How to Use a Blog Content Planner: A Step-By-Step Guide

Blogging is an effective way to share your thoughts, ideas, and expertise with a large audience. However, to be a successful blogger, you must have a plan. It is where a Blog Content Planner comes into play.

What Is a Content Planner?

A content planner is a tool used to map out the creation and publishing of content across various channels, including blogs, social media, email newsletters, and more. It is a schedule that outlines when and where specific pieces of content will be published.

A content planner can take many forms, from a simple spreadsheet to a more complex software program. Regardless of the format, a good content planner should provide a comprehensive overview of your content marketing strategy, helping you to:

1. Stay organized: With a content planner, you can keep all your content ideas, deadlines, and publishing schedules in one place, making it easier to stay on top of your content marketing efforts.
2. Improve consistency: By having a schedule for publishing content, you can consistently deliver content to your audience, which helps build trust and establish your brand as an authority in your industry.
3. Enhance quality: By planning your content, you can research and develop high-quality content that is informative and engaging, which can help attract and retain your audience.
4. Increase efficiency: A content planner can help you to prioritize your content creation efforts and avoid duplication, reducing the time and effort required to produce content.
5. Measure success: By tracking your content performance against your content planner, you can measure the effectiveness of your content marketing efforts and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Why Do You Need a Blogging Planner?

Using a Blog Content Planner can be a helpful way for bloggers to stay on track with their content creation, ensure they are posting consistently, and ensure that their content is optimized for their target audience and search engines. Many bloggers find that using a Blog Content Planner can help them to be more efficient with their time and can help to improve the overall quality and effectiveness of their blog content.

How Do You Plan Blog Content for 2023?

Planning your blog content for 2023 can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. By following some simple steps, you can create a plan to help you consistently produce content throughout the year. Here are some tips on how to plan your blog content for 2023:

1. Define your goals: Identify your goals with your blog in 2023. Is it to increase your audience, generate leads, or establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry? Knowing your goals will help you create content that is aligned with them.
2. Research your audience: To create content that resonates with your audience, you need to understand who they are, what interests them, and what challenges they face. Conduct surveys, analyze social media engagement, and review your website analytics to gather insights about your audience.
3. Identify your topics: Once you understand your audience well, brainstorm topics that will interest and engage them. Use keyword research tools to identify popular search terms in your industry and create content that addresses those topics.
4. Create a content calendar: A content calendar is a visual representation of your content plan. It should include the topics you want to cover, the format (e.g., blog post, video, infographic), the publishing dates, and other relevant details. Use a tool like Google Calendar, Asana, or Trello to create and share your calendar with your team.
5. Plan your content production: With your content calendar, you can now plan your content production. Identify the resources you need, such as writers, designers, and editors, and create a timeline for each piece of content. Ensure you have a system for reviewing and approving content before it is published.
6. Monitor and adjust: Once you publish content, monitor its performance using analytics tools. Look at metrics like page views, time on the page, and social media engagement to determine what is resonating with your audience and what is not. Use this information to adjust your content plan and optimize your future content.

Following these steps, you can create a comprehensive plan for your blog content in 2023 to help you achieve your goals and engage your audience. Remember to be flexible and adapt your plan as needed to stay relevant and produce content that resonates with your readers.

Different Types of Blog Content Planners

Regarding content planners, different types cater to different needs. Here are some of the most common types of blog content planners:

Monthly/Weekly Content Planners

This type of content planner is designed for bloggers who want to plan their content monthly or weekly. It usually contains sections daily or weekly where you can jot down your ideas and topics.

Yearly Content Planners

A yearly content planner is an excellent option for planning your blog content for the entire year. It typically includes a monthly section to map your blog post topics and schedule.

Editorial Content Planners

An editorial content planner is a more comprehensive plan that helps you plan your blog content for the entire year. It usually includes brainstorming, content creation, publishing, and promotion sections.

Social Media Content Planners

Social media content planners are designed to help you plan your social media posts. They typically include sections for platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Content Strategy Planners

A content strategy planner is a more high-level planner that helps you map out your overall content strategy. It includes sections for goal setting, target audience, content topics, and more.

Recommended Content Planning Tools

Now that you know the different types of content planners available, you may wonder what tools you can use to create your content planner. Here are some of the most popular content planning tools:

Airtable

Airtable is a cloud-based spreadsheet that allows you to organize your content flexibly and collaboratively. It’s easy to use, customizable and can be integrated with other tools like Trello and Asana. With Airtable, you can create a database of your blog content ideas, track progress on your editorial calendar, and collaborate with your team in real time.

Asana

Asana is a project management tool that can also be used for content planning. It allows you to create tasks, assign them to team members, set deadlines, and track progress. Asana also offers templates for content planning, making it easy to start. Additionally, it integrates with other tools like Google Drive and Slack.

Hubspot

Hubspot is a comprehensive marketing platform that includes a content planning tool. It allows you to create an editorial calendar, track content performance, and analyze your audience’s behavior. It also offers a content management system that makes creating and publishing blog posts easy. Hubspot is a paid tool, but it provides a free trial period.

Trello

Trello is a popular project management tool that can also be used for content planning. It allows you to create cards for each piece of content, move them between different stages of the content creation process, and collaborate with your team in real time. Trello is intuitive and user-friendly, making it easy to get started.

Google Drive

Google Drive is a cloud-based storage and collaboration tool that includes a variety of apps for content planning, such as Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides. These apps allow you to create and share documents, spreadsheets, and presentations with your team. You can store your editorial calendar, blog post ideas, and other content-planning documents using Google Drive.

Google Calendar

Google Calendar is a simple yet powerful tool for content planning. You can use it to schedule blog post deadlines, assign tasks to team members, and set reminders. Additionally, you can integrate it with other tools like Trello and Asana.

VUCAC

VUCAC is a newer content planning tool that’s gaining popularity. It allows you to create an editorial calendar, store content ideas, and track progress in your content creation process. It also offers a collaborative workspace where you can share ideas with your team and get feedback. Vucac is a paid tool, but it provides a free trial period.

Blog Content Planner Template

If you’re starting content planning, a template can be helpful. Here’s a simple blog content planner template that you can use:

Determine Your Goals and Objectives

Before creating your blog content planner template, you must define your goals and objectives. What are you trying to achieve with your blog? What topics do you want to cover? Who is your target audience? These questions will help you determine the content you must create and the issues you should focus on.

Choose Your Template Format

Once you have a clear idea of your goals and objectives, you can choose a format for your blog content planner template. You can use a simple spreadsheet or a more complex project management tool, depending on your needs and preferences.

Set Up Your Template

Once you have chosen your template format, it’s time to set it up. It involves creating columns or sections for each element of your content plan. For example, you might have columns for the title of the blog post, the target keyword, the publish date, the status of the post (such as draft, editing, or scheduled), and any notes or comments you want to include.

Plan Your Content

Now that you have your template, it’s time to start planning your content. Start by brainstorming ideas for blog posts, then organize them into categories or themes. You can also use keyword research tools to identify popular topics in your niche and create content around those topics.

Assign Tasks and Deadlines

Once you have a list of topics and ideas, it’s time to assign tasks and deadlines. ITIT involves deciding who will write each blog post, when it will be written, when it will be edited, and when it will be published. You can use your template to assign tasks to different team members or yourself and set deadlines for each job.

Track Your Progress

As you start working on your blog content, tracking your progress is crucial. It involves updating your template regularly with the status of each blog post. For example, you might update the status to “draft” once the post is written, “editing” once it’s being reviewed, and “scheduled” once it’s ready to be published.

Analyze Your Results

Once you have published your blog content, analyzing your results is essential. It involves looking at metrics like page views, time on site, and social media engagement to determine what is working and needs improvement. You can use this information to refine your content strategy and improve your blog over time.

You can create multiple sections for each month or week, depending on how often you plan to publish blog posts.

Using a blog content planner effectively ensures that you’re consistently creating high-quality content that resonates with your target audience. Following the steps outlined in this guide, you can create a robust blog content plan that helps you achieve your marketing goals and grow your brand.

FAQ

What Is a Content Calendar?

A content calendar is a tool to plan and organize your content marketing strategy. It outlines the topics, keywords, and publishing schedule for your blog, social media, and other content marketing channels.

How Do I Create a Content Planner?

To create a content planner, you’ll need to:

1. Define your content marketing goals.
2. Identify your target audience and their needs.
3. Conduct keyword research to identify relevant topics.
4. Choose a content planning tool that fits your needs.
5. Develop a content calendar template.
6. Create a publishing schedule.
7. Plan your content topics and keywords.
8. Develop a promotion plan.
9. Measure and analyze your results.

What is included in a Content Planner?

A content planner typically includes:

1. Content marketing goals
2. Target audience and buyer personas
3. Keyword research and topic ideas
4. Content calendar template
5. Publishing schedule
6. Promotion plan
7. Metrics and analytics tracking

However, the content may vary depending on your business and marketing strategy.