Content ideation template

Generate new ideas to improve your content with this clear, actionable template

How will this template help me and my business?

Content marketing is a powerful technique, both to engage your audience personas and to achieve the marketing outcomes you need throughout the customer lifecycle. This template will help you generate new ideas to improve your content. From improving lead magnet content to encouraging existing customers to engage, you’ll be able to unlock newfound performance with the help of this template.

You’ll find structures for mapping out your current use of content and how to compare it to your competitors. Once you’ve done this, you’ll find guidance on conducting brainstorming workshops to develop new ideas.

Who is the template for?

This ‘hands-on’ template is designed for anyone actively involved in creating and implementing content marketing strategies and marketing campaigns. This may include:

• Digital marketing managers and marketing managers
• Content managers
• Marketing or digital marketing executives
• Account managers in an agency working with clients to develop their strategy

How is this template structured and used?

This download includes two alternative templates, in Word and PowerPoint formats, that you can modify for your business and clients, including:

• Content marketing matrix
• ToFu, MoFu, BoFu (top, middle and bottom of funnel content review)
• Mental – content model mapping to review website effectiveness
• Examples of B2C and B2B content mapping (in the PowerPoint template)

How to use this template

This template has been designed for teams to use when reviewing content strategy. It would work well in a group workshop setting to encourage collaboration and idea generation.

The template has been structured using ‘gap analysis’ for different content assets and formats to:

1. Review current use of content against a framework
2. Assess how competitors use content
3. Brainstorm new ideas
4. Prioritize ideas for content. This is based on scoring using defined criteria for each content asset. For example, customer value, fit with brand, potential for evergreen benefits (e.g., organic search), and time/cost to create.

Resource Details

• Author: Dr. Dave Chaffey 
• Format: Downloadable Word and PowerPoint documents
• Related resources:
  • Our customer persona guide and template provides a similar 3-stage content mapping technique for each persona.

About the author

Dr. Dave Chaffey

Dave is co-founder of Smart Insights and creator of the Smart Insights RACE Planning Framework. He has consulted and trained for many businesses including large international B2B and B2C brands including 3M, BP, Barclaycard, Dell, Confused.com, HSBC, Mercedes-Benz, Microsoft, M&G Investment, Rentokil Initial, O2, Royal Canin (Mars Group) plus many smaller businesses.  For his full profile, or to connect on LinkedIn or other social networks, see the About Dave Chaffey profile page on Smart Insights. Dave is author of 5 bestselling books on digital marketing including Digital Marketing Excellence and Digital Marketing: Strategy, Implementation and Practice. He has been recognized by the Chartered Institute of Marketing as one of 50 marketing ‘gurus’ worldwide who have helped shape the future of marketing.