Content

Strategy
Toolkit

*Warning: Completing this toolkit within a browser will not allow you to save your work.
Table of
Welcome to your ultimate content
strategy toolkit. With these handy
templates, we’ve made it easy to build

Contents
a complete content strategy from
scratch—with a lot less stress.

Before you dive in, we recommend reading our

Guide to Build a Content Strategy, which includes
detailed instructions on how to use each template. Once
you’ve done that, you can work through each item in
order, or click on an individual template to jump directly
to it.

03 09 11 14
Content Audit Tool and Tech Content Strategy Personas
Template Stack Checklist Goals Template Template

16 19 21 23
Customer Journey Content Pipeline Workflow & Marketing Campaign
Template Template Governance Template
Template

27 29
Editorial Calendar Content Brief
Template Template

Content Strategy Toolkit Column Five // 02

Content Audit
Template
Use this template to identify what
your content (and your competitors’
content) currently looks like, what’s
missing, and how you can improve.

For detailed instructions, see our Guide to Complete a Content Audit.

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Step 1
Whether you’re auditing your own

Gather content or your competitors’ content,

you will be looking at a variety of

Content content from five main categories.

1. Brand 3. Product
Content about a company specifically (not its Informational content related to products or services,
product), such as its Brand Heart (aka purpose, such as sales materials, demos, explainer videos, or
vision, mission, values), events, news, etc. Some of educational content.
this content may be internal-facing only; some may
be external.  4. Performance
Tactical content used to drive a specific KPI, such as
2. Editorial landing pages, CTAs, PPC, etc.
Content meant to educate, entertain, inspire, or
demonstrate brand expertise or thought leadership, such 5. Talent
as articles, guest posts, infographics, blogs, Content about a company’s employer brand,
industry-related content, etc.   culture, etc.

To audit your own content...

Grab 5-10 pieces of successful content from each category. (Use your analytics to identify successful pieces from the
last one or two years.)

To audit your competitors’ content...

Decide which categories you want to audit, depending on your content strategy. You may select content from all
categories or focus on specific ones (e.g., editorial content over talent content). Either way, gather 5-10 pieces of
recent/successful content from preferred categories for your top 3 competitors. (You can audit more competitors,
but this is a good place to start.)

Content Audit Template Column Five // 04

Step 2

Audit Your Review content one category at

a time, using these questions to

Content
document your collective observations.

Questions to Ask Brand Content Editorial Content Product Content

What stage of the buyer

journey is it made for?

What persona does this

content speak to?

Does content come in a

variety of formats?

Does content reflect brand

voice/personality/visual
identity?

Is there a clear CTA?

What does the most

successful content have in
common?

What channels are used to

promote?

Any notable observations

(good, bad, or interesting)?

Content Audit Template Column Five // 05

Step 2

Audit Your
Content (Cont.)
Questions to Ask Performance Content Talent Content

What stage of the buyer

journey is it made for?

What persona does this

content speak to?

Does content come in a

variety of formats?

Does content reflect brand

voice/personality/visual
identity?

Is there a clear CTA?

What does the most

successful content have in
common?

What channels are used to

promote?

Any notable observations

(good, bad, or interesting)?

Content Audit Template Column Five // 06

Step 3

Audit Your Review your competitor content

one category at a time, using these

Competitors
questions to document your
collective observations.

Questions Competitor 1 Competitor 2 Competitor 3

to Ask

What stage of the buyer

journey is it made for?

What persona does this

content speak to?

Does content come in a

variety of formats?

Does content reflect brand

voice/personality/visual
identity?

Is there a clear CTA?

What does the most

successful content have in
common?

What channels are used to

promote?

Any notable observations

(good, bad, or interesting)?

Content Audit Template Column Five // 07

Step 4

Key Based on your audit, identify your

biggest opportunities for improvement

Takeaways
in the following categories.

Persona

Buyer Journey

Messaging

Topics

Formats

Distribution

Other

Content Audit Template Column Five // 08

Tool and Tech
Stack Checklist
Use this checklist to document the
tools you use to create, host, and
distribute your content.

For detailed instructions, see our Guide to Build a Content Strategy.

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 SubscriptiOn Type Additional Details
Tool Purpose Owner Cost (monthly/yearly) (contract end date, etc.)

Tool and Tech Stack Checklist Column Five // 10

Content Strategy
Goals Template
Use this template to document
your content strategy objectives
and key results.

For detailed instructions, see our Guide to Set Marketing Goals.

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1. Content Strategy Simply fill in the
blanks, being as

Statement
specific as possible.

We will by
[action] [how/where you plan to deliver content]

so that .
[connect everything back to your goals]

Example: We will create a hub where basketball fans can connect by offering style tips, resources, and information

about basketball shoes so that we can increase conversions 20% over the next year.

2. OKRs
Define your Objectives and Objectives: These are your high-level content strategy goals
(e.g., develop a new social media marketing strategy). Choose 3-4
Key Results to support your objectives.
overall content strategy. Key Results: These measure how close you are to achieving
your objectives. For each objective, identify 3-5 measurable and
quantitative key results (e.g., increase site traffic from paid social
channels by 20%).

Objective 1:

Key Results: 1

Content Strategy Goals Template Column Five // 12

Objective 2:

Key Results: 1

Objective 3:

Key Results: 1

Objective 4:

Key Results: 1

Content Strategy Goals Template Column Five // 13

Personas
Template
Use this template to identify and
segment your audience so that you
can create tailored messaging that
makes an impact.

For detailed instructions, see our Guide to Create Marketing Personas in 4 Steps.

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 Persona 1 Persona 2 Persona 3

Name
Assign a name to reference
in future conversations.

Age
Include a range if needed.

Gender
Include if applicable.

Job title
Include if applicable.

Channels
Identify the places you can
connect with them.

Goals
Identify their main
aspirations.

Pain points
Identify the barriers they
want to overcome.

How your product/

service helps solve
their problems
Identify the messages you
want your content to convey.

Personas Template Column Five // 15

Customer Journey
Template
Use this to identify what your
customers need to hear as they
move along the path to purchase.

For detailed instructions, see our Guide to Map Your Customer Journey.

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 Category Pre-Purchase

Function Marketing Sales

Awareness Consideration Analysis

Stage of Journey People are aware of your brand’s People consider your brand as a People analyze whether your
existence. purchase option. brand is right for them.

KPIs
How will you measure
success at each stage?

Messaging
What do people need to
hear to take the next step?

Emotion
What do you want them to
feel?

Content
What content will deliver
that message effectively?

Customer Journey Template Column Five // 17

 Category Purchase Post-Purchase

Function Sales Customer Experience

Loyalty
Purchase
Stage of Journey People decide whether or not to purchase from you.
People decide whether they should
continue to buy from you.

KPIs
How will you measure
success at each stage?

Messaging
What do people need to
hear to take the next step?

Emotion
What do you want
them to feel?

Content
What content will deliver
that message effectively?

Customer Journey Template Column Five // 18

Content Pipeline
Template
Use this template to build out a
high-level view of your content
strategy for the next year.

For detailed instructions, see our Guide to Build a Content Strategy.

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 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

Objective(s): Objective(s): Objective(s): Objective(s):

Key Result: Key Result: Key Result: Key Result:

Priority Actions: Priority Actions: Priority Actions: Priority Actions:

Milestones/Events: Milestones/Events: Milestones/Events: Milestones/Events:

Content Pipeline Template Column Five // 20

Workflow and
Governance
Template
Use this template to outline the various
stages of your content production
process and ensure that everyone
knows who is responsible for what.

For detailed instructions, see our Guide to Build a Content Strategy.

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 Stage Task Owner Review/Approval

Pre-Production

Production

Publishing

Distribution

Reporting

Workflow and Governance Template Column Five // 22

Marketing
Campaign
Template
Use this template to document your
campaign goals, ideas, messaging,
and more.

For detailed instructions, see our Guide to Run Successful Marketing Campaigns.

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Content Strategy Statement

Objective

Key Result

KPIs

Persona

Marketing Campaign Template Column Five //24

Customer Journey Stage

Budget

Campaign Name

Concept

Why It Works

Marketing Campaign Template Column Five // 25

Messaging

Tagline
A single sentence that summarizes your
campaign.

Primary Message
The main message you’re trying to
deliver (used for internal purposes).

Supporting Benefits
Key benefits to reinforce in content.

Talking Points
The core messages that support your
benefits.

Content Idea/Format

Channels

Keyword(s)

Sample Copy/Links to Inspiration Images

Marketing Campaign Template Column Five // 26

Editorial
Calendar
Template
Use this template to build out your
content schedule, assign ownership,
and ensure you maintain a
consistent publishing schedule.

For detailed instructions, see our Guide to Build an Editorial Calendar.

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Your editorial calendar should How to use it:
be customized for your team’s
1 Copy the Google Sheet.
unique content needs. Instead of
a PDF template, we’ve created a 2 Add, delete, or edit fields.
Google Sheets Editorial Calendar 3 Share with everyone on your team to
that can be modified as you see fit. keep everyone on the same page.

Get Editorial Calendar Template

MON TUE WED THUR FRI SAT SUN

Editorial Calendar Template Column Five // 28

Content Brief
Template
Use this template to assign new
content projects and keep your
team on the same page.

For detailed instructions, see our Guide to Build a Content Strategy.

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Project Title

Overview

Budget

Timeline

Persona(s)

Success Metrics

Content Brief Template Column Five //30

Key Messaging

Tone

Specs

Current and Recent Projects (if applicable)

Additional Considerations

Content Brief Template Column Five // 31

 Feeling stuck? We’d love to help.
Find out what it’s like to work with us
on your content strategy.

Created by

Column Five is a B2B-focused creative agency that helps ambitious

brands find and tell their best stories to drive real results.

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