What is a content template?
As the name suggests, a content template outlines the structure all content produced for a specific platform should follow. It allows brands to not only maintain a uniform look for all their content, but also make it easier for any suppliers they hire—such as writers, graphic designers, web developers, and SEO professionals—to produce and publish content on their behalf.
If you wish to learn more about this topic, check out the FAQ section below:
Question #1: What does a content template contain?
The contents of a content template would ultimately depend on the type of content, the platform on which it will be published, and what the target audience wants to see.
For example, a blog post typically has the following sections and elements:
- A title
- A meta description
- Preview text
- A main headline
- Subheadings
- Calls to action
- Images
- External and internal links
- Keywords
A content template would clearly define which of these elements a specific brand’s blog posts need to have and how they are to be laid out and formatted. In addition, it may also outline the language, colors, fonts, graphics, and other design elements to be used.
For Facebook and Instagram posts, on the other hand, a content template would typically define things such as:
- The structure and contents of captions
- The language to use
- The types of images to use
- The calls to action to use
If you are doing video content, however, then your template might outline things such as:
- The structure of your scripts (if you are doing a series)
- The design elements you should use
- The music you should use
- The structure of your video descriptions
- The structure of your video titles
- The tags you need to use
Question #2: What types of content should I use a content template for?
While there are no specific types of content that actually require the creation of a content template, you can make one for virtually any kind of content that you are looking to produce repeatedly for an extended period of time.
Examples of this would be:
- Blog posts
- Online articles
- Whitepapers
- Marketing emails
- Social media posts
- Videos
As we have seen earlier, content templates are simply meant to make the production and publishing of content easier, so you can just use it as you see fit—or if you are tired of always starting from scratch whenever you have to craft new content for whatever platforms you are using and want to just ‘fill in the blanks’ instead.
Question #3: How do I know my content template works?
The easiest way to tell whether or not your content template works is to check the rate at which you and your team are able to produce and publish quality content. Have you been able to get things out faster when you introduced the content template to the mix? If you have, then you know you are on the right track.
But you can also refer to your analytics to find out if your content template is working. If you start to see things such as improved engagement, higher search rankings, and other similar positive improvements, then you know that your content template has successfully captured everything you need to include in your content to make your target audience want to consume it.
Question #4: Is a content template necessary?
The short answer is no, a content template is not necessary. This, however, does not mean you should not use it. Again, it is designed to boost your and your team’s efficiency and productivity when it comes to content creation and publishing. There is really no reason not to use it if you are posting a lot of content that talks about the same themes and follows the exact same format.