Crafting a professional website or blog is more than just sitting down and typing up the text. To create an effective, impactful web page or blog, it’s important to take the time to plan for success. In this blog, we discuss the basics of content planning, including steps you can take to ensure the creation of useful B2B content marketing pieces.
Set Objectives
The best place to start is with defining the purpose of the content. Set content goals that are clear and easy to communicate. Answer questions like:
- What is the main focus of this content?
- What must be covered in the content?
- What are we trying to say with this content?
- Who is the end user and what do we want them to get from the content?
The objectives must be easy to communicate to everyone on your team and any copywriters or designers you are working with. By having everyone on the same page about the objectives of the content, you’ll be able to create a cohesive message.
Select the Subject Matter Experts
Even if you are working with a web design agency or professional copywriter, you still need to tap the subject matter experts (SMEs) at your company to provide input for the B2B content marketing pieces. An essential part of the content planning process includes identifying the individuals in your organization who can provide the best technical or background information about your products and services.
Additionally, you need to approach these individuals and secure their participation in the project. Be realistic with their participation and let them know how much time and effort will be involved. Get buy-in from their managers or teams to ensure that they will have the bandwidth to commit to the content project.
Create Realistic Timelines
Part of planning the execution of a content marketing strategy is creating timelines. When you plan the schedule for content creation, be realistic but don’t give too much time for turnarounds. We’ve found that giving people too much time to review something leads to further delays as things are overlooked or pushed down on the priority list. When you assign the timelines, take into account the regular workload and duties that your SMEs and others involved in the project have to attend too.
Map Out a Strategy
Simply writing down a strategy with the timelines and associated individuals can contribute to the success of a B2B content marketing strategy. If everyone has a document they can reference that has all the information they need, it will eliminate confusion. To create your website content strategy, map out what pages you will be writing in a sitemap. If you are creating blogs for your website and other content pieces, put together an editorial calendar that lists topics, authors, and publication dates.
Clearly Communicate Goals
We’ve mentioned this before, but it deserves its own section. Once you have determined the goals of your content strategy, clearly communicate them to the team. This may have to take place several times, especially if a team member begins to go off-track or doesn’t understand why the content is being created. Understand why you are creating the content and this will help you to communicate it to others in your organization and to keep your content marketing project on track.
Allocate Resources to Meet Deadlines
The biggest challenge facing B2B firms in content projects or web design projects is asset allocation. A lot of individuals are excited when tapped to help with a project, but when the time comes around to contribute, they get caught up with their day-to-day work and lack the bandwidth to execute. Be respectful of their other projects and duties, but ensure they are committed to meeting the deadlines for the project.
Planning for Success
Not every B2B content project is going to be smooth, but by following the steps here you can ensure it will get completed and achieve the goals you’ve set out. Need help planning your B2B content marketing project? Contact us today to get your next project underway.
