Back in 2017, John Collins, Director of Content at Intercom hit the nail on the head in terms of the need for dropping the “marketing” from content marketing and focusing instead on creating valuable content.

While I agree with this, I want to suggest there’s an additional important component: creating a proper long-term plan to deliver such content. Coming up with a single brilliant white paper or three engaging blog posts isn’t going to deliver the desired results (consistent and reliable growth along all your online marketing KPIs.) However, committing to a strict plan and a long-term editorial calendar with quarterly goals and an annual investment will.

Recently, PwC’s 2018 Global Consumer Insights Survey highlighted the need for brands to prioritize trust and authenticity.

“Brands have to think about what’s the way for them to engage so that they come off as being authentic and caring.” Rick Kauffield, Principal, PwC US

Of course, that speaks to the need for meaningful, high-quality content, as Collins assessed, but without consistency, how will your audience (aka your customers) be able to ongoingly rely on your brand? With the right plan in place and an internal commitment to maintaining it, your organization can project these values and connect to users who will become long-term customers.

But how do you go about creating a great long-term content plan? Here are some tips to consider. All are critical even though they are in numerical order.
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