Module 1 – Digital Marketing and Content Planning
Big, creative ideas are critical to elevating your digital marketing strategy as they can help your business stand out among your competitors. Hand-in hand with content planning, they are critical to the success of executing your plan.
If your business has a small team — or maybe even just a single person managing all of your marketing — a content plan helps make the most of your limited time and resources while enabling you to meet the demands of always-on content marketing. In this document, we outline how to get started on a content strategy, then in Module 2, we’ll show you how to put it into action.
If you’re running low on resources and need simple, effective ways to create content, check out the “Low on Resources?” recommendations at the end of each section.
About This Article
Reading time: ~6 mins
Learning Type: Article
Start With Your Goals
Identifying content pillars (or themes) that support your digital marketing goals is the first step — and every piece of content you create should align with at least one of these. Your content pillars will vary based on what kind of business you run, what kind of products or services you offer, and who makes up your target market. Use data about your audience to guide your content themes.
For example, perhaps you run a kayak rental and excursion business, targeting adventure-seeking solo travellers, couples, and groups of adults, with a goal to inspire guests to book with you. Your content pillars could be:
- Outdoor Adventure
- BC’s Natural Beauty
- Safety & Trust
Or maybe you run a full-service resort. Your pillars could be:
- Spa & Wellness Experiences
- Outdoor Activities
- Food & Beverage
- Accommodations
- Discovering BC
Once you choose your pillars, keep them front of mind as you create your content plan.
Customize Your Content Calendar Template
A content calendar that is tailored to your brand and business will help you put your big ideas into action.
Take a look at Destination BC’s content calendar template (along with a video providing step-by-step instructions of how you can make it work for your business) here.
You’ll start by filling in essential information like:
Special Events or Campaigns
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- Add special offers and the dates they’re running, like a social media giveaway, or a Mother’s Day dining event for example.
Important Dates and Social Media Holidays
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- Add holidays like Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, etc. Choose which holidays to post about based on your brand and audience. Here are some calendar links for statutory holidays: https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/canada/ and https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/
- Social media holidays are less formal but provide an opportunity to create engagement on your social channels. Most social media holidays have a hashtag attached to them, like #NationalSelfieDay, #NationalPizzaDay, and #NationalSimplicityDay.
- You could also expand to apply to having specific themes on different days of the week, for example: Mondays – Client testimonials / service features, Wednesdays – Video content / staff features, etc.
Content Themes
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- Consider plugging in an overarching content theme for each month to help guide your strategy. For example, if you’re a boutique hotel, your January content theme might be “Prioritizing Self-Care”, with content focused on spa services, long-weekend solo getaways, and other wellness-focused topics. In February, you might pivot to “Making Romantic Memories”, where you showcase your hotel’s charming interiors and date ideas in your area.
Low on resources?
Capitalize on big holidays by:
- Using trending holiday hashtags (e.g. #Christmas2022 or #ValentinesDay).
- Resharing / posting throwback photos from past holidays.
- Running a simple “like and tag someone”-style giveaway.
Coming Up with Actionable Content Ideas
Always put your audience first! As you develop content, consider the stage of the customer journey where your audience may be.
The best content ideas are easy to execute while engaging and share-worthy — and they’re also adaptable for all platforms to save you time and energy. To start generating actionable ideas, come up with some overarching content concepts that can be adapted for each platform.
Here are two examples of content concepts, broken down into why they’re effective and how to adapt them for each platform.
1) 5 Landmarks to Visit on Your Nelson, British Columbia Vacation
Why it’s effective:
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- List-based posts are compelling and easy to digest.
- Odd numbers are proven to be more engaging and click-worthy.
- Includes keywords like Nelson, British Columbia, Vacation, and Landmarks.
Ways to adapt it for each platform:
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- Blog: If you have a blog or blog capabilities on your website, build out a short (500 words or less) blog post highlighting 5 landmarks to visit. This blog will serve as a landing page you can lead users to from social media, so be sure to include a “book now” button or link on the page.
- IG Story Series: Create a seven-slide IG Story with an intro slide, a slide for each landmark, and an end slide prompting users to Swipe Up (if you have 10k+ followers) or to visit the link in your bio to plan their own getaway.
- IG grid: Post a carousel of images featuring all five landmarks, with a short caption prompting users to visit the link in your bio for more information.
- Facebook timeline: Share photos of all five landmarks with a short write-up about each. Link to your website, leading to the blog page you’ve created, or to a page with information about the landmarks or tours, if available.
- Pinterest: Create a pin that users will find when searching “Nelson, British Columbia Vacations” or “Things to see in Nelson”, leading them to the blog page on your website.
2) Kid-Friendly Travel Itinerary: Exploring Parksville, British Columbia with the Whole Family
Why it’s effective:
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- Itineraries inspire and encourage trip planning.
- Includes keywords like kid-friendly, travel, Parksville, British Columbia, and family.
Ways to adapt it for each platform:
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- Blog: If you have a blog or blog capabilities on your website, build out a short (500 words or less) blog post containing this itinerary. If you have the resources, this could also be presented as an infographic. This blog post or infographic will serve as a landing page you can lead users to from social media, so be sure to include a “book now” or “buy now” button or link on the page.
- IG Story Series: Create a Series of Stories highlighting each stop on the itinerary. If you have 10k+ followers, you can include a Swipe Up to learn more about the activity on each slide. These Stories can live in your Highlights permanently, so your audience can always come back to see your suggested itinerary.
- IG grid: Post a photo featuring families or children with a clever caption, prompting visitors to visit the link in your bio to read about your perfect family-friendly day in Parksville.
- Facebook timeline: Share an infographic or a nice static image featuring families or kids from your brand, leading your audience to your blog to discover a perfect kid-friendly day in) your destination..
- Pinterest: Create a pin that users will find when searching “Kid-Friendly BC Vacations” or similar terms, leading them to the blog page on your website.
Low on resources?
No blog? No problem. If “5 Landmarks to Visit in Our Community” is your concept, you could post about a different landmark every day on Facebook or Instagram for one week, each time prompting users to visit your website and learn more.
Now it’s your turn to practice!
Download and fill out the Setting Marketing Goals worksheet to set goals for your business.
Last updated: August, 2024
