Content frameworks: why bother?

Why do I need a content creation framework?

Creating content for all your buyer personas takes a lot of work, especially if working alone.

But a content creation framework that’s repeatable, organised and agile can make the content creation process smoother and more rewarding.

What is a content creation framework?

It is a structure of processes for publishing content, from beginning to post-publication.

Don’t worry. You can still be creative within a framework, as it will help a team foster their ideas in an organised, scalable manner.

It’s about striking a balance between autonomous creativity and long-term content sustainability.

Short-term content calendar (1 Month)

The following example is for a marketing blog that provides users with content that educates and inspires.

To fill out the service, there are multiple subject matter experts contributing articles, alongside editors that ensure articles are of high quality before publication.

The framework used here is an Editorial Calendar:

Besides organisation, it also encourages people to consider: topics to be featured, customers and partners who could contribute articles, relating content to specific products and services, and ad-hoc content that is up-to-date and relevant to users.

Remember:

• The calendar should be created one month in advance to provide everyone plenty of notice for their deadlines.

Explained:

  Publish Date & Publish Time   
So editors know what date and time to schedule posts for publication.

  Due Date   
Set to a week before the publish date to give authors enough time (a full week) to review and make changes.

  Responsible   
A record of who is responsible for writing the article and getting it submitted on time.

  Blog Post Title  
Writers can propose a title, or if they don't have one yet, a quick blurb on what they plan to cover.

  Description  
A short sentence or two about what their article will explore.

  Promoting 
A short word or two about which product/service the post is highlighting. This helps articles stay relevant to customers. These keywords will also be used by editors when they edit the blog post.

  Editor   
Record of the person who will be editing each article, providing a clear line of communication between writer and editor.

  Status   
Reflects what stage in the creation process the blog post is in:

 Pending 
The slot may be filled with an article, but the writer is not confirmed.

 Confirmed 
The slot has been filled with an article and confirmed by the writer.

 Submitted 
The writer has submitted their article for editing.

 Scheduled 
The editor has reviewed the article and scheduled it for publication.

 Published 
The article is now live.

Long-term content planning

While the previous example involved planning a month’s worth of content at a time, sometimes you will want to plan content out for a few months to a year in advance.

Why this far ahead?

Well, sometimes, your content may need to align with a separate timeline, for example, with the release of new products. In this case, it may require working alongside a product team to collect technical information, keep track of changes and publish new updates as needed. Such content could include blog posts, email campaigns, and product announcements via social media.

Remember: It is important when planning out a long-term content strategy to remain flexible, to account for inevitable changes along the way.

The choice of long-term framework you may want to employ will also depend on the nature of your business and how it can be integrated. 

Below are some of the most popular frameworks used today: