Congratulations! You’ve decided to add content marketing to your marketing communications mix. Now that you have a launch date, everyone is full of advice, from publishing cadence, content types and promotion to how much time and effort you should devote to search engine optimization and even what to name your blog.

It may seem daunting, and it’s natural to feel nervous. After all, each content marketing program is unique and deserves to develop in a way that aligns with your brand’s strategic objectives. While there’s no single template for a successful content marketing program, there are six common questions you should think through before the big day when it enters the world and takes on a life of its own.

1. Does my brand need a content marketing strategy?

A content marketing strategy should underpin all content programs no matter their size. If you start by answering these questions, you’ll find it easier to develop meaningful content that resonates with your audiences and drives meaningful results.

• Who is the audience?

• What challenges do they face?

• How can content help them do their jobs better?

• What do you want them to do?

• How will we measure success?

Creating a strategy will help you identify potential topics and the subject matter experts needed to develop each one. It will also help you focus your editorial calendar on the most relevant topics.

2. Should my editorial calendar be set in stone?

An editorial calendar is a roadmap that helps you and your team plan. But as with an actual roadmap, you may need to reroute based on real-world detours, such as a delayed product launch, news events, unexpected industry trends or new insights from your customer service team. Plan to revisit your editorial calendar at least three times a year following content ideation sessions.

3. Where will I find stories for my content marketing program?

Content ideation sessions should be an ongoing part of any content marketing program. These sessions can take many shapes from larger group forums to one-on-one calls. Mix it up with different groups of people to ensure you glean new perspectives. For example, product managers will likely generate a very different list of topics than customer service and technical team members.

Ensure your content ideation sessions have a leader to guide the discussion and provide participants with a clear objective. If possible, give your participants homework to help them prepare, so they arrive focused on the task at hand. For example, the purpose of today’s content ideation session is to:

• Generate 10 seasonal content topics.

• Identify five potential case study projects.

• Develop a list of the most commonly asked customer questions.

• Create a list of as many technical topics as possible.

An easy homework assignment for each of these would be to ask participants to come up with one topic they can share with the group. Not only does that get the conversation started, but it also sets you on a course to attain the meeting objective.

Look outside your organization for story ideas, too. External sources will help you create well-rounded, relevant content because they offer a different point of view. Here are a few external sources we recommend.

External Sources for Story Ideas

• Trade magazines: These publications are great for keeping tabs on industry trends.

• Influencers: If your brand works with influencers — trade or consumer — make every conversation with them an opportunity to home in on topics relevant to your audience.

• News: Read general news, whether you have a digital newspaper subscription or scan the Apple News feed. What’s happening in the world affects how your customers do their jobs, and keeping up with our rapidly changing world will help you create content that better serves them.

• Podcasts: Niche industry podcasts are a wellspring of stories and viewpoints that can help you shape customer-centric content.