By far, the most popular post we have ever published at the Content Marketing Institute is
10 Must-Have Templates for Content Marketers. Though this post is almost two years old, our readers still seem to clamor for this type of information and advice.
To that end, we wanted to provide a refresher on the most popular templates and checklists shared by the CMI team and our guest contributors. Some of these are “oldies but goodies” that we included in the first list, and others are new. All are intended to simplify some part of the content marketing process — and all can be customized to your particular needs.
Buyer-focused resources
Buyer persona template: The first rule of content marketing is that whatever you create must be relevant to your audience. Here are tips on how to create easy, yet actionable content marketing personas.
Content mapping template: If you sell something with a complex sales cycle, you’ll need to map your content requirements to stages in the buying cycle. Follow these five steps to mind map your content and increase its reach.
Content and process organization
Content marketing operations workbook: You can’t create a successful content marketing program if you don’t have the right skills, resources, and processes in place to support your efforts. This guide will walk you through a series of easy-to-complete practical exercises that will show you how to build your content operations from the ground up.
Editorial calendar checklist: To keep all of your content projects planned and organized, you’ll likely want to develop a content calendar. This list of essentials will walk you through the process.
Content kick-off checklist: For a content project to succeed, all stakeholders — from the client to your content creators — need to be on the same page. We suggest answering these 15 questions before you start any project.
Content request template: Have too many content ideas, or too many requests from across your organization? Use this checklist to help you prioritize your projects, or those being developed by your team.
Content technology decision-making guide: Are you considering a technology purchase to simplify your content processes? This eBook includes 12 questions to ask to make sure you select a solution that will meet your unique content marketing needs.
Creativity and design
Readability checklist: Not all websites are created equal. Here’s a checklist to follow for designing pages that are clear and readable, and can be easily navigated by your audience.
Killer web content template: If you are creating web content, use this template to help you make sure you’re driving action on each page.
Creating valuable content checklist: As you work through all of your content ideas, keep these key considerations in mind to ensure that you will be providing value to your audience.
Headline tips and tools: The importance of a great title for your content efforts shouldn’t be underestimated. This guide walks you through the essentials for creating relevant, engaging headlines that will draw readers in.
The ultimate SEO checklist: While quality content rules, you shouldn’t ignore SEO. These steps will help you optimize your content marketing plan and achieve better results on search engine pages.
Publication and promotion
Content publication checklist: Once you’re ready to share your content with the world, be sure to review these key steps that will help you prepare your publication for optimal reach, engagement, and ROI.
Content distribution template: Even after you’ve published, your job is not done. You need to market your content, and this template will walk you through the need-to-know basics.
Blog post promotion checklist: If you are promoting a blog post, there are lots of things you can do to position it for success. Check out our most recent list of tips to help get you started (you can also go deeper by reading our original post on the topic).
Localization checklist: If your content is targeted to audiences in different global markets, consider this checklist of tips and considerations for localizing the content you’ve created.
Content marketing success checklist: Of course, you will want to see which of your content efforts are performing best, so you can continue to deliver the information your audience wants. This checklist walks you through how to measure content marketing success.
If there are templates and checklists you have personally used in your content marketing efforts, please tell us about them in the comments. And if there are others you would like to see, let us know that as well!
Editor’s note: You can also check out these templates our readers have suggested:
The Triangle of Relevance: Angie Schottmuller shares a content strategy principle incorporating three angles – business interest, user interest, and time significance – to maximize relevance and magnetize content, creating user action.
Want your audience to take notice and take action on your brand’s content? Our newest Guide to Essential Content Marketing Tactics has tips, insights, and ideas that can help increase your success with today’s top content marketing plays.
Cover image via Bigstock
Comments