In order to support the ongoing production of interesting content, it is necessary to have some planning documents in place. Consider those outlined below.
Brand style guides
This document guides anyone creating content for a brand at any time. What is the tone of voice and brand personality? How is it best represented visually, and what are the brand colors and fonts? This can be a challenging document to put together, and it usually isn’t the content marketer who is tasked with doing so, but is essential to aligning brand communications. It is also a document that tends to be ‘live’ – it is constantly updated as the brand and content landscapes evolve and new conventions need to come into play.
Content calendars
Content calendars assist the content marketer in planning the content they will be sharing, across which platforms, and when. The more advance planning is undertaken, the easier it is to react quickly to tactical opportunities.
Workflow map
A workflow map documents the path a piece of content takes when it is created. What are the steps in approval, how is it optimised for digital publishing, who has final sign off? Is it a duplicate of existing content, and where else can it be used? A workflow map assists you in streamlining this process.
Persona map
As discussed, the persona map assists content creators in focusing on those for whom they are in fact creating content, and what the motivations of consumers would be.
