Developing a content calendar from the beginning appears to be more complicated than reality. Even just opening an Excel sheet can appear tedious. However, you need to be on the right path to start a quick how-to and use template and make a content calendar of your own.
What is a Content Calendar?
A content calendar, also called an editorial calendar, is a marked timetable of when and where to publish your next content. Content calendars involve upcoming content, status updates, social media content, and other planned promotional activities.
Importance of Content Calendars
If you love blogging and publishing occasional articles, you possibly don't require a content calendar.
H0wever, when using content marketing to develop your venture online, you want to stay organized here.
Here are three methods how content calendars help you with your content marketing strategy:
Firstly, a content calendar ensures that all content-related work is taking place. If you are not punctual with your content production schedule, you may forget to publish content or neglect updating social media. Hence, a calendar fills in the gap.
Secondly, a calendar eases collaboration with your team and third parties. If you own a team contributing to your blog or social media marketing, you need everyone to be on the same page.
Hence, a content calendar works more as project management for you.
Thirdly, A content calendar provides an overview of the upcoming things. You use the calendar because you cannot publish all the case studies or articles at one. You need to have a gap in between. This way, you can notice your complete marketing strategy in front of your eyes on one screen.
Isn't it nice!!!!
Keys to success of Content Calendar
When planning content on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, depending on the movement of your company, there are a few things to consider for content calendar success:
- Keep the calendar open for all: While not all should edit your calendar, everyone should know where and what is uploaded on it.
- Iterate regularly: Consider your calendar a living file; hence it should grow with your content requirement.
- There is a specific method to calendar your content: Several methodologies, content calendar templates, and approaches you can opt for. Using a baseline template and a tried process is useful. However, you can create a calendar from scratch too.
https://marketinginsidergroup.com/content-marketing/how-to-make-a-content-calendar-youll-actually-use-templates-included/
How to build your content calendar?
Step 1: Begin with content available.
There are too many points to consider during content creation. It is not important to produce all the content from scratch. Instead, you take note of the existing resources and remix. For instance:
- Slide Decks: Redrive them as videos, posts, and major takeaway slide decks.
- Research: If you use the data cautiously and in the right ways, leverage your research to develop stories and infographics.
- Workers and teammates: Use your team members' expertise for videos, audios, and more.
- Whitepaper and reports: Segregate great content into several blogs and social takeaways.
- Old blog post: Make a minimal change and update with new details.
- User-generated content: Take help with user-generated content, but don't forget to give credit.
Step 2: Create your content
Content marketers can create content on their own. The marketing team can design and develop social media posts and other types of content depending on the requirement.
Step 3: Schedule, publish and track the posts and content
Hold consistent editorial planning meetings for those helping with content creation before the upcoming publishing period. The meetings are helpful in scheduling content from the source within the given time frame and support social media activities, newsletter addition, and more.
Use the meetings to review the content, engagement, and earnings and assess the kind of content that are successful and the ones that are not. Tweak the published content to optimize user visits and higher engagement.
Step 4: Use a free content calendar template
The basics of a calendar are in front of you. There are several beautiful and appealing content calendar tools. Choosing a customized template is a great place to start from. It is simple to edit, modify and everyone can access it with comfort.
Once you've found the right content calendar template for you, you can find worthy content, one-time specials, and other scheduled updates on it. Now you can edit and update it as and when required.
Step 5: Set your publishing timetable
Now you have to determine the timing to publish your content. Even if you schedule one blog post, it is important to be organized. The best time to post a blog is:
- 11 am on Monday to get the highest traffic.
- 9 am on Saturday to get the highest comments
- 7 am on Mondays and Thursdays for the highest inbound links.
Set the time and frequency if you plan to promote your content through email.
Step 6: Keep the deadlines clear
It is important to have one manager for publishing content and managing the calendar. However, if all the team members are involved, make anyone responsible for keeping track of the deadlines. It will ease the work. Just set and meet deadlines. Make someone responsible for doing it punctually.
Tips for using free Social Media Calendar Template
Now that you know about free content calendar templates available online, you should know how to use them for your benefit. Here's how it works:
Download the Content Calendar Template
First and foremost, you should choose a relevant calendar for your requirements. There are several calendars available online for free. Some of the social media calendar examples are Google Calendar, Buffer's content calendar, CoSchedule Content Calendar, and more.
Answer these questions
- What are the objectives of your content?
- What are the channels that you aim to use to post content? Do you use one channel or multiple channels?
- What type of content do you use?
- How many times do you post every content per month on your social media content calendar?
Once you have the answers to all these questions, you can update.
Populate the Calendar
Add the different content types to the calendar till you notice the grid going green. Focus on consistency and ensure your audience starts relying on you. The goal is to keep the users engaged and boost their interest. Social media marketers will give you an insight into the type of social media posts you should update consistently.
Mix content calendar and social media calendar template
List the different content types, whether old or new. Make sure the resources are available to develop new content. Add tags with the calendar to help you recognize which content is simpler to put together and which ones need time. Different content ideas will synchronize with different social media posts.
Remember, not all calendars are created the same. You should choose the one that works for you.
Which is the best social media calendar?
You can experiment with the major content calendar tool and strategies now that you know about them. The most feasible social media calendar for you is the one that secures time, optimizes procedures, and helps you work smartly.
You can enjoy a free trial on different platforms and find tools to reach your social media KPI.
Advantages of using a Social Media Calendar
A good social media strategy needs regular publishing and engagement with visitors to see successful results- Be it SEO, lead generation, or exposure, you will be losing out if you don't have a social media content calendar.
- It allows to work with plans change flawlessly. A social media content calendar allows markets to plan out content ideas and post weeks and months before. You can also leave space for breaking news.
- It helps you grow your following on every platform by developing content especially for them. Social media planners take time to develop custom marketing techniques for every platform. Planning the content from beforehand ensures intentional and thoughtful posting on every platform.
- Optimize your social content strategy by keeping track of the content performance monthly. Without a calendar, the marketer may not track the performance. The calendar allows you to look back and assess the performance of every content and adjust strategies accordingly.
Social media managers can take advantage of holidays and important dates for the related audience. With the help of the calendar, a digital marketing team can plan for holidays and special days beforehand and create engaging content better.
Examples of content calendar template
it is important to consider the options available for content calendar templates before you finalize any. Find the one that does what you require. Check out its functionality and features and then make a decision.
HubSpot Content Calendar Example
Visually you will find the calendar simple and appealing. You can use a key to color-code different campaigns to simplify for users to follow. It is an easy calendar and is used for simple scheduling.
Evernote Content Calendar Example
Evernote allows you to plan different social media posts in a framework and color-coordination manner. It helps you track your publication dates and set priorities accordingly.
Buffer's Content Calendar
It is a social media content scheduling way to organize content cautiously. It allows you to check the publication's workflow and see assignments and publish dates.
Create your own content calendar now!
Now that you know everything about a content calendar, the steps involved in making it, and how beneficial it is for you and your projects, you can easily set your own. Using some of the most amazing examples and tools, you can put your calendar together. It is a high amount of work worth the additional effort, and your team will thank you for it.
