Goal: Organize and prioritize your discovered topics for systematic content creation and maximum impact
Create your master content calendar:
- Open Google Sheets and create a new spreadsheet called "Content Pipeline 2024" google sheets
- Create columns: "Publish Date," "Topic," "Content Type," "Priority Score," "Status," "Keywords," "Estimated Traffic"
- Add tabs for "Q1," "Q2," "Q3," "Q4" to organize by quarters
- Import your top 20 validated topics from Step 5 into the calendar
- Consider using content calendar templates for better organization notion templates
- Expected result: A structured calendar with your highest-scoring topics scheduled
Prioritize using the ICE framework:
- Add three new columns: "Impact" (1-10), "Confidence" (1-10), "Ease" (1-10)
- Rate each topic: Impact = potential traffic/revenue, Confidence = likelihood of success, Ease = how quickly you can create it
- Calculate ICE Score by adding all three numbers
- Sort topics by ICE Score from highest to lowest
- Expected result: Topics ranked by their overall opportunity and feasibility
Group topics into content series:
- Identify topics that can be grouped into 3-5 part series
- Create series names like "Beginner's Guide to [Topic]" or "Advanced [Topic] Strategies"
- Plan series to build on each other (beginner → intermediate → advanced)
- Schedule series parts 1-2 weeks apart for maximum engagement
- Expected result: 3-5 content series that create anticipation and return visitors
Plan content formats strategically:
- Assign content types: "How-to Guide," "Tutorial," "Case Study," "Tool Review," "Comparison"
- Vary formats to avoid monotony: alternate between different content types
- Plan multimedia elements: which topics need videos, infographics, or interactive tools
- Use design tools for visual content creation canva
- Consider video content for tutorials loom
- Schedule longer, comprehensive guides monthly and shorter pieces weekly
- Expected result: A diverse content mix that appeals to different learning preferences
Set up your production workflow:
- Create a "Content Production" tab with columns: "Topic," "Research Date," "Outline Date," "First Draft," "Edit Date," "Publish Date"
- Build in buffer time: allow 2-3 days between each production stage
- Set realistic deadlines based on your available time per week
- Plan to batch similar tasks (all research one day, all writing another)
- Track time spent on each task for better planning toggl
- Use writing assistance tools for editing grammarly
- Expected result: A realistic production schedule that prevents last-minute rushes
Create your content promotion schedule:
- Add columns for social media promotion: "Twitter Post," "LinkedIn Share," "Reddit Share," "Email Newsletter"
- Plan to promote each piece of content 3-5 times across different platforms
- Schedule promotion over 2-3 weeks after publication for maximum reach
- Use social media scheduling tools for efficiency buffer
- Consider comprehensive social media management hootsuite
- Plan cross-promotion between related articles in your series
- Expected result: A systematic approach to amplifying each piece of content
If you have too many topics: Focus on your top 10 highest-scoring topics for the first quarter
If timelines seem unrealistic: Double your estimated time requirements - content always takes longer than expected
If you're overwhelmed: Start with one content series and expand once you establish a rhythm
You'll know you're done when: You have a complete, actionable content creation and promotion system
- Your content calendar has 20+ topics scheduled across the next 6 months
- All topics are prioritized using ICE scores
- You've organized topics into 3-5 logical content series
- Content formats are varied and strategically planned
- Your production workflow has realistic timelines and buffer time
- Promotion schedules are planned for each piece of content
Ready for next step? Your systematic topic discovery and content pipeline is complete - time to start creating content that your audience actually wants and needs!