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The first pages of the B2B Thought Leadership Plan template

B2B Thought Leadership Plan

Document template for Google Docs and Word

Make a copy in Google Docs
Price
Free
Difficulty
Beginner
Updated
November 5, 2026

Every page (8)

Overview

Marketing teams often publish a lot without agreeing what each piece is for, who it reaches or how success is judged. This template gives leadership one plan to approve and writers one framework to work in. It moves from points of view and spokespeople to formats, distribution channels, a quarterly calendar and a short set of measures, with a RACI table that names who decides each step.

The sample for Ivywell Creative shows four pillars that take 35, 30, 20 and 15 percent of output, a 240-URL content audit with keep, update, merge and remove shares, and leads, pipeline and reader depth as the measures. Replace the pillars, people and figures with your own, and keep the rule that any piece not on a pillar needs a named reason to exist.

Useful for

  • A quarterly planning session where leadership approves pillars, budget and spokespeople
  • An editor setting the weekly cadence and filling the first quarter of the publishing calendar
  • An SEO lead running a content audit and deciding keep, update, merge or remove for each URL

What's included

  • Points of view: four pillars with their share of output and the owner of each
  • Spokespeople: a people list with roles and contacts, and a RACI matrix for approvals
  • Formats: a numbered workflow for one piece and an escalation flow for late pieces
  • Publications: channels by audience, with cadence, owner and the measure for each
  • Calendar: a milestone timeline with gates for plan approval, drafts and results
  • Measures: a KPI scorecard with targets and definitions for leads, pipeline and reader depth

How to use it

  1. 1

    Click Make a copy in Google Docs, then confirm on the Google page. The copy is saved to your own Google Drive.

  2. 2

    Replace the four pillars and their shares with your own, keeping the total at 100%.

  3. 3

    Update the team table, RACI rows and calendar dates so every name and date matches your plan.

  4. 4

    Replace the scorecard actuals and targets from your analytics, then check each status color.

  5. 5

    Delete the guide page, then share the document with your team or present it to leadership.

What you need

Requirements

  • A Google account with access to Google Drive

Works with

  • Google Docs
  • Microsoft Word (download the .docx)

Questions

Who is this plan for?

It is for heads of marketing, editors and executives who need one agreed plan for content. Every page can be reused as it is, then adapted to your team size and goals.

Are the organization, people and figures real?

No. Ivywell Creative, the people, the email addresses and every figure in this template are fictional. Replace them with your own before you share the plan.

How many pillars should a plan have?

Three to five is the usual range. Each pillar should take a fixed share of output, and any pillar the team cannot sustain for twelve months should be removed before approval.

  • #content-strategy
  • #editorial-calendar
  • #content-pillars
  • #content-audit
  • #b2b-marketing
  • #google-docs

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