#topicplanning #strategy #editorialplanning #admin #manager
Introduction
Strategic topic planning in contentbird helps you build your content strategy in a structured and long-term way. Instead of deciding spontaneously what to create next, you plan content along clearly defined topic areas and fields of expertise.
This results in a systematic content plan that supports your business goals and showcases your expertise.
Function Overview
Topic planning in contentbird is based on a multi-level structure that logically connects content. This allows you not only to plan content but also to build it strategically.
The planning is organized into four interconnected levels:
Topic field
A higher-level category that groups multiple topics, e.g., “Pets.”
Topic
A specific subject area you want to be known for, e.g., “Dogs.”
Story
A specific angle or perspective that highlights your expertise within a topic, e.g., “Dog training” or “Dog nutrition.”
Content pieces
The actual content that gets published, such as blog articles, social media posts, or whitepapers.
Key principle:
Topic defines your expertise
Story provides arguments and perspectives
Content makes these visible
Usage and Setup
Available views
Mindmap
This view is ideal for building your topic structure. You can freely create, move, and visually connect elements.
Table view
This view is helpful when working with larger topic structures or organizing many content items systematically.
Planning approach
A structured approach to topic planning can look like this:
Start with the mindmap and define the topics your company wants to be known for
Add stories that highlight your expertise and perspectives
Derive concrete content pieces that support these stories
Assign content to the corresponding stories
Many teams first develop their topic structure in workshops or using creative methods like post-its or digital whiteboards and then transfer the results into contentbird.
Flexible use of the structure
The levels of topic planning can be used flexibly depending on the complexity of your strategy.
For example, you can:
Work only with topics and stories for a lean setup
Add topic fields if you manage multiple topic areas
Assign content tickets to stories via drag and drop
Practical example
A typical structure might look like this:
Topic field: Dogs
Topic: Dog health
Story: Nutrition for senior dogs
From this, you can derive content such as:
Blog article: “Golden Years: Keeping Your Senior Dog Fit”
Social media post with nutrition tips
FAQ article about vitamins for older dogs
Tips for strategic planning
Some best practices for building your topic structure:
Start with manageable stories to ensure clear content assignment
Stay flexible—topics and stories can be restructured at any time
Develop your structure collaboratively in workshops
Use the framework to strategically categorize new content ideas
Conclusion
Strategic topic planning forms the foundation of your long-term content strategy in contentbird. With its clear structure of topic fields, topics, stories, and content, it provides a transparent system that helps you plan content effectively and continuously develop your strategy.