6 Great Content Planning Tools to Organize and Streamline Your Marketing
Content marketing planning is a time-consuming process that, at times, is frustrating and discouraging. When marketers are faced with numerous ideas, but no idea how or when to implement them, things start to fall through the cracks and marketing campaigns will suffer. However, when done correctly with the use of helpful apps, content planning can bring resounding success.
When marketers start planning their blog and article content, several outcomes can happen:
- Some marketers stop wasted efforts before they begin. Planning future content and campaigns can raise awareness ahead of time about any mistakes and/or wastes of time. Writers can recognize what will resonate with readers and what doesn’t align with the brand’s goals or objectives.
- Marketers can make sure all content aligns with the brand’s mission. If a proposed piece doesn’t fit in with your image, purpose, or plans for the future, it’s not worthy of production and needs to be cut from the campaign.
- Team members stay on track. The entire marketing department will know what is going on and when and recognize any areas that need tweaking as the brand evolves. Writers will understand what is expected of them and when pieces are due. A fantastic content planner keeps every moving person and item connected and organized.
Here are a few great content planning tools to choose from:
Content Planning Tools
1. ContentCal
ContentCal is mapping software that enables users to visualize as well as plan their content. The tool makes it easy to visualize, prepare, and forecast all future content and campaigns. ContentCal keeps your entire team engaged and informed of the direction your brand is moving in.
The app is an easy way to deliver a social media strategy across multiple platforms. ContentCal utilizes workflows and automatic posting from inside the platform, and the app keeps all your social media information in one place, including correspondence, images, schedules, and campaigns.
2. TextOptimizer
TextOptimizer is an innovative tool that lets marketers optimize their content to search intent through semantic analysis. Google uses search snippets to match queries with results, and TextOptimizer provides information on how to make your content easier to find by the search engine giant.
Enter your main query into TextOptimizer to retrieve a list of affiliated terms and concepts. The app then pairs your content with Google expectations. While selecting terms, keep in mind that they determine your asset direction and you can and should reuse the produced terms as hashtags on social media platforms.
Use TextOptimizer any time you plan your content and need to come with lots of topic ideas to stack them up.
3. Trello
Trello is an incredibly simple content marketing app to use. Trello boards include an easy-to-use interface that is extremely visual with rich features.
Trello allows you to invite others for collaboration, it has comment and task management features, and you can categorize user access based on chosen levels.
4. Monday
Monday is another content planning and management tool that offers a free trial and paid plans based on various features and the number of users under a plan. Monday allows users to track day-to-day marketing efforts.
Marketers can schedule content, plan future content, and invite collaborators. Monday is an excellent option for managing team members and campaigns.
If you like the calendar-format planning tools, there are a few more DIY options that you can integrate right into WordPress. Another free option is to set up a calendar in Google Spreadsheets for planning.
5. Gather Content
One of the best planning tools, Gather Content can store content and invite collaboration on every piece. You can generate, create, store, and organize your content all in one easy-to-use app.
Gather Content goes a step further and provides users with the rules and guidelines for distributing specific information, ensuring issues with what is produced do not impact your business.
6. Wrike
As far as content planners go, Wrike is aimed more for highly-detailed plans. Wrike utilizes drop-down menus to organize the plan and has menus for project timelines, actionable items and tasks, and a message board.
The tools and functions available in Wrike are more involved than many teams will have a use for, but some teams will find the increased usability vital to running their campaigns.
Content Planner Best Practices:
- Make it a requirement during the creation process. Investing in a quality content planner is pointless if it never gets used. Before you run off and start developing new content, utilize your planning app to make sure your proposed piece is on point with your goals and will be a valuable addition to your marketing campaign. Your planner should be a priority and part of everyday marketing life.
- Incorporate potential topics. You should always have a place for new ideas and possible topics. Keep them in your planning app for future reference and make it a practice to check them and add to them continually. Make the section accessible to everyone and build a substantial collection of practical topics.
- Use planning for measuring the effectiveness of your content marketing: If you know your goals when planning everything out, it’s easier to track and evaluate them moving forward. That being said, include every campaign goal when putting it in the planning tool.
Do you have more content planning tools to share? Please post them in the comments.
