These must also be considered when creating your editorial plan. You can’t afford to create content that no one will consume. That will be a waste of time, effort and resources.
Create a style guide
A style guide is a pattern in which a brand communicates with its audience. This covers the creative content they put out and the voice and tone of their brand messaging. It involves the entire branding of the business. That is, how they want to be seen by their customers. Clearly define your brand message and how you want to communicate that message. It guides you in drafting content that will be relevant to your audience.
Determine your content
Now that you must have clearly defined your brand values and message, you can use that idea to create the kind of content you feel your brand deserves to have.Register to attend the Connect Nigeria Business MixerDraft content ideas for visual, audio and written content. Draft the topics you wish to write about.
Create a content calendar
After you must have done this, you should create your content calendar. Clearly arrange your ideas and topics according to the media to share them on and the timing. Create a daily or weekly schedule for your posts. Some social media managers go as far as creating monthly schedules. But just do what works best for you. Consider holidays or special days, and let your creatives reflect on these days. More than creating your editorial plan, you should be able to measure the metrics. Using social media insights, as provided by Twitter, Facebook, etc., you can evaluate what kind of content is performing well and the one that isn’t. It will help you make improvements where necessary.Featured Image Source: Kristi HinesGot a suggestion? Contact us: editor@connectnigeria.com
