When launching and then running a business there’s a lot to think of. First naming, branding, going live, then finding clients, producing, selling. But what shouldn’t be neglected when running a business in this digital era is the fundamental importance of a content marketing plan. There’s no successful business which doesn’t take the effort to be out there with useful, valuable (or even pretty, if it’s your case) content that shows off their best qualities even before any client purchases anything.

Content creation can be overwhelming, I know it as a fact. Especially when you run your business on your own. When you have to take care of the clients, the admin stuff, the launches and the deadlines… Sometimes content creation is something we’d happily skip and forget. But deep down we all know how crazily fundamental it can be for being found online, for helping potential clients sympathise with us as humans, but also understand our values as professionals and ultimately buy from us.

Being consistent and purposeful with my content creation has been a goal of mine ever since launching Miel Café Design. I’ll admit work got a little too busy to stick to it as regularly as I wished recently. So with the New Year and the motivation of a new start that comes with it, I set myself the goal to fit content creation into my schedule as something as fundamental as client work.

Let me go into the top three practices that helped me found stability and consistency with content creation recently. Yes, even on my busiest months. Let me explain how to up your content marketing strategy game this year, always staying coherent with your brand values!

And to make it all a little extra fun, I designed a printable 2019 Editorial Planner for my business, which I’m excited to share with you today and during all 2019!

01. Note it down

Content creation needs ideas as fundamental ingredients. And while we might get many ideas at once or multiple times per day, not all ideas are fitted for all brands. When creating contents for your business, you have to always keep in mind your ideal clients first.

What would they like to see? What do they read about? How can you help them?

A designer might be passionate about desserts and find creating recipe posts such a fun hobby, but his audience isn’t really out there for food tips. As well as a photographer might be the greatest Gilmore Girls fan, but his ideal clients are not really after TV inspiration, at least not ultimately.

When noting down ideas for new content, it’s OK to include something personal. Something that helps your audience get to know you more intimately. But always remember you’re not getting out there to show off your lifestyle (unless you’re a blogger maybe), but to sell your products/services instead. Focus on content that is primarily connected to your brand, to your ideal client, to the services/products you sell.

Each month, take time to think about the launches, the promotions, the sales you’re going to propose. Build your content marketing strategy around those as well. Don’t panic about self-promoting, that’s part of the business too and we all do it.

Then note it all down as soon as ideas start to concretise. Note them down in a list form, as bare as they are in a first moment, to let them sprout and grow in the next few days.

02. Have a plan

For years I’ve seen bloggers trying the desperate run of posting every single day. But let’s be honest: it always looked a little extreme to me. If that’s your jam, great! But don’t believe anyone telling you there’s a rule for how many times per week you should post. There really isn’t.

You decide. For someone it might be sustainable and inspiring to set themselves the goal of posting each week. For some others it might be once a month. And I know the most tempting of options is to go with the flow, with no plans. But while I love the thought of it, I know as a fact that it’s not sustainable for my business. I need a plan, and it can be as loose and as free as I like, but I need a schedule to stick to.

For me it helps a lot to create “series” of contents on my blog and newsletter (such as my Freelancing Stories blog series and my Business Reports email series), to have some consistent and valuable contents out there each month, regularly. I’m free to share more if I feel inspired to, of course, or if I have news/launches planned.

Get that ideas list you wrote down, and start refining it into proper headlines. Get a monthly calendar and spread them around fairly or accordingly to your launches or promotions. If your purpose is to fill each day with new content (maybe spreading them out between blog, newsletter and social media) you’ll be now able to see the empty spaces you need to feel with ideas!

03. Refine your content marketing plan

Once you have all the ideas spread out, it’s time to get organised and start creating. Divide the month into weekly planners and daily tasks, to always make sure you’re in time with your content marketing plan and creation.

Remember each big launch or promotion needs more than just one social media post. Organise your tasks to promote during different days, before and after, and through different platforms (blog, newsletter, guest posts, social media…).

Get my printable 2019 Editorial Planner for free to get organised and up your content marketing plan this year. The planner includes:

• Monthly ideas sheets for social media, blog posts, newsletter ideas;
• 12 monthly planners;
• 4 weekly planners for each month;
• Printable month tabs to customise your binder!