How to Create a Content Marketing Plan, Step by Step

“Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience—and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.” (Content Marketing Institute)

Pretty basic. But what content do you have to meet this definition? And how do you find a way to generate it (in-house or outsource?) There are many suppliers and online resources glad to help you answer those questions—and many more “how-to’s” about the nitty-gritty details of successfully executing this growing, and effective, approach to consumer marketing

One recent offering (online, free) comes from Semrush, an online visibility management and content marketing SaaS platform. Published on its website, the blog’s title is self-explanatory: “Content Planning: How to Create a Content Plan, Step by Step.”

Written by Ana Camarena, the blog breaks the “how-to” into six steps, and is replete with, well, content, including advice and tips, infographics, pointers to free tools, data, screen shots, and yes, those six steps:

1. Build a Clear Content Strategy

2. Create Your Template

3. Find the Right Topics

4. Assign Tasks (and Set Deadlines)

5. Schedule in Advance 

6. Measure the Results

Following the six steps, the blog concludes with a section called, Build Your First Content Plan.

Writes Camarena, “No matter the types of content you create (such as images, videos, or blog posts). Or the platforms you use to distribute it (such as Instagram, YouTube, or your blog). Here’s how to create your content plan, step by step.”