How to create a content plan
A content plan is essential and key to successfully executing any content strategy. A content plan, also known as a content calendar, is essentially a guide to all of the content you plan on creating. It could be videos, images, blogs or emails - any type of content can be put in the content plan.
Content strategy vs content calendar
A content strategy and content calendar go hand-in-hand. Your content strategy will outline your goals (eg. more website views), who the target audience is, and what form the content will take (eg. website, social media etc). The goal of a content strategy is understanding your audience’s needs. A content plan/calendar establishes when you’ll give your audience what they want and how.
Content strategy = what and why
Content calendar = how and when
Content calendar example
Below is an example of a simple content calendar for a blog:
How to create a content plan in Excel or Numbers
You can easily create your own content calendar using a spreadsheet on Microsoft Excel or Apple’s Numbers. Use the different columns to layout your plan, and customise it however you like. In mine I have a column for subject, title, the date it will be published and a spec for Instagram captions. You can add as much details as you choose.