1 What is the business goal?

2 What is the hypothesis behind the program?

3 Who exactly is the audience?

4 What’s the differentiated story, and how will you tell it?

5 What assets do you have to work with before you start creating new content (e.g., member experts, white papers, conference sessions)?

6 What platform makes the most sense to launch the initiative?

7 What’s the execution plan, and who’s in charge of it?

Most of all, Pulizzi reminds marketers to build in patience. “It takes time to build a loyal audience,” he says, and setting this expectation is key. “Brands that don’t have the patience [can] engage in pilot programs, where short-term successes can be measured and built upon like increased search engine rankings, social shares, and subscriber growth.”

Content Marketing Institute Founder Joe Pulizzi. (Sabrina Kidwai, APR, CAE/ASAE)