Content marketing should be tied to specific goals and key performance indicators for the overall roadmap (aligning the digital program with corporate performance measures). The power of content lies in original, authentic, engaging content that provides information people want to see. It must embrace emotional and intellectual drivers to provide content that informs, entertains, and produces meaningful connection. Ultimately, the goal is to provide a value so inherent that the content itself creates subscription, sharing, and brand preference - accelerating the journey from discovery to advocacy.

The content marketing plan should include a mix of content types and destinations including: on-site, off-site, articles, social, blog posts, newsletters, case studies, infographics, white papers, webinars, micro sites, data-driven content, polls, quizzes, photos, videos, tools, recipes, and buying guides.

Content types should match the stages of the customer decision journey: awareness, engagement, consideration and connection, conversion (sign-ups, purchases), loyalty, and advocacy.

Key metrics for each piece of content will define its contribution to overall content marketing goals. Each piece of content should be considered in light of how it will help a customer, what need it will satisfy, and what key metric will measure its effectiveness in achieving goals outlined. Content should be written for the customer first (as opposed to overt sales messages or content primarily aimed at search engine rankings) providing an authentic value related to customer issues, pain points, and interests.

Target audiences will match primary customer segments and customer profiles. Data from a variety of sources can be used to gain insights into customer profiles. This profile information may include demographic information (age, gender, geography, and income level), products purchased, amount of purchases, channel most frequently used, and content topics of interest). Writing content for specific audiences or “personas” helps to ensure relevance to specific needs. Testing can be done with sample customers from each segment to confirm content is on track and rated highly.

Governance is the process of ensuring that all aspects of the content marketing plan are clear and organized for execution according to defined standards. A well organized schedule and process for content production, review, publication, and measurement is critical to content marketing effectiveness.

The plan should include standards for content:

•  Style guide: look and feel
• Editorial guidelines: tone and voice
• Emotional and rational elements of customer experience
• Plan for consistency across channels and devices
• Assign roles of content creation, review, and distribution
• Define guidelines for content variation by audience segment, content type, and destinations
• Archiving standards