If you create content in any way, you understand the importance of having a clear and documented plan for publishing and promoting your content calendar strategy.

A content calendar allows you to organize your ideas and stick to your publishing schedule while also keeping your content strategy on track. (“Editorial Calendar - Wikipedia”)

We’ve created a free content calendar template to help you plan your own content strategy.

What exactly is a content calendar?

A content calendar is a high-level plan used by content strategists to plan and track content initiatives across marketing channels. Consider it a road map for all of the content marketing tactics you use on a regular basis, such as blog posts, email newsletters, social media, webinars, videos, and more.

Need a more detailed plan for managing and tracking content development? Consider using our blog content calendar template. You can use it to plan out and assign the day-to-day tasks associated with content creation.

What is the purpose of a content calendar strategy?

Good content does not happen by chance. It takes time and intention to create, and you have deadlines and goals to meet. A plan of action is required to keep your team on track and your strategy on track.

That is exactly what a content calendar can assist you with. Consider just a few of the advantages of using a content calendar to plan and manage your content strategy.

A content calendar simplifies the following tasks:

Set clear expectations and hold your team accountable so that they understand what it takes to deliver content on time.
Include plenty of lead time in your workflow for content creation and review—a must when working with colleagues, freelancers, or subject matter experts.

• Create content that your audience will want to consume, avoiding last-minute projects that fall short.
• Create a big-picture strategy for your content and make sure everything—and everyone—is in sync.
• Identify key milestones in your content strategy to avoid missing major deadlines and go-live dates.
• A content calendar, in essence, allows you to stay organized and efficient so that you can publish content on time.

What is a content marketing calendar?

When you have a large team producing various types of content, it can be difficult to ensure that everyone is aware of what is happening when across multiple marketing channels.

Here’s how to create a simple content calendar that your team and leaders can use to track content marketing initiatives throughout the year.

Set objectives for your social media.

Every good strategy must have goals. Work with your team and leaders to determine what your content should achieve, and ensure that these objectives are consistent with your overall marketing strategy. As a result, you’ll know exactly what you’re aiming for and have a clear path to content success.

Create a list of editorial calendar example and ideas.

Gather your team and brainstorm all of the innovative ways you can engage your target audience through content. The frequency and cadence of these meetings will be determined by the type of content to be planned. For example, you could meet monthly to brainstorm blog, podcast, or webinar topics, and quarterly to generate ideas for your next white paper, video campaign, or email series.

Determine how you will distribute social media publishing schedule

You want to make certain that the content you produce meets people where they are. Determine which channels will be most effective in reaching your target audience and meeting your content objectives.

Remember to think about how each channel will influence the format and frequency of the content you deliver. For example, you could post short-form, visual content to your social media channels several times per day and long-form articles to your blog once a week.

Create a content calendar for social media marketing

Begin by adding regularly scheduled content to the calendar, such as blog posts, newsletters, podcast episodes, and webinars. Then, enter major project and campaign launch dates to ensure they correspond with recurring content you may use to promote new initiatives.

Have some great ideas that aren’t currently on the schedule? Don’t let them escape! Maintain a backlog of ideas so that you can incorporate them into your content schedule if and when it makes sense.

Take advantage of our free content calendar template.

There is no single best tool for content scheduling. You can use an Excel or Google doc, a Kanban board, an online calendar, or any other planning tool and method available. The most important thing is to document your content strategy.

We created a free content calendar template that is easy to update to help you build your plan faster. While the primary view is a gantt chart, you can also see your content schedule as a calendar if that is more convenient for you.

RELATED RESOURCES

“Editorial Calendar - Wikipedia.” Editorial Calendar - Wikipedia, 1 Jan. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Editorial_calendar.