The first and most important step to creating brilliant engaging content that your audience loves, lies in getting the foundations right. Here I’m sharing 2 free content planning resources to help you.

Creating great content happens when you know who you are creating it for, what their pain points are and what problems they need solving. And just to explain what a problem is because it’s not always obvious. It might be:

  • Not having enough time in a work day,
  • Not knowing what colour to paint the new kitchen,
  • Needing a new accessory to go with an outfit you’re wearing for dinner with friends,
  • How to feed fussy eaters.
  • How to tackle stress or anxiety.
  • How to waste less

You get the picture, when we refer to problems in many cases we can be talking first world problems.

Content Foundation – Resources

I use these resources with clients a lot. There’s no rocket science involved, they just provide a simple way of gathering your thoughts around who your audience is and what your content pillars are. I thought they might be useful for you too.

WORKSHEET 1: CONTENT PILLARS

DOWNLOAD HERE: Content Pillars Worksheet

Also referred to as content buckets or content segments, pillars are basically a handful of topic areas that you will focus on to engage your audience. They need to link back to your target audience profile’s pain points, motivations, desires and their reasons to engage.

In terms of your content pillars, they are the key content topics that will resonate and appeal to the target audience you have identified? What are the topics that will open up conversation and help to position you.

4-6 content pillars are ideal to ensure a wide variety of conversation, but a couple is fine too.

Examples:

  • A yoga studio’s might be: yoga, wellness & selfcare, nutrition and diet, personal and local community.
  • An artist might be finished work, behind the scenes, inspiration, connection.
  • A retailer might have promotional, behind the scenes, customer feedback/customer generated content, trending/seasonal topics.
  • A consultant might have services/work with me, tips, personal to allow connection, sector inspiration.

WORKSHEET 2: AUDIENCE PROFILE 

DOWNLOAD HERE: Target audience profile Worksheet

When planning out your content ‘the’ most important factor is how well you know your target audience.

You can only deliver content that is of value, whether than be for education, inspiration or entertainment, if you know your audience well.

You need to know them as well as we know our best friend.

Here is a worksheet that you may like to complete to detail what you know about your target customer. You may have more than one type of target customer, so may need 1, 2 or 3 versions of this.

For example I worked with one client who owned an interiors business with a cafe who had 3 specific groups of customers.

  • The first was in her 60’s and used the shop for purchasing dinner party gifts.
  • The second a school run mum who popped by for gifts, home accessories and coffee.
  • The third was a Mum of grown up uni age kids who used the shops interior design services.

3 very different customers, with very different needs.

Need a hand?

If you would like further help in planning your content or working on the foundations of your social media strategy, take a look at my Content Power Hour. An outcome driven 121 session or series of sessions where you’ll go away with an armful of inspiration and ideas and a plan to follow.

I also run a regular Content Planning workshop filled with inspiration, tips and content tools. Next workshop dates are listed on the workshops page.

If you have questions, please do get in touch.

Sarah x