How to Plan an Effective Content Production Process

No matter the scale or scope of the project, creation of content requires a well-thought-out production process.

It is possible for content projects to be delayed without a dependable content production process. In addition, a lack of a content publishing schedule can result in inconsistent and poorly executed content. This means the content won't help a business meet its goals, or meet the audience's needs. As a result, any resources used to create that content will have been wasted.

What is a Content Production Plan?

A solid plan is the first step to maximizing content production. The process of creating information in a visual or text format is called content production. As part of the content production process, a business determines what message or information they want people to understand and what they want them to do with it.

Creating a content marketing strategy may seem complex, but it is straightforward and generally involves Search engine optimization (SEO) to target a certain audience. Tools such as Google Keyword Planner and Ahrefs can be used to determine what type of content a business should focus on. Competitor research can also be performed with these tools to discover what businesses' competitors are doing. Then all of this information should be put together to create an effective content production plan.

Content Map

Inbound marketing plans are generally built using a content map. This type of marketing plan aims to produce tailored content based on the businesses’ target audiences needs and interests. In order to organize and format content based on potential prospects behavior, content mapping is essential to see the bigger picture.

There is rarely a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to content because potential customers have a variety of needs. Given this reality, building a content map helps businesses target their approach to reaching customers in the best way possible. This is because creating a content map helps plan for content creation that supports the customer journey. Content mapping also creates a more cohesive, personalized experience for customers. 

Effective marketers know that in different stages of the buyer's journey, prospects seek varying levels of information. This makes it essential that a company's website provides content that covers different topics in order to effectively generate new leads. In each step of the client's journey, content should reflect what the client is seeking. A content map is an effective way to accomplish this.

Inbound Marketing Content Types

Inbound marketing inspires long-term relationships with customers by creating valuable content aligned with the needs of a business's target audience. Customers buy from a business because it solves their problems. Providing the solutions that the target audience is searching for is what inbound marketing is all about. A variety of content types can be used to provide this type of solutions across different platforms. Various stages of the buying cycle are also addressed through this type of content.

The following are some of the most common types of inbound marketing content. A compelling piece of content can come in many different shapes, sizes, and styles. So even within these categories there are a number of subcategories that are also worthwhile.

• Blog Posts
• Videos
• Social Media
• Case Studies
• Webinars
• News Articles
• Infographics

Inbound marketing works because it focuses on what the customer wants and needs at the time. Customers aren't inherently interested in seeing any brand in front of them, they're interested in seeing a specific brand when they're looking for what that brand offers. This means when a business produces high-quality content that engages its intended audience, inbound marketing is successful.

Content Production and Website Marketing

The goal of website marketing is to drive more traffic and visits to a business’ website. Put simply, website marketing is effectively achieved when a business is able to target visitors interested in its products or services and is able to persuade them to make a purchase. This is accomplished with both the promotion of the content as well as promotion of the website as a whole. By using content marketing, a business can attract the right audience, which is visitors who are interested in its products or services. The creation of a content strategy helps attract more relevant viewers and keeps them engaged so they make an initial purchase and return to the site, becoming loyal customers.

Social media optimization for websites

Nowadays, social media plays an increasingly important role in digital marketing. In order to boost social media promotion, a website must be optimized for social media and the content needs to be easy to share. As part of social media optimization, web pages are enhanced with a number of things including: social media sharing buttons, integrated videos, and images. Content production strategies should include this component since it allows content to be shared and attracts more clicks and traffic.

Search Engine Optimization

SEO (search engine optimization) plays a major role in increasing organic traffic to a website. By increasing visibility in search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing, SEO increases the likelihood of a website ranking higher than its competitors. There are various types of search engine optimization that can be utilized, including: on-page SEO, off-page SEO, SEO content, local SEO, and technical SEO. A business should not focus only on one type of SEO. This mistake is made by many businesses, and their websites suffer as a result. A website should also be optimized for modern SEO techniques, such as schema markup, alongside traditional SEO practices.

Redesigning a Website for Content Production

Redesigning a website for a content production plan requires consideration of a number of factors. Important details to consider include:

• Whether or not the website design meets the needs of the business?
• Is the website mobile-friendly, search engine-friendly, and compatible with other devices?
• Are there any new features that will be included in the redesigned website?

Keep in mind, a website redesign project's length and cost will be affected by these considerations.

Website Redesign Cost

In terms of cost, a website redesign can range from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands. Costs vary depending on the content management system. A developer will need time to transfer pages from one content management system to another. There is no quick way to transfer all those files without additional technical assistance, so a business may have to pay more fees depending upon the amount of pages that need to be transfered.

A business owner can redesign their own website for little to no cost. In most cases, however, business owners lack the skills to take advantage of this approach. The cost of hiring an experienced freelance web designer can range and carry a high price tag. Consultations with a freelancer throughout the project will cost even more. However, this is still significantly cheaper than hiring an agency. Still, the best approach to building a website that works well across multiple devices and has a lot of functionality is to hire an agency. An agency can offer advice on things like SEO and content marketing strategies that are crucial to online businesses today.