Integrating Plans

Implementing your content marketing program (Part 2)

If you are trying to implement a new or updated content marketing program, make sure to start with a strong foundation: a content marketing plan. An effective content marketing program is one that produces and distributes content on a regular basis. This can be a challenge even for programs with a healthy budget and the best of intentions. To give your program the best chance to succeed, start with a formal plan.

There are three factors to take into account when planning your content marketing strategy: integration with existing marketing plans, integration with existing PR plans, and the creation of an editorial calendar.

Existing Marketing Plans

  • Make sure your program lines up with the other elements of your marketing plan and that it can clearly be tied to your marketing and business objectives.
  • Think about how using content educates your customers, promotes your brand, drives traffic, and generates sales leads, as well as how it might integrate with your other efforts in those areas.
  • Consider how content marketing fits with other promotional and advertising programs and, whenever possible and reasonable to do so, link those efforts together.
  • Evaluate how content marketing meshes with your social media or word of mouth promotional marketing.
  • Determine how content marketing can fill gaps in your existing marketing strategy.
  • Evaluate the requirements of your sales force to ensure that they can effectively use the content you create.

Existing PR Plans

  • Determine how your content program lines up with your public relations plan.
  • Consider how a content marketing program integrates with your existing toolkit, including press releases, media kits, and social media outlets. An example is using an article or case study you create to generate media exposure and establish your company or executives as experts.
  • Think about your news release calendar and where you might be able to slot new content into it.
  • Determine how to best use content when reaching out to media and pitching stories.
  • Make sure to tie your content marketing efforts into executive speaking engagements, conferences, and webinars.

Editorial Calendar

  • Create a content editorial calendar to complement your marketing and public relations calendars.
  • Tie the events in the editorial calendar to company events and milestones to keep your materials fresh and updated.
  • Take advantage of the creation of the calendar to identify and understand gaps in the schedule or key topics that may have been missed.
  • Design an editorial calendar that includes topics such as: subject matter, format, call to action, distribution channels, repurposing possibilities, related marketing and PR materials, tie-in to company or industry events, target audience, phase of buying cycle, lead time, project milestones, resources, and due dates.

When you integrate your content strategy into your marketing and PR strategies, you avoid pitfalls such as creating content irregularly or in response to competitors or outside events. You can also avoid creating content that does not fit with your existing marketing or PR messages. As with your PR plan and marketing strategy, you will probably need to revise your content editorial calendar throughout the year. But it is easier to change the plan when you start with the solid foundation and clear objectives of a content marketing plan.

-January 2011