Content engine

Content Engine

Content Strategy Foundation

Content Mission Statement

Template: "We help [audience] achieve [outcome] by providing [content type] about [topics]."

Example: "We help B2B SaaS founders achieve predictable growth by providing actionable frameworks about product-led growth, go-to-market strategy, and retention."

Content Pillars (3-5 Topics)

• Pillar 1: Core expertise (where you have unique insight)
• Pillar 2: Adjacent problem (what your audience also cares about)
• Pillar 3: Industry trends (credibility and relevance)
• Pillar 4: Customer success (social proof and inspiration)
• Pillar 5: Behind-the-scenes (trust and humanization)

Content Brief Template

## Content Brief

**Title (working):** [Draft title with primary keyword]
**Target keyword:** [Primary KW | Search volume | KD]
**Content type:** [Blog / Video / Podcast / Infographic]
**Content pillar:** [Which pillar this serves]
**Target audience:** [Specific persona + stage]
**Business goal:** [Traffic / Leads / SEO / Brand]
**CTA:** [What should reader do next]

## Angle & Hook
[Why this piece is different from what already ranks.
What unique insight, data, or perspective do we have?]

## Outline
H1: [Final title]
H2: [Section 1]
  H3: [Subsection]
H2: [Section 2]
...
H2: FAQ
H2: Conclusion + CTA

## Key Points to Cover
- [Must-include point 1]
- [Must-include point 2]
- [Stat or data point to source]

## SEO Requirements
- Primary keyword: appears in H1, first 100 words, 2-3 subheadings
- Word count target: [X words — match top 3 SERP results]
- Internal links: [List 3-5 pages to link to]
- Images: [Number needed + alt text guidance]

## Reference Content
- [Competitor URL to beat]
- [Resource to link to]
- [SME to interview or quote]

**Due date:** [Date]
**Writer:** [Assigned to]

Content Calendar System

Monthly Planning Process

1. Week -2: Audit last month's performance, identify top/bottom content
2. Week -1: Brainstorm next month's topics (use keyword data + sales feedback)
3. Week 0: Assign briefs, schedule social posts, brief design team
4. Ongoing: Weekly check-in on in-progress pieces

Content Calendar Fields

Field	Purpose
Publish date	When it goes live
Content type	Blog, video, infographic, etc.
Title	Working title
Pillar	Which content pillar
Primary keyword	SEO target
Author	Who writes it
Status	Brief / Draft / Review / Scheduled / Published
Distribution	Which channels get it
CTA	Primary call-to-action

Content Volume by Resource Level

Team size	Blog	Social/wk	Video	Email
Solo	1-2/mo	5-10 posts	1/mo	2-4/mo
Small (2-3)	4-6/mo	20-30 posts	2-4/mo	4-8/mo
Mid (4-6)	8-12/mo	40-60 posts	4-8/mo	8-12/mo

Repurposing Workflow

One Piece → Many

HERO CONTENT (long-form)
│
├─ Blog post (3,000 words)
│   ├─ LinkedIn carousel (10 slides)
│   ├─ Twitter thread (10 tweets)
│   ├─ Instagram carousel (10 slides)
│   ├─ Quote graphics (5-10 images)
│   └─ Email newsletter (500 words)
│
├─ Podcast episode (30-60 min)
│   ├─ Short clips (Audiogram, 60s)
│   ├─ Transcript → blog post
│   └─ Key quotes → Twitter/LinkedIn
│
└─ Webinar / Video (45-60 min)
    ├─ YouTube long-form
    ├─ YouTube Shorts / TikTok (60s clips)
    ├─ Blog post (from transcript)
    ├─ Slide deck → LinkedIn
    └─ Key moments → Social clips

Repurposing Priority

1. High-performing content first (already proven)
2. Evergreen content (not time-sensitive)
3. Content with high organic traffic potential

Editorial Standards

Writing Guidelines

• Lead with value: answer the question in the first paragraph
• Use active voice (not "mistakes were made" but "we made mistakes")
• Short sentences: max 25 words
• Short paragraphs: max 4 sentences
• Sub-headings every 200-300 words
• One idea per sentence
• Spell out numbers one through nine; use numerals for 10+
• Oxford comma: use it

Quality Checklist Before Publishing

• Headline passes Headline Analyzer (CoSchedule score ≥ 70)
• Primary keyword in H1, intro, and conclusion
• Internal links added (3-5)
• External links to authoritative sources
• Images have descriptive alt text
• Meta description written (150-160 chars)
• CTA is clear and visible
• Proofread (Grammarly + human read-aloud check)
• Mobile preview looks correct
• Author bio updated

Tone Standards

Don't	Do
"Leverage synergies"	"Work together"
"Best-in-class"	Give specific proof
"Innovative solution"	Describe what it actually does
"We are excited to announce"	Tell them what it means for them
Passive voice	Active voice
Jargon without definition	Plain language first

Distribution Strategy

Distribution Channels by Content Type

Content type	Primary	Secondary	Amplification
Blog post	Organic search	Email newsletter	LinkedIn + Twitter
Video	YouTube	Website embed	Clips to social
Podcast	Spotify/Apple	Website + RSS	Episode clips
Infographic	Pinterest	Blog embed	Reddit + social
Case study	Website	Sales enablement	PR outreach
Research report	PR + email	Gated download	Paid promotion

Post-Publish Distribution Checklist

• Published on website
• Email newsletter (next send)
• LinkedIn post
• Twitter/X thread
• Instagram (if visual)
• Pinterest (if visual/infographic)
• Submitted to relevant newsletters/communities
• Internal link from related existing posts
• Pinned/featured where relevant
• Repurpose scheduled (2-4 weeks later)

Community Distribution

• Share in relevant Slack/Discord communities
• Post in Reddit subreddits (add genuine value, not just links)
• Submit to industry newsletters and curators
• Share in LinkedIn/Facebook groups with commentary

Content Audit Process

Audit Schedule: Quarterly

Audit Criteria

For each piece of content, classify as:

• Keep: High traffic/conversions, evergreen, accurate
• Update: Good topic, outdated info or underperforming
• Consolidate: Two+ pieces covering same topic
• Delete: Zero traffic, outdated, off-brand, thin content

Audit Metrics

Metric	Tool
Organic traffic (90d)	Google Analytics
Keyword rankings	Ahrefs/Semrush
Backlinks	Ahrefs
Conversions	GA4 Goals
Social shares	BuzzSumo
Time on page	GA4

Content Refresh Process

1. Update statistics with current data
2. Add new sections for missing subtopics
3. Improve internal linking
4. Update CTA to current offer
5. Update meta title/description
6. Add FAQ schema
7. Change publish date only if significant update (>30% new)

Content KPIs

KPI	Target	Measure
Organic traffic	+15% QoQ	GA4
Content conversions	2-5% of visitors	GA4 Goals
Email subscribers from content	Track source	ESP
Content-sourced pipeline	>20% of leads	CRM
Avg time on page	>3 min	GA4
Returning visitors	>30%	GA4