The Content Marketing definitions you need to know
What’s the difference between a content strategy, plan, and framework? While many people use content terms interchangeably, advanced content marketers can spot the differences.
Let’s talk about some frequently-used content terminology and the true definition of each.
Note: these are grouped by the relevance of each term rather than alphabetical order. That way you can compare similar terms.
Content Marketing Glossary
Content: While many people think of content as written work, it also includes videos, emails, infographics, and any other vehicle to convey information. After all, each of these mediums starts with a script or outline in a document.
Content Medium: The format of the content (like an article, podcast, video, or infographic) is the content medium.
Content Channel: Your content channels are the marketing channels acting as a vehicle for content. Where do people find it? The channel could be email, paid ads, social media, etc.
Messaging: Messaging is specific phrasing used to describe your product. Your messaging should be documented in an organized, systematic way to communicate product value. And all teams and affiliates should leverage this messaging to consistently communicate this value.
Messaging framework: A messaging framework is how you organize your key messaging so all teams can use it. It should include your personas, key pain points for each, and how you communicate solutions to solve each of these pain points.
MarketingProfs demonstrates the value of a messaging framework.
Messaging matrix: After documenting your key messaging framework, you might drill down into a messaging matrix. This exercise cross-references audiences and channels, so that all specialists can easily locate the messaging for their channels.
An example of a messaging matrix from Coschedule.
Content research - Before you create a strategy, you should tap into your content marketing research. Define personas, see which channels perform best, and tie in SEO.
Content strategy- Many people wrongfully interchange plans and strategy. While a plan lists out the tactical methods used to support a goal, a strategy allocates resources and evaluates risk.
What is the best way to leverage resources to achieve your goal? In which channels should you invest? This strategy should be based on market research and data.
A content strategy is an overarching message, acting as the groundwork for tactics that follow.
Content plan - Now that your content strategy determines the channels to leverage, your content plan will list the specific tactics to complete.
How many blog posts will you write? How many ads will you create? How many e-books do you need to publish? And finally, what are the titles/topics of each?
Content schedule or calendar - After you have a content plan, you can schedule these pieces in a content calendar. Provide a publish date for each.
Two examples of a content calendar:
Editorial calendar - An editorial calendar includes important details for all types of content in production (like authors, publish dates, and its current state through the production process). Plans for videos, blog posts, and podcasts are centralized in one place with essential details.
Content framework - Your content framework involves how your organize content on your website. The most popular options (coined by HubSpot) are Hub and Spoke and Topic Pillars.
Marketing funnel - The marketing funnel, or buyer journey, includes all the steps someone takes to purchase. This includes both how they search on and off your website.
Prospects begin in the awareness phase (top-funnel), travel to the consideration/research phase (mid-funnel), and end in the conversion phase (low-funnel). You should serve content to users at each stage of the funnel, focusing on lower-funnel targeting opportunities.
Content inventory - A content inventory is a spreadsheet listing all of your content. If you use a traditional web crawler to create this spreadsheet, you’ll automatically get details like meta descriptions, word count, and status code.
Tip: I like using the crawler Dynomapper to pair Google Analytics data (like traffic and bounce rate) with the URL. This will give you an automated content inventory and sets you up for an easy audit.
Content audit - A content audit builds on your inventory spreadsheet. In this phase, you’ll review the URL details and find ways of scoring the content. Maybe you create a column that labels low-traffic pages as “needs a revamp”. Or maybe you categorize content as evergreen vs. newsworthy.
Content analysis - Once your content audit is complete, reference it to understand strengths, find gaps, and provide recommendations. Your inventory and audit should be a spreadsheet and your analysis should be a report drawing insights from the spreadsheet (and more). You might also look at external factors like how frequently competitors publish or keyword competition.
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