A content marketing plan isn’t about churning out endless posts or keeping up with whatever’s trending—it’s about creating consistent, intentional content that actually reflects your brand, serves your audience, and supports your business in a meaningful way. AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity can be useful writing assistants, helping with brainstorming, drafting, and refining ideas. But they’re just that—assistants. If you use them well, they’ll help you organize your thoughts and sharpen your messaging. If you rely on them too much, you end up with content that feels generic and lacks depth or personality. The key is to stay in control of your voice, using AI to support your ideas, not replace them.
Here’s how to build a content strategy that actually works.
1. Define Your Core Values and Themes
Before generating a single content idea, you need a foundation. Your brand’s values and themes shape everything—if they’re unclear, your content will be too.
Start with Your Brand Values
Identify the 2-3 values that guide your organization. These should be reflected in every piece of content you create. Example: Let’s use the example of a non profit focused on environmental conservation.
If Regeneration is a core value, their content should go beyond reducing harm and instead focus on restorative solutions—rebuilding ecosystems, replenishing biodiversity, and highlighting regenerative practices. If Collective Action & Empowerment is central to their mission, their messaging should emphasize community-driven efforts, showing how small, individual actions contribute to large-scale impact. If Transparency & Science-Backed Solutions is a priority, thier content should focus on debunking myths, promoting research-backed environmental solutions, and holding corporations and policymakers accountable.
Your values shape not just what you say, but how you say it. Every blog post, newsletter, or social media update should align with them, reinforcing what your organization stands for.
Establish Content Pillars
Choose 3-5 overarching themes that define your brand and serve your audience.
Using our non-profit as an example, in this instance they might focus on:
- Practical Sustainability – Everyday actions individuals and businesses can take to reduce waste, conserve energy, and adopt regenerative practices.
- Policy & Advocacy – Updates on environmental policies, conservation laws, and ways to get involved in legislative action.
- Community Impact Stories – Highlighting grassroots initiatives, local conservation projects, and success stories from volunteers and partner organizations.
- Myth-Busting & Education – Debunking common misconceptions about sustainability and providing science-backed insights on environmental issues.
- Corporate & Institutional Responsibility – Examining how businesses, governments, and institutions contribute to environmental challenges—and what accountability looks like.
Your content pillars are the foundation of your brand’s message—each piece of content should build on them, reinforcing what you want your audience to understand and remember.
2. Gather Resources and Insights
Audit What You Already Have
Most businesses have more content than they realize. Past blog posts, newsletters, and social media captions can be repurposed into fresh, relevant material.
Look for:
- Evergreen topics that can be updated.
- High-performing posts that deserve a second life.
- Ideas you started but never finished.
Often, great content is sitting right in front of you—it just needs refining.
Use ChatGPT for Research
AI can help identify content gaps, suggest new angles, and refine messaging. Try asking:
“What content ideas align with the values of regeneration, collective action, and transparency?”
ChatGPT isn’t a replacement for strategy, but it’s useful for sparking ideas and organizing thoughts.
Let Data Guide You
Check your analytics—what content has actually resonated with your audience? Where are they engaging most? Build your content strategy around what’s already working instead of guessing.
3. Brainstorm Topics with Clarity and Focus
The best content is:
- Actionable – Your content should inspire people to take the next step—whether it’s changing a habit, supporting your cause, or joining your movement.
- Simple – If it’s too complex, they’ll move on.
- Genuinely valuable – Not just fluff, don’t be afraid to give away the good stuff.
Use ChatGPT for Topic Ideation
Instead of asking it for a generic list of ideas, be specific:
- “Give me 10 blog topics on sustainable business growth that avoid overused clichés.”
- “Rewrite this headline to be more direct and engaging.”
AI works best when you provide clear direction. I’ve noticed that out of all my AI tools, the ones that consistently provide the most valuable information are the ones that I spent the most time with and work to correct on a regular basis.
Avoid Overcomplication
A good content plan doesn’t need dozens of topics. Focus on the most impactful ones—topics that solve real problems, not just abstract ideas. Don’t be afraid to repeat yourself, most people have never heard it before, and for those who have-they can probably use the reminder.
4. Organize Topics into Categories
Group topics under your predefined pillars to keep your content structured and purposeful.
Think of it like a curriculum—what’s the logical next step for your audience after reading this post? Each topic should build on the last, helping them progress.
5. Assign Topics to Weeks of the Year
Work backwards from key dates—launches, seasons, industry events—to plan timely content.
Example:
- January → Planning and goal-setting content.
- April → Q2 check-ins, refining strategies.
- December → Year-in-review reflections and lessons learned.
Your content calendar should be well thought out and intentional, not random.
6. Eliminate Noise: Focus on High-Impact Content
Not all platforms are worth your time. If a channel isn’t driving engagement or conversions, cut it.
Example: If Linkedin isn’t where your audience is, there’s no need to force it. Double down on what works.
Instead of rushing to produce more content, focus on making each piece high quality and aligned with your values.
7. Incorporate Client Wins and Updates
Your audience learns best through real-world examples. Dedicate space in your content plan for:
- Client success stories (what worked and why).
- Behind-the-scenes insights (your own business updates).
Bonus points if you can frame these as lessons your audience can apply—not just self-promotion.
8. Build a Publishing Workflow
Creating content is only half the battle. Execution matters.
Use Tools to Simplify the Process
- Notion or Trello → Content planning and scheduling.
- Canva → Quick, professional visuals.
- Zapier → Automate reminders and posting schedules.
Repurpose Content Across Platforms
A blog post can become:
- Instagram captions
- LinkedIn articles
- Email snippets
Instead of constantly creating new content, maximize what you already have.
9. Track and Iterate
Every month, take time to review what’s working.
- Which topics got engagement?
- Which platforms performed best?
- Where did conversions come from?
Content strategy isn’t set in stone—adjust based on what’s resonating.
Key Considerations
- Value First – Every post should help your audience in a clear way.
- Simplicity Over Complexity – If your message isn’t clear, it won’t land.
- Quality Over Quantity – One strong post is better than five rushed ones.
Final Thought: Define Your Core Themes Today
The first step is clarity—write down your 3-5 core content pillars.
BAIA helps small businesses create clear, strategic content that aligns with their brand and audience. If you’re ready to build a plan that actually works, we invite you to reach out.