I feel like knowing that you need a marketing plan is a no brainer. It’s one of those buzzwords, along with “influencer” that’s tossed out there all the time. You see it in sleek Pinterest graphics promising an awesome freebie at the end to help you make yours.
See, people say you need a marketing and content plan, but don’t really take the time to explain why.
Like I shared in my post showing you how to Create a Marketing Plan (with an awesome freebie at the end), a marketing plan gives you a bird’s eye view of the moving pieces in your marketing.
It shows you times in the year when you launch, important dates you want to punch up, sales you want people to know about (and buy from)….the list is endless. Basically every marketing moment should be placed on your calendar.
A content plan pays the foundation.
I take it one step further and don’t just have a marketing plan with the year, I break it into quarters and into projects. And it all revolves around the content I’m going to share.
Because have you ever jumped in the car without knowing where you’re going and gotten there effectively?
I’m not talking about the summer nights when you crank the Highway to Hell and rock out while driving aimlessly.
I’m talking about the long road trips when you know when you have to stop for snacks (well, to be fair, a 20-minute drive for me also has snacks), gas, and pee breaks.
No matter what kind of drive you’re taking, you know when you want to get there and work backwards to tell you when you should leave, when you need to take the dog out, and when you need to lipstick up before going.
See, you had an itinerary and road map. You knew when, where, and how.
That’s what a content plan is going to give you: when, where, and how you’ll reach your content and marketing goals.
Absolutely every piece of content you share must have a goal – otherwise, what’s the point? Your audience will be like, “Thank you, next,” and that saying should be reserved for ex-boyfriends and drama-filled relationships you don’t need in your life anymore.
Even if the goal for your quarter is to generate connections by having 20 “getting to know you” calls, every piece of content should be aimed at connection.
If your goal is to get people excited for the launch of your thing in 2 weeks, your content should be written with that goal in mind.
Now, I’m not saying you beat them over the head with the information that it’s 2 weeks away. No, now it’s 1 week and 6 days!!! HANG ON!! One week, five days left!!
Effff no. You’ll turn people off faster than Date Mike and his backwards cap.
What I am saying is that your content should come from the energy of launch excitement. You could tell a story about how you thought of this idea.
Then you could ask a question that may shape your launch and/or how you present it. Then you could share the results a beta tester received from using this thing you’re launching.
See, you have a plan and it isn’t just beating people neanderthal-crazy with the information.
I truly believe that having content and marketing plan allows you to be more creative. It gives you a container to work in and flex the boundaries of it.
It also allows you to have time.
No more rushing to get shit together because you needed to tell people that pre-sales started…..three days ago.
You can pick goals for the month, break down a project into a 2-month ramp up plan, and be intentional.
This also allows yourself to focus on your specific goals and why you are doing this – measure all decisions against your WHY. (In case you haven’t heard, I believe everything starts with WHY. Here’s why!)
A content plan gives consistency to your marketing.
Now, I’m not saying, “It allows you to post daily” unless that’s your jam and, quite honestly, I don’t think you need to post every day if you can’t commit to that.
I’m saying it allows you to be intentional and strategic. When you show up with a goal and something to say, people will listen. If you post daily just to hear your keyboard click….who cares?
Things done with intention get way more traffic and generally have a better return on your investment because they are thought out and purposeful.
You wouldn’t host a dinner party for your 6 dream guests and wing the menu with things in your fridge (which are probably mostly just cheese and eggs anyway. I’d love that, but not so sure Nora Ephron and Amy Sherman Palladino would).
Yes it will take time, but you can be strategic and think things through when you have things planned out.
You’ll actually save time in the long run since you’ve thought of everything and worked it out way before it’s time to execute. No more last-minute dashes. No more, “I wanted to post but I couldn’t find the right words in the moment.”
Have a plan, know your goals, be strategic, kick ass. Repeat!
Need help planning out your content? I got you! This post breaks down how I generate a quarter’s worth of content ideas (that’s 3 months, y’all) in an afternoon (that’s 3 hours, y’all)!
I even have a handy-dandy download that you can snag for FREE that helps you DIY the process in a simple, easy-to-follow format!
