--- title: Six questions to answer before you start a content marketing plan description: Six questions to answer before you start a content marketing plan image: https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/hs-fs/file-3403284434-jpg/blog-files/bigstock-business-man-with-checkboxes-47587384.jpg --- [![Bluechip_Logo](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/325503/Bluechip%20Assets/Images/Bluechip_Logo.svg "Bluechip_Logo")](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/) ![Search-9](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/hubfs/BlueChip%20website/Bluechip%20Assets/Images/Search-9.svg "Search-9") ![Close Icon (3)-1](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/hubfs/Bluechip%20Assets/Images/Close%20Icon%20(3)-1.svg "Close Icon (3)-1") This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. ** ![Close Icon (3)](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/325503/Bluechip%20Assets/Images/Close%20Icon%20(3).svg "Close Icon (3)") ##### Knowledge Shared # Insights ##### All Articles ![](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/hubfs/BlueChip%20website/Bluechip%20Assets/Images/down-filled-triangular-arrow.png) - [Financial Services (168)](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/financial-services) - [Public Relations (133)](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/public-relations) - [Marketing (111)](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/marketing) - [Social Media (101)](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/social-media) - [Integrated Marketing (87)](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/integrated-marketing) - [Reputation Management (79)](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/reputation-management) - [Crisis Management (61)](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/crisis-management) - [Growth (46)](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/growth) - [Profile (41)](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/profile) - [COVID-19 (40)](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/covid-19) - [Protect (14)](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/protect) - [BC Team (9)](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/bc-team) - [Blog (7)](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/blog) - [Leadership communication (6)](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/leadership-communication) - [Cyber Security (3)](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/cyber-security) - [Client In The News (2)](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/client-in-the-news) [Client In The News](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/client-in-the-news) ### [Melos Sulicich shares SME success tips on Money News’ “Let’s Talk Business”](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/melos-sulicich-shares-sme-success-tips-on-money-news-lets-talk-business) Melos Sulicich, CEO of Bank of Sydney was interviewed by 2GB’s Money News "Let's Talk Business" segment with Scott Haywood. He shared tips for family-run businesses to make sure ev... [Client In The News](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/client-in-the-news) ### [Target hostile countries, not us, drug giant CSL tells Trump](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/target-hostile-countries-not-us-drug-giant-csl-tells-trump) This is an extract from an article written by Michael Smith and Jessica Gardner in The Australian Financial Review. Published on the 10th July 2025. “It is weighing on the share pr... - ##### [Marketing](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/marketing) ## [Six questions to answer before you start a content marketing plan](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/six-questions-to-answer-before-you-start-a-content-marketing-plan/) ###### By The BlueChip Team ###### 11 Apr 2013 [Social Media](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/social-media) [Financial Services](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/financial-services) [Growth](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/growth) ##### [Reaching High Net Worth Individuals Through Social Media Marketing in 2025](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/how-target-high-net-worth-individuals-social-media) [Public Relations](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/public-relations) [Reputation Management](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/reputation-management) [Crisis Management](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/crisis-management) ##### [The Science of Crisis Communication: Proactive and Reactive Strategies](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/proactive-and-reactive-crisis-communication-strategies) [Profile](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/profile) ##### [Affluence. Effluence. Influence. Do you know the difference?](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/affluence-effluence-influence-do-you-know-the-difference/) [Public Relations](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/public-relations) [Reputation Management](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/reputation-management) [Crisis Management](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/crisis-management) ##### [Introduction to Crisis Communication](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/introduction-to-crisis-communication) # Insights. [Back to all articles](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog) - Share - [![](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/hubfs/Bluechip%20Assets/Images/facebook.svg) ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bluechipcommunication.com.au%2Fblog%2Fsix-questions-to-answer-before-you-start-a-content-marketing-plan%2F) - [![](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/hubfs/Bluechip%20Assets/Images/linked%20in.svg) ](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/six-questions-to-answer-before-you-start-a-content-marketing-plan/) - [![](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/hubfs/Bluechip%20Assets/Images/twitter-1.svg) ](https://www.twitter.com/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bluechipcommunication.com.au%2Fblog%2Fsix-questions-to-answer-before-you-start-a-content-marketing-plan%2F) [![Business Man With Checkboxes](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/hs-fs/file-3403284434-jpg/blog-files/bigstock-business-man-with-checkboxes-47587384.jpg?width=740&height=465&name=bigstock-business-man-with-checkboxes-47587384.jpg)](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/hs-fs/file-3403284434-jpg/blog-files/bigstock-business-man-with-checkboxes-47587384.jpg) So you’ve read our latest issue of [PRognosis](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/content_common/pg-prognosisq12013.seo) and decided your financial services company needs a content marketing strategy. Great decision. But before you get carried away drafting a new whitepaper, setting up a Twitter account and email blasting your client database, here are six vital questions you need to answer before you can build an effective content marketing strategy – and some tools to help you along the way. **1. What is your ‘fame agenda’?** What do you want your business to be known for? Another way to think about this is to define the three (or five) search terms you want to own on Google. **2. When all is said and done, what business results do you want to achieve from all your hard work?** It may seem obvious but your *why* needs to lead your *what *and how. Why are you developing a content marketing strategy in the first place? Are you looking to generate leads? Improve client loyalty? Drive direct sales? All of the above? **3. What content does your business already have?** Good news: when it comes to content there's no need to reinvent the wheel. Your business may well already have extensive content that you have never considered using outside its defined ‘context’. Quarterly market updates? A monthly client newsletter? A thorough content audit will help you determine what content you already have – and can in turn form the starting point for your content plan. Here is a helpful template for a content audit: [http://maadmob.com.au/resources/content_inventory](http://maadmob.com.au/resources/content_inventory) **4. Who are you trying to reach?** Define your target audience in detail. Look at occupation, age, demographics (gender, education, family, cultural background etc)? What are the common pain points? What challenges or opportunities face them right now in their business? What information are they consuming and looking for? Who or what influences them? This website guides you through the creation of a detailed ‘persona’: [http://www.mltcreative.com/up-close-and-persona/](http://www.mltcreative.com/up-close-and-persona/) **5. What is your content gap?** This is simply the difference between the content needs of your target audience and the content you have. Once you have identified this gap you can construct a strategy for the acquisition/creation or curation, production, maintenance, and overarching governance for your content marketing initiative. **6. How will you know if your strategy is working?** Define the key metrics or outcomes that will measure the success and areas for improvement in your content marketing. Content Marketing Institute has a great e-book on content marketing metrics: [http://www.slideshare.net/CMI/a-field-guide-to-the-four-types-of-content-marketing-metrics](http://www.slideshare.net/CMI/a-field-guide-to-the-four-types-of-content-marketing-metrics) *Much of this blog post is indebted to *[*Content Marketing Institute’s*](http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/)* How-To Guide for content marketing. Check out the CMI *[*blog*](http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/blog/)* for more tips and news on content marketing.* *For more on content marketing for financial services organisations, read the recent interview Carden Calder conducted with Content Marketing Institute’s Joe Pulizzi, *[*here*](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/content_common/pg-theinterview/q1-2013.seo)*.* [![New call-to-action](https://hubspot-no-cache-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/537730/431002e3-250a-4808-8e24-851fccc589ac.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/537730/431002e3-250a-4808-8e24-851fccc589ac) [![how to drive your fame agenda](https://hubspot-no-cache-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/537730/353fa2e0-53b3-407b-b7b3-d03aa771c86d.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-ap1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/537730/353fa2e0-53b3-407b-b7b3-d03aa771c86d) ## Related Posts [Marketing](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/marketing) [Growth](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/growth) ###### 06 April 2021 #### [Getting your email on in 2021 – Human behaviour hacks every financial services marketer should know](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/getting-your-email-on-in-2021-human-behaviour-hacks-every-financial-services-marketer-should-know) [Social Media](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/social-media) [Public Relations](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/public-relations) [Financial Services](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/financial-services) [Marketing](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/marketing) [Integrated Marketing](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/integrated-marketing) [Profile](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/profile) ###### 29 January 2020 #### [How to pitch for more budget for your marketing and PR efforts](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/how-to-pitch-for-more-budget-for-your-marketing-and-pr-efforts) [Social Media](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/social-media) [Financial Services](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/financial-services) [Marketing](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/marketing) [Integrated Marketing](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/integrated-marketing) ###### 29 November 2019 #### [What does the future look like for fund managers?](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/what-does-the-future-look-like-for-fund-managers) [Financial Services](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/financial-services) [Marketing](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/marketing) ###### 15 November 2019 #### [BlueChip celebrates 15 years in business](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/bluechip-celebrates-15-years-in-business) [Public Relations](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/public-relations) [Marketing](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/marketing) [Integrated Marketing](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/integrated-marketing) ###### 13 November 2019 #### [Developing an integrated communication plan for your next in-person event](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/integrated-communication-plan-for-your-next-in-person-event) [Social Media](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/social-media) [Marketing](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/marketing) [Integrated Marketing](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/integrated-marketing) [Growth](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/topic/growth) ###### 30 October 2019 #### [Top 3 mistakes financial services marketers are making in 2019](https://www.bluechipcommunication.com.au/blog/top-3-mistakes-financial-services-marketers-are-making-in-2019) ## Stay up to date ### Marketing insights you’ll want to read. 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