You know you need to create content. Blogs, emails, social media posts—it all matters. But when you’re the only marketing person on the team, it’s a lot to juggle. You’re coordinating with sales, wrangling vendors, and trying to keep everything moving forward—all while making sure your content actually supports business goals.
Sound familiar? Many small B2B marketing teams struggle with content planning because there’s simply too much to do and not enough time. But without a clear content strategy, content gets created on the fly (or worse, not at all).
The solution? A structured, repeatable content planning roadmap that keeps you organized, aligns content with business priorities, and ensures you create content that actually generates leads.
Here’s how to run a content planning meeting that sets your marketing up for success—even if your team is just you.
Step 1: Set a Clear Objective for Your Content Planning Meeting
Before you even send out a calendar invite, ask yourself: What do we need to accomplish in this meeting?
A strategic content planning meeting should result in:
- A content roadmap that aligns with business goals
- A list of high-priority content topics based on audience needs and SEO opportunities
- A clear framework for content pillars, clusters, and keywords
- Defined priorities so you know what to write first and where to focus your efforts
If you’re a one-person marketing team, this meeting is still valuable! It forces you to think ahead strategically rather than scrambling to create content at the last minute.
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Step 2: Gather the Right Data Beforehand
Great content isn’t based on guesswork—it’s based on data and insights. Before your meeting, take time to gather:
1. Input from Sales and Customer Service Teams
Your sales and customer service teams interact with customers daily and can provide insight into:
- The most common questions prospects ask
- The objections that come up during sales calls
- Pain points that current customers experience
Before your content planning meeting, talk with them and ask:
- What FAQs do prospects ask before buying?
- What issues or challenges make potential customers hesitate?
- What feedback do existing customers give about our products or services?
Their answers will help you prioritize content topics that directly support sales and customer retention.
2. Review Past Content Performance
If you’ve been publishing content for a while, review past performance to see what’s working and what isn’t.
Use these tools to analyze content performance:
- Google Analytics – Check which blog posts and pages drive the most traffic
- SEO Tools (SEMrush, Ahrefs, Ubersuggest) – Identify which pages rank well and what keywords they rank for
- Social Media Insights – Find posts with high engagement and shares
- Email Marketing Reports – Look at open rates and click-through rates
By understanding which content performs best, you can double down on successful topics and formats.
3. Identify Keyword Opportunities
Content should be optimized for both humans and search engines. Use SEO tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to find:
- High-volume keywords related to your industry
- Long-tail keywords that answer specific customer questions
- Competitor content gaps where you can rank higher
Your keyword research should directly inform your content pillars and clusters (more on that in Step 3).
✅ Pre-Meeting Data Checklist:
- Insights from sales and customer service (FAQs, objections, pain points)
- Performance data from past content (Google Analytics, SEO tools, social media insights)
- Keyword research (high-intent searches, content gaps)
- Business priorities (upcoming launches, seasonal trends, industry shifts)
Step 3: Define Content Pillars, Clusters, and Priorities
A well-structured content strategy is built around content pillars and content clusters:
- Content Pillars – Broad, high-level topics that are central to your business (e.g., “Commercial Building Security”)
- Content Clusters – Smaller, related pieces of content that link back to your pillar pages (e.g., “Best Access Control Systems for Office Buildings” or “How Smart Locks Improve Commercial Security”)
Think of your content strategy like a tree. The trunk is your pillar page—strong, broad, and foundational. The branches are your cluster topics—smaller, related pieces that support and connect back to the main pillar. This structure helps search engines and readers navigate your content easily.
For example, if you’re marketing for a commercial security company, your content pillars and clusters might look like this:
How to Prioritize What to Write First
With limited time and resources, focus on content that delivers the biggest impact first. Use this framework:
✅ Quick Wins – Refresh or repurpose high-performing content for immediate traffic gains
✅ High-Intent Keywords – Prioritize content that aligns with keywords your audience is already searching for
✅ Sales Enablement Content – Address top customer FAQs and objections
✅ Evergreen Content – Create resources that will be valuable long-term
This ensures you’re creating content strategically, not reactively.
Step 4: Align Content with Your Marketing Funnel
Not all content serves the same purpose. Some marketing content attracts leads, while others nurture prospects or support sales conversions.
Think about your content in three categories:
- Top-of-Funnel (Awareness) – Blog posts, social media, educational content
- Middle-of-Funnel (Consideration) – Case studies, whitepapers, product comparisons
- Bottom-of-Funnel (Decision) – Testimonials, pricing pages, sales emails
During your content planning meeting, make sure you’re balancing all three stages so that content isn’t just attracting visitors—it’s guiding them toward becoming customers.
Step 5: Plan for Website Content, Too
While you’re working on your content marketing plan, don’t forget about your website content. Many businesses focus on blogs and social media but neglect planning website content updates.
Ask yourself:
- Does your website answer your customers’ biggest questions?
- Is your content optimized for SEO (e.g. SEO-friendly)?
- Are there gaps in your website content planning strategy?
- Are there places you can add video content or graphics to enhance the information?
- Look at how your services pages are performing. Are there any adjustments that need to be made?
Especially if you’re going through a website redesign (or working with a vendor who doesn’t handle content), make sure that planning website content is prioritized.
Step 6: Review and Adjust Your Content Plan Regularly
Your content plan isn’t set in stone. Markets change, priorities shift, and sometimes, a last-minute opportunity arises. That’s why it’s important to:
- Review past performance – Are your blogs driving traffic? Are emails getting opened?
- Adjust based on what’s working – Double down on high-performing content and pivot away from topics that aren’t resonating.
- Stay flexible – If a major industry update happens, be ready to shift gears and create timely content.
A monthly content check-in—either as part of your content planning meeting or separately—helps keep everything on track.
Step 7: Running the Content Planning Meeting
Now that you have your strategy, it’s time to bring your team together and run the meeting effectively. A well-structured content planning meeting should be efficient, goal-oriented, and actionable, ensuring that everyone leaves with a clear understanding of what needs to be done next.
Setting the Agenda
To keep the meeting focused, use a structured agenda. Here’s a simple framework:
- Recap Business Priorities (5-10 minutes)
- What are the key business objectives for the next quarter?
- Are there any new product launches, industry changes, or seasonal trends to consider?
- Review Content Performance (10 minutes)
- Discuss insights from past content.
- Look at analytics: What’s working? What’s underperforming?
- Discuss Audience and SEO Insights (10 minutes)
- Share feedback from sales and customer service.
- Highlight keyword opportunities and trends.
- Select Content Themes and Prioritize Topics (15 minutes)
- Align content with business goals and audience needs.
- Identify pillar content and supporting cluster topics.
- Assign Tasks and Next Steps (10 minutes)
- Who is responsible for creating, editing, and publishing content?
- What are the deadlines for each piece of content?
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What Attendees Should Prepare in Advance
To make the meeting productive, ensure that attendees come prepared with relevant insights. Ask team members to bring:
- Sales and Customer Feedback – Common objections, FAQs, or recurring customer concerns.
- Analytics Reports – Recent website traffic, engagement metrics, and conversion rates.
- Keyword and SEO Research – Top search terms and content gaps.
- Upcoming Business Priorities – Any launches, events, or campaigns that need content support.
If your company relies on external vendors for marketing support, make sure they’re aligned with your content planning & roadmap so that the meeting results in actionable next steps.
How to Keep the Meeting Engaging and Productive
Some team members—especially those outside of marketing—may not immediately see the value of content planning. Here’s how to keep the meeting focused and engaging:
- Start with the ‘Why’ – Show how content helps generate leads, nurture prospects, and shorten the sales cycle.
- Make it Collaborative – Involve sales and customer service in brainstorming content topics.
- Keep it Short – No one wants a two-hour meeting. Stick to the agenda and move through discussions efficiently.
- Assign Clear Next Steps – Ensure that everyone leaves the meeting knowing their role and deadlines.
Why This Matters
Not everyone in the meeting may be as excited about content planning as you are. Sales wants to close deals, leadership is focused on revenue, and customer service is managing urgent issues. Show them how content helps—whether it’s answering FAQs, nurturing leads, or shortening the sales cycle. When they see the value, they’ll be more engaged.
Tracking the Meeting’s Outcomes
After the meeting, document decisions and next steps in a shared content calendar or project management tool like Trello, Asana, or ClickUp. This helps keep everyone accountable and ensures that content moves forward as planned.
Ready to Make Content Planning Easier?
If you’re tired of figuring out content planning on your own, you don’t have to. Whether you’re a CEO who values marketing but doesn’t have time to lead it, or the person who was just handed marketing responsibilities and needs a plan—we can help. Our free B2B marketing assessment will show you what’s working, where you’re missing opportunities, and how to create a content strategy that actually drives results.
FAQs on Content Planning
Q. What is a content plan?
A. A content plan is a structured approach to creating, distributing, and managing content. It includes topics, formats, deadlines, and promotional strategies to ensure your content aligns with business goals.
Q. What is the pillar and cluster content model?
A. The pillar and cluster model is a content strategy that helps organize your content in a way that improves SEO and user experience. It works like this:
- A pillar page is a comprehensive, in-depth piece of content covering a broad topic (e.g., “Commercial Building Security”).
- Cluster content consists of related, smaller articles that cover specific aspects of the pillar topic (e.g., “Best Access Control Systems for Office Buildings” or “How Smart Locks Improve Commercial Security”).
- Each cluster post links back to the pillar page, signaling to search engines that your site has deep expertise on the topic.
This structure helps improve rankings, keeps users engaged longer, and makes your website more authoritative.
Q. How many content pillars should you have?
A. Most businesses benefit from having 3-5 content pillars, which are core themes that guide all of your content. These pillars should be broad enough to provide flexibility but specific enough to create a cohesive content creation strategy.
Q. How to create a content plan that works?
A. Start with business goals, define your audience, choose content themes, create a calendar, and assign responsibilities. A strong content creation plan ensures consistency and impact.
Q. What are the best content planning tips for small teams?
A. Here are some initial tips to help you get started on the right foot.
- Use a simple content marketing framework.
- Prioritize quality over quantity.
- Involve sales and customer service for insights.
- Schedule blog planning and content meetings regularly.
- Track results and adjust as needed.
Q. How do I decide what content to prioritize?
A. Focus on high-impact content first. Prioritize topics based on:
- Sales enablement – FAQs and objections your team frequently addresses.
- High-intent keywords – Content people are actively searching for.
- Quick wins – Updating or repurposing existing content for immediate results.
- Evergreen topics – Content that will remain relevant long-term.
Q. How often should I run a content planning meeting?
A. For most teams, monthly content planning meetings work best. This allows for flexibility while maintaining a steady content pipeline. If you’re planning quarterly campaigns, a larger strategy session every three months can also be beneficial.
Q. How do I track content performance?
A. Use tools like:
- Google Analytics – To track page views, time on page, and bounce rates.
- SEO tools (Ahrefs, SEMrush, Ubersuggest) – To measure keyword rankings.
- Social media insights – To gauge engagement and shares.
- Email marketing reports – To track open and click-through rates.
Q. What should be included in a content calendar?
A. A content calendar should include:
- Publishing dates and deadlines.
- Content formats (blog, video, email, social post, etc.).
- Assigned team members responsible for creation and approval.
- Keywords and SEO focus for each piece.
- Promotion strategy (social media, email, etc.).
Q. How do I get buy-in from leadership or other teams for content planning?
A. Tie content planning to business goals. Show how content:
- Generates leads and supports sales.
- Positions your company as an industry expert.
- Answers common customer questions, saving time for sales and support teams.
- Improves SEO and increases website traffic.
Q. What’s the difference between a content plan and a content strategy?
A. A content strategy is the big-picture approach, outlining your goals, audience, messaging, and positioning. A content plan is the execution roadmap, detailing what content you’ll create, when, and how it aligns with strategy. For a deeper dive, check out our blog post: Marketing Strategy vs Marketing Plan: What’s the Difference and Why You Need Both
