essential content marketing templates
DESCRIPTION
Content marketing templates can help you plan content, track content and keep content consistent — no matter who's doing the writing. Learn how to use editorial calendars, editorial budgets and page tables to your marketing advantage. From a live presentation by Arienne Holland, Communications Director of Raven Internet Marketing Tools, at Pubcon Vegas 10-23-13.TRANSCRIPT
Arienne HollandCommunications Director, Raven
@RavenArienne
• What I do now: 3+ years in marketing (content, email and social media), communications and publicity for Raven
• What I did before: 12+ years in newspaper, magazine and online journalism for Gannett
@RavenArienne
I GOT THIS
WITH TEMPLATES, YOU CAN:• Build an annual plan.
Template: Editorial calendar
• Keep track of content.Template: Editorial budget
• Keep content consistent.Template: Page Table
@RavenArienne
Build an annual plan
DEFINITION
• What it is: An annual editorial calendar lists all events, holidays, seasons and cycles that affect your content marketing.
• Why it’s useful: It is the easiest foundation for building your annual content marketing plan.
@RavenArienne
WHERE TO GET STARTED• Press release distribution
services. Try EdCals (free) by Cision or MyEdCals (not free) by MyMediaInfo.
• Ad departments of media outlets. Not all are as fab as NYTimes Global.
• Trade & industry publications.@RavenArienne
@RavenArienne
@RavenArienne
@RavenArienne
BUILD A TEMPLATEStep 1
Plan your year,making note of all global, local
and industry events.
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BUILD A TEMPLATE
Step 2
Plan each quarter,keeping in mind special editions
(yours or others).
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BUILD A TEMPLATE
Step 3
Plan your month,including all regular features
and breathing room.
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@RavenArienne
PRO TIP!
Bring your annual content marketing calendar to every stakeholder meeting.
Refer to it when “scope creep.”
Refer to it when “You never…”
Refer to it when “We have time for that.” @RavenArienne
Keep track of content
DEFINITION• What it is: Think of an editorial
budget like a list of all the content you have to spend.
• Why it’s useful: A budget is a planning tool and working document. It keeps track of ideas, what’s already in the works and what’s complete.
@RavenArienne
WHERE TO FIND EXAMPLES• Ask any assignment editor for
any traditional media publication, anywhere. Ask for a few AP or wire budget examples, at the least.
• This one J-school professor’s class notes here: raven.im/1cWhu6k
@RavenArienne
BUILD A TEMPLATE
• ONE shareable document. Google Docs will do just fine.
• Sections for fast searching. Divide up by phase (idea, written, published)or deadline (evergreen, soon, ASAP)or by author (freelance, in-house).
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BUDGET LINE COMPONENTS
Headline
Contentplan
Visuals
Extramaterial
Deadline
Writer,editor &length
Links
Resources
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PRO TIP!
Require everyone who pitches to you to submit a budget line.
Send them or post an example of yours — but don’t give too many instructions. Smart people figure it out.
Plus, it saves you time.
@RavenArienne
Keep content consistent
DEFINITION• What it is: A page table contains
all the information needed to create a new web page.
• Why it’s useful: Content marketers can use a hybrid page table to plan for the SEO, distribution and brand needs of any page of online content.
@RavenArienne
WHERE TO FIND EXAMPLES• From content strategists.
They invented the things,mostly for clients and freelancers.
• From information architects.
• Here: http://raven.im/1fUIN4z
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BUILD A TEMPLATE: FILE
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BUILD A TEMPLATE: ASSETS
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BUILD A TEMPLATE: STYLE
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BUILD A TEMPLATE: SEO
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BUILD A TEMPLATE: SOCIAL
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BUILD A TEMPLATE: SOCIAL
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BUILD A TEMPLATE: PLAN
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PRO TIP!
Use page tables when you’re planning to launch a new website or section.
Web designers, web developersand info architects love them because — as one told me once — they “don’t have to interface” with anyone.
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WHAT TO REMEMBER
It’s important
FORMS ARE YOUR FRIENDS• Use editorial calendars to plan your
content marketing around key cycles.
• Use editorial budgets so you’ll know what content you have to spend.
• Use page tables to keep your content consistent with your plan and brand.
@RavenArienne