From the first idea to the final draft, a lot of work goes into creating a single piece of content. Then, there's promotion, data analysis...the list goes on. More than that, you need to create different content for different customers. That can feel laborious and complicated, especially if you're a one-person team. A content creation framework will make it smoother and more rewarding.

But won't such a framework hurt creativity? Here's the simple answer: No. You or your team can foster your creative ideas in an organised, sustainable manner. A clear content foundation also makes it easier to scale content and integrate new team members into the content creation process. 

The five ways to a content creation framework 

Start collecting ideas 

First, do your research. Read through some of your industry's relevant blogs or check recent marketing survey results. You could also look at the questions your customers ask the most and formulate answers to them in the form of a piece of content. There might also be essential industry knowledge that would be useful for your target audience. Come up with a content offer in exchange for email addresses. You'll need them to build a connection with your customers. 

Remember not to overlook niche topics- the competition here is not as fierce, and your customers will be happy to find content that answers their questions. 

When collecting ideas, remember that customers are at different points in their business. Focus on creating content for every stage of your customer's journey. Here's an overview: 

The four stages of the customer journey

Let's say you're hungry. You feel your stomach grumbling and decide you can't ignore your need to eat any longer. That's the awareness stage. These customers have a problem but can't yet say what's the root of it. They're researching to understand what's going on and name their problem. For them, blog posts that address their questions and webinars that explain how to tackle their problem are handy.  

Now that you know that you're hungry, you consider your options: Cooking yourself, ordering for delivery or going to the supermarket. One way or the other, you're going to get food. You're in the consideration stage. At this point, customers have clearly defined their problem and are committed to solving it. 

Create content that shows you're an expert in your field. Your goal now is to build a relationship with your readers and create trust. Demo videos, case studies and FAQ articles are all great ways to do precisely that. 

It's 8 pm, and you're too tired to go out again. You focus on your delivery options and look at restaurants near you that offer that service. But which one will it be? 

In the decision stage, your prospect has decided on the solution strategy. They are creating a list of people they want to hire to make a purchase decision. Free trials, consultations with you, and articles that explain your services help them make that decision. 

Once they reach the retention stage, you can breathe a sigh of relief: They are now committed to your brand, like what they’ve got and purchase the product or service regularly. A regular newsletter and information about any improvements are ideal.

Now that you've got the customer stages covered let's get back to building a content creation framework. 

Plan a timeline

You want to create a schedule that's flexible and gives you enough time to execute your ideas. Try to create at least two content offers per quarter and organise them by buyer journey stages. Keep the goals for this quarter in mind. Do you want to increase leads? Is it growing traffic to your website? Build trust with your customers? 

Your goals will show you what content you need to focus on. It will also help you see if you need freelancers to complete projects and what tools you'll need. 

In addition, check what projects and initiatives in your company will need content support over the next 12 weeks. Do you have any events or workshops coming up? Don't overlook them when creating your timeline. 

Break down the work

Now it's time to assign your projects to the right person. Who will do what? Will outside freelancers contribute, and how? Since there are many components involved when creating content, you want to get specific. Instead of just jotting down "write-edit-complete", divide the work into

Outline

First draft

Editing

Design and format

Final draft

Published

Breaking the content creation down into small chunks makes it easier to manage. Another advantage of that method: as your content grows over time, you can get back to that outline and scale more quickly. 

Pro tip: Review your content creation process. What has worked well in the past, what didn't? Create a workflow based on that. 

Review and edit your content

You need a system in place, so your content is aligned with your brand. Follow these seven steps:

1. Set your expectations, so the reviewer knows what they're looking for

2. Define roles, so each team member knows what to do

3. Set a clear timeline so you can hold everyone accountable

4. Use a content style guide, so your brand voice is consistent

5. Track edits so no one gets confused

6. Manage progress with the right software. Trello or Avasana are great.

7. Optimise your content for research engines- swap keywords or hire an SEO specialist to make your content rank higher.

 

Organise and store content

Dozens of different folders for your content can hinder your team's progress. Use a centralised place like Google Drive or Dropbox to store it so your team can access it. Make it easy to understand so you can repurpose and reuse it. Have a transparent naming system. 

As your business grows and your goals change, adapt your content creation framework accordingly. Stay up to date with trends and incorporate them into your framework. 

As the months go by, you'll see the many benefits of your content creation framework. It helps you notice which old content needs a facelift and what kind of content gets the most engagement. And what's even more important: it takes the stress out of content production. 

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