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This post is part of a special 5-day event for members—the Done in Days: Content System Sprint! By the end of this week, you’ll have a working content system—a complete content command center to house your workflow and turn your method into momentum. 🪄 Find each day here.
🏁 Welcome to the final day of our content system sprint!
You've built an incredible foundation—you've defined your content direction, developed powerful content pillars, designed your ideal content mix and set up your content calendar. Today, we're bringing it all together with the 3P Content Planning Framework to create your first batch of strategic, sustainable content.
What makes this framework special is that it puts YOU at the center of content creation. It's not just about what content to create, but how to create it in a way that feels energizing rather than draining. To help you go from frazzled content creator to confident conversation leader.
As you well know, sustainable content creation isn't about posting more—it's about leading the right conversations from a place of genuine energy. When you create from the intersection of what genuinely matters to both you and your audience, content stops being a chore and starts becoming a meaningful exchange. 🫶
Quick reminder on how this works:
Over these five days, I’ll show up like this in your inbox with short, impactful tasks to help you build a content system that works with your natural creative flow, captures your best ideas and helps you create consistently without the overwhelm.
You can DIY your own content system as we go in whatever project management tool you prefer, or you can skip right on ahead and grab my done-for-you template. It’s normally $57 but available for $37 during this week’s content sprint! (Want to see inside? Get the full tour here.)
Not a member of The Content Brief? What are you waiting for? Join us and go from frazzled content creator to confident conversation leader, starting with this Done in Days: Content System Sprint!
🎧 Hit play and let’s dive into our 3P approach: Pulse, Plan and Produce.
You can also follow along in writing here:
1. PULSE (Monthly Theme + Energy Check)
Before deciding what content to create, we need to check in with both yourself and your audience. This step is about alignment and capacity—ensuring your content reflects both what your audience needs and what you have the energy to create.
Your Audience's Pulse
Let's tune into your audience's current reality. Ask yourself:
What's happening in your audience's world right now?
What challenges or problems are they facing this month?
What questions are they asking?
What do they need to hear now?
Take a moment to write down your thoughts on each of these questions. This isn't about guessing—draw from recent comments, messages, conversations or broader trends you're seeing.
Your Energy Pulse
Now let's be honest about your own capacity and interests:
How much energy/capacity do you have for content creation this month? Low / Medium / High?
What topics feel exciting for you to share right now?
Which content formats feel most energizing to create currently?
Are there any personal or professional events affecting your capacity?
This step is crucial! Creating content that drains you isn't sustainable, no matter how strategic it might be.
Business Alignment Check
Let's make sure your content supports your business goals:
What core message needs to be amplified now?
What are you offering or promoting this month?
Review your annual roadmap—what quarterly priorities are you focusing on?
Reality Calendar Audit
Time for some real talk! Take a hard look at your calendar for the month ahead:
Mark important dates, events, launches, personal commitments.
Block out days when you know content creation won't be possible.
Identify your best potential content creation days.
How many pieces of content can you realistically create?
Remember: Quality over quantity. Sustainable creation comes from connection, not collection.
2. PLAN (Content Strategy Alignment)
Now that you understand your audience's needs and your own capacity, it's time to get strategic about your content plan.
Monthly Theme
Think like a magazine editor—what's the overarching theme for your content this month? Note:
Monthly theme: _____________________
Why this matters to your audience now: _____________________
How this connects to your business goals: _____________________
Having a cohesive theme makes your content feel intentional and interconnected.
Key Messages
Narrow down to 1-2 key messages your people need to hear this month:
For each key message, identify:
What do people need to see, feel, know and believe related to this message?
How does this connect to what you're offering this month?
Core Topics
Select 3-4 topics that support your key messages.
For each topic, check that it:
Aligns with at least one of your content pillars from Day 2.
Fits into your content mix percentages from Day 3.
Addresses a current audience need identified in PULSE.
Feels energizing for you to create.
3. PRODUCE (Content Creation System)
Now it's time to move from planning to production—transforming your strategy into actual content.
Idea Generation
Let's refresh your content ideas:
Set a timer for 20-30 minutes.
Review your Idea Bank and clear out ideas that no longer excite you.
Generate fresh ideas around your monthly theme and topics. Can you add 2-3 new ideas for each topic you identified in PLAN?
Check your ideas against your content pillars—do you have a good balance across them?
Batch Creation Strategy
Schedule 2-3 "batch creation" sessions based on similar tasks:
Research/Outline Session
Writing/Creating Session
Visual/Finishing Session
And plan how you'll maximize each piece of content:
Newsletter content that can become social posts.
Social content that can be expanded for your newsletter.
Content that could become evergreen resources.
Etc.
Monthly Content Calendar
Transfer your plan to your content calendar from Day 4.
Before finalizing your plan, review these crucial questions:
Can you realistically create all of this content in the month ahead?
Have you prioritized quality over quantity?
Is there buffer time for unexpected opportunities?
Have you set specific completion dates for each piece?
Does this plan energize rather than drain you?
Do you have time to engage with your community?
If you answered "no" to any of these questions, adjust your plan accordingly. Remember: A sustainable content system honors your natural rhythms and capacity.
Update Your Content Hub
Time to transfer your plan to your content calendar in your content hub. If you’re using my template, here’s that tour again of how it all works together:
What's Next
Congratulations! You've transformed your approach to content creation. Instead of constantly scrambling to figure out what to post next, you now have a sustainable system that honors both your audience's needs and your own energy.
By following the 3P Content Planning Framework monthly, you'll:
Create content that genuinely resonates with your audience.
Maintain your energy and enthusiasm for content creation.
Build a consistent presence without burning out.
Lead meaningful conversations instead of adding to the noise.
Remember that this is a flexible framework, not a rigid rulebook. You can (and should) adjust it based on your capacity and goals.
As you move forward with your content system, consider:
Schedule a monthly planning party to repeat this process. This is what our Monthly Planning Party is all about! Join us!
Review your metrics to see what content resonates most with your audience.
Refine your content pillars and mix based on what you learn.
Build your Idea Bank by capturing inspiration throughout the month.
Your content system will evolve as you grow, and that's exactly as it should be. The foundation you've built these past five days will serve you well no matter how your strategy develops.
Just think of what you've accomplished this week…You've transformed scattered ideas into a sustainable system that will help you consistently share your unique perspective with the world.
Keep creating with intention. I’ll be rooting for you as you do.
P.S. Have a question? Drop it in the comments below and I’ll help you out!
