Creating a content plan is just like building a sandcastle. Honestly.

You start with a basic idea of what you want to create, but as you begin to gather inspiration and ideas, your plan begins to take shape and evolve into something even more amazing.

Just like building a sandcastle, content creation requires creativity, planning, and execution. You need to have a vision for what you want to create, but also be open to new ideas and inspiration that might come your way. And just like building a sandcastle, sometimes the best ideas come from unexpected places - a seashell you find on the beach might inspire a new blog post, or a conversation with a friend might spark an idea for a video.

But even with all the inspiration and creativity in the world, you still need a plan to turn your ideas into a cohesive set of content. As much as building a sandcastle requires a blueprint (even if it's your 3-year-old's interpretation of a plan), your content plan should include details like your target audience, the main message you want to convey, and the format you'll use to deliver your content (e.g. blog post, video, podcast, social media post, etc.).

If you're stuck building your content plan, then this is blog post is for you. Here’s how to get started with a content plan:

Define your objectives

Just like the base of your sandcastle, you'll know the area you want to play in and what your desired result will be, but let's get a little more skin on the bones - what is the goal of your content? Are you hoping to increase awareness, deepen relationships, or drive sales? Your objectives will help guide your creative process and keep you on track as you build out your plan and ensure you're using the right message when you know what you're trying to achieve.

Identify your audience

Before you start creating content, you need to know who it’s for. Who is your target audience? What do they care about? Figure out what kind of topics and stories are most likely to resonate with them and draw in the sand the subjects that might matter to them.

Find out where they play

You may bump into them on the beach or you might find them on a certain social media platform, such as LinkedIn often being the "go-to" for regular event market content. But what about events, conferences, and other social channels?

Understand your customer pains

Before you can start building out your key messages, you need to understand what your target audience is struggling with at the moment. Is there a particular pain point that you can help address or alleviate? I know for Waves Connects, for example, customers struggle with the amount of time they have to create the content they want to share. Knowing this, helps you create content that alleviates this pain and helps them to become more efficient.

Map your key messages

You've built the base of your sandcastle, you know your objective and the visitors to your castle (your audience), but how are you going to attract them?

Now it’s time to map out the key messages you'll share. Map your key messages to the audiences pain points - this is where you will want to tell a story or share something that resonates with your target audience. How are you going to get them to your castle?

I find a spreadsheet (or more lately, a clever table in Notion) helps me map back my customer pains to key messages I want to relay. This way you can easily visualise the content that you want to create and how each piece of content can help your target audience.

Evaluate your resources

Remember, you're a resource too. Is your time better spent contacting potential sales or creating content? Can you outsource tasks to trusted partners?

Just like if you were building Windsor Castle as your sand abode, you'll need tools, people, and materials to bring your content plan to life. Do you have the resources (such as your own time or budget to outsource) that are necessary for each piece of content? Do you have access to the right people or technology needed to make your dream content come alive?

With each piece of content you are planning, ensure you have the allocated resource that enable you to bring the content plan to life.

Decide on the format

Once you know who your target audience is and what kind of content they’re interested in, it’s time to decide on the format.

For example, a poll or an infographic may be more suitable for some topics over a long-form blog post, whereas a whitepaper would be more suited to a heavily researched topic.

Think about the storytelling process and decide on what formats will help bring your content to life. Don't forget, it's ok to play and see what resonates with your audience bets!

Now, it's time to build your castle!

Once you have all of this in place, start building your castle.

Start creating the content pieces that are part of your plan and watch as your sandcastle comes alive.

Just remember to be agile and iterate on your original plan if needed - don't be afraid to take some risks and try something new. After all, this is where creativity comes alive!

Don't forget to measure

But don't let it be EVERYTHING.

Once your plan is rolling and your guests are arriving at the castle, it's time to execute (not the people, the plan!!). Try various types of content and experiment with different formats, platforms, and messages - just like building a sandcastle in different shapes and sizes until you're happy with the result.

Keep an eye on what's working. If that's creating a simple spreadsheet to monitor what you've shared, what the engagement has been like, and if the content has met your original objectives (ie generated a meeting), you know where you need to focus the next part of your plan.

Knowing where your target audience is, will help you reach out to them more easily and make sure that your message will truly resonate with them.

So, whether you're building a sandcastle or creating a content plan, the key is to have fun, be creative, and stay open to new ideas and inspiration along the way!

If you need a hand building your sandcastle...get in touch.