Don't mix up your plan and planning

I stumble on too much too common content mistakes with almost every client and every day. These mistakes raise the costs and lower standards. Not even to speak about the lack of accountability and ignoring the effect content potentially can have.

Such a waste of budget and effort and causes frustration. 

Let’s start with the most annoying one, the unaware and unintended mixing up plan and planning in content. 

→ Most brands think they have a plan, but in reality, they have a planning.  A plan is the ‘why’ based on research, data, insights, and how content contributes to the business objectives; the planning is the ‘when, what, and where.’ 

What are the differences between plan and planning, and why does it matter? 

Before you continue reading, it is good to know that ‘plan’ is just another word for ‘strategy.’ 

How mixing up plan and planning hurts your business

What I see the most is that the planning is proudly presented as the brands’ plan, the content strategy. 

However, that planning is actually just a derivation of the marketing strategy and calendar, not a plan for how content contributes to the business and can be measured.

Don’t get me wrong; there’s nothing wrong with using your marketing strategy as a starting point for your content planning for the following year. But, then, it’s planning, not a plan.

There are many brands without a strategy and just execute in line with the marketing calendar, and they'll survive. But if you want to grow, drive sales, claim leadership and move some needles, you better get a strategy in place. 

Failing to plan is planning to fail. 

I’ll explain.

Content plan, the bigger picture

A plan is another word for strategy. In short, ‘how you get from A to B,’ where A is where you are right now, and B is your objective, where you want to be. The plan describes how you allocate your scarce resources to reach that objective as efficiently as possible.

The plan is the why, what, and who behind your content, guiding everything toward your bigger picture and business goals. This is also where you set your KPIs.

Content planning, day-to-day execution

The planning Is the execution of the plan. It’s how you turn your strategy into action; turn big goals into clear actions.

Deciding when and how content gets produced, measured in daily (vanity) metrics, not KPIs.

I will not dive into the details of both. If you really don’t know why you need a strategy before you get into execution, this page is not for you.

So why do so many brands struggle to distinguish the two? Here’s what I see.

Why brands mix-up plan and planning 

The most common reason is the lack of seniority in your content team. I get it; you want as much content as possible at the cheapest price, and content seniors are expensive. 

But let’s be honest here: most marketers became project managers in disguise, and the CMO often has more on his or her plate than just content.

→ Content is a craft and expertise on its own, for a reason.

→ Content is much more than marketing. Just like AI, it touches every department; everyone needs, wants, produces, and distributes content.

What to do? 3 Steps to fix the content strategy mix-up

There are 3 things you can do. 

1. Educate yourself, update your expertise

I highly recommend you read books, listen to podcasts, immerse yourself in cases, and dive into the data. No doubt you truly show your craftmanship and expertise by knowing the old-school theory while staying up to date with current practices.

Stay f***ing curious.

• My top 5 books about content and strategy I highly recommend: ‘No Bullsh*t Strategy’ by Alex M H Smith, ‘Building a StoryBrand’ by Donald Miller, ‘They Ask, You Answer’ by Marcus Sheridan, 'Good Strategy, bad strategy' by Richard P. Rumelt, and ‘How not to Plan: 66 ways to screw it up’ by Les Binet and Sarah Carter.
   
• Podcasts to listen to: Acquired , ACQ2 , and Nudge . There are so many more amazing podcasts out there; this is my top 3 with the hidden uncommon gems. 

2. Bring in external eyes, identify blind spots

Outside perspectives keep you sharp. Hire external consultants to identify your blind spots and help you see what’s missing.

Yes, externals are expensive, but for a reason. If you have a good one who gives sh*t about internal politics, they help you, and they'll tell you without a doubt where you f*** up and what you need to do to improve and get started.

3. Hire professionals to start strong and bring your team up to speed

Get experts to help you start strong and train your team. Your goal should be to build internal skills, so your team can take over confidently without needing that expensive external support.

Frequently asked questions about content plan and planning

• What happens if I don't make the difference between plan and planning?
  
  You lose direction. If you don't separate the content strategy from the execution, you lose direction. Your team may focus on just executing tasks without knowing the bigger purpose. This means scattered content efforts, wasted resources, and missed chances to tie content back to your business goals.
  
  But let's be honest as well: if you don't have that strategy, you'll stay afloat. Only being accountable and growing become a lot more difficult (read: impossible).

• How do I know if my team is mixing up plan and planning?
  
  Wake up, after educating yourself. Pay attention to how they talk about content projects. If they’re always focused on deadlines and tasks without talking about the bigger goals or the 'why' behind the content, they’re probably confusing strategy with planning. 
  
  Ask them why they’re doing what they’re doing, what's their objective and how that contributes to sales and the business — if they struggle to answer, there's a mix-up happening.

• How do I know if my CMO is mixing up plan and planning?
  
  Again, educate yourself, pay attention to details and ask questions. If your CMO is focused solely on campaign execution without talking about long-term strategy, they might be missing the bigger picture. 
  
  Ask questions like, 'How does this campaign fit into our overall brand goals?' If the answers seem vague or disconnected, it's a sign they might be blurring the lines between planning and strategy.

Key takeaways, plan versus planning

What you need to know about distinguishing plan from planning

• Know the difference: A plan is your strategy, while planning is about execution.
   
• Align your efforts: Ensure your planning directly follows your strategy to achieve business goals.
   
• Build internal capabilities: Educate your team and bring in experts to get started, but aim to develop in-house expertise to reduce reliance on external support.

So far, my rant and frustration with marketers who don't distinguish between plan and planning. 

The one thing that makes this even worse is that often, they are not even aware they are making this mix-up. And that really hurts your business and my strategy and content heart. 

About me and ‘Confessions of a content strategist’

A little bit more about me and my rant as I have a feeling of sharing some background information with you – why what I see and think matters and why I humbly think that I have a point. 

I'm a content strategist with a university background in marketing, media, sociology, and psychology who fell in love with technology, creativity, and data. I have been around in the industry for 25+ years and have worked for over 50+ top-notch brands and agencies. 

I've seen quite a lot. Made many mistakes. Learned even more. 

Now, I share all this with you to nudge and inspire everyone working in marketing, communication, and corporate to do an even better job. Let's be honest; there's already too much crappy content out there; no need to contribute to that, right?

Need help to start with AI today?

If you need any help setting up this new process and getting your team started while hitting the ground running, don’t hesitate to drop me a DM on LinkedIn. 

If I'm not your designated person, I can certainly recommend someone in my network who can help you.  

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