How To Create a Content Planning Calendar [Step by Step Guide]
Consistency is huge when it comes to content.
And the best way to stay consistent is by being super organised. I’m talkin’ Monica Geller levels.
If you’ve decided to join the 82% of marketers actively using content marketing, a content calendar is an essential step towards pulling it off.
This blog will tell you exactly what a content planning calendar does, why you need one, and how to create a custom content calendar template in five simple steps.
Let’s get into it.
In this blog about content planning calendars, you’ll find:
An overview of content calendars
What a content calendar does
Why you need one
Useful content calendar tools
What to do before building a content calendar
Employing the right staff
Creating a content strategy
Preparing for the worst
A step by step guide for creating a content calendar
How to sustain your content calendar
An Introduction to Content Calendars
You might know them as content calendars, editorial calendars, content marketing calendars, content planning calendars… the list goes on.
I’ll be using all of these names interchangeably throughout this guide. (For the sake of SEO… who am I kidding?)
Anyway, the name is irrelevant; it’s what’s inside your calendar that counts.
First, let’s break down the basics.
What is a content calendar?
A content calendar is a written schedule that maps out dates, times, frequencies, and locations for publishing future content.
Here are some common items you can find in a content planning calendar:
Upcoming blog posts, video posts, infographics, and other web content.
Planned social media posts.
Scheduled promotions and events.
Scheduled updates for pre-existing content.
Email marketing content and dates.
Partnership events.
Any other planned marketing events or upcoming publications.
Content calendars can be made using templates, apps, Google Sheets, Trello boards, or even the classic whiteboard (good luck uploading that one to a cloud, however).
You can find a list of handy content calendar tools at the bottom of this section.
Why do you need a content calendar?
If you’re using content as a marketing strategy, you need to prepare for what’s ahead – preparation is your ticket to getting it done on time.
Whether you’re creating a content calendar for social media, for your website, or for your entire marketing strategy, there are huge benefits of using one.
Creating a content marketing calendar will help you:
Publish new content consistently.
Remember to update old content as needed.
Streamline collaboration within a team of contributors.
Visualise your entire content marketing strategy in one place.
Eliminate the panic that comes with trying to produce content ideas last-minute.
Most importantly, an editorial calendar operates as a failsafe for your publishing process.
A content calendar does for marketers what calculators do for accountants: Makes sure nothing important gets missed and minimises the margin for human error.
Content marketing calendar tools
There are a number of handy content calendar apps, tools, and software that can simplify the calendar creation and management process.
Here are a few content marketing calendar tools to consider:
Google Sheets – A simple option for individuals and small teams, great for collaboration and accessibility.
Notion – An all-in-one option that is great for tracking all your different notes, jobs, and deadlines.
Microsoft Excel Online – The free alternative to Microsoft Excel that makes collaboration easy.
Trello – A complete project management tool that can be converted into a content calendar if you use it in a creative way.
Whatever option you decide to go with, the important thing is that you find what is best for you and your team. So if you’re unsure, try a few and choose the one that works.
Before You Create Your Content Planning Calendar
Prior to creating a content calendar, there are a few important steps you should take.
Namely: hiring the right team, building a content strategy, and setting up a failsafe.
Below are some tips for getting the prep done right.
Finding the right people for the job
Hiring people that know what they’re doing and share your enthusiasm for getting it done is a big YES when it comes to content.
This means not making the mistake of giving the role of Social Media Manager to your fresh new intern that only has a Bachelor’s degree in feeding bread to ducks at the park. (Not that degrees have anything to do with ability!)
Instead, hire someone who has the experience and knowledge to turn these ventures into growth and profit.
You may think that writing your own blogs or video scripts is a good idea at first.
But if you don’t know what you’re doing, this can be an epic waste of your precious time.
Teamwork is crucial to success. Build a capable, energetic team and let the creativity flow from there.
Build your content strategy
Before you begin designing your content planning calendar, you need to know what’s going to go in it.
You need a content strategy.
Try to create a content strategy that seeks to achieve the goals of your overall marketing strategy.
Your content marketing strategy should include:
An idea of the audience you’re trying to reach and what content they’ll be interested in reading, viewing, or listening to.
Which channels you’ll be publishing and sharing your content on.
The type of content you will be publishing (blogs, videos, Instagram posts).
How often you can afford to create and publish content (your content marketing budget).
The main topic or idea for each piece of content you’ll be publishing.
Who will be assigned to creating, reviewing, and publishing each piece.
How you will measure the success of your content (leads generated, page views, email subscribers).
Once you’ve got everything in order, you are ready to build your content planning calendar.
Preparing for the worst
One final note before you go creating the finest calendar since Romulus (founder of Rome and its eponymous date-tracker)...
Be prepared for curveballs!
Life isn’t all sunshine and daisies – and neither is marketing.
Employees find new opportunities, or just aren’t the right fit.
The market shifts direction, sometimes away from the content you had planned.
Big bad wolves blow down houses right in the middle of supper.
Plan for things to go terribly wrong and you’ll be much better off if they do. In other words, be flexible.
Be ready to adapt to unforeseen changes and expect to encounter at least a few hurdles along the way. Then your content calendar will be close to bulletproof.
How To Create a Content Marketing Calendar in 5 Steps
The main goal of a content planning calendar is to have all your pieces scheduled in advance so your team never misses a beat.
For this reason, you ought to keep yours simple and accessible.
These steps will help you create a content calendar template that you can use for every future content marketing strategy you come up with.
Step 1) Decide a timeline
How far ahead does your content need to be scheduled?
The answer will depend on your business size, industry, flexibility, and marketing goals.
For many, six months is a pretty good place to start. This provides a bit of wiggle room should some massive shift in the market occur.
Some industries, such as Fashion, are liable to undergo huge and frequent changes in what topics are currently trending. This is not so much the case for, say, Castles.
Figure out a timeline that works best for you. Use this to determine the general structure for your calendar.
Step 2) Pick a platform
Figure out where your content marketing editorial calendar will be most useful.
If you’re running a large company, choose something that is accessible from a cloud such as a shared Google Sheet or Trello board.
If it’s just a one-person operation, you may only need a pocket journal.
Whatever your choice, make sure it is suitable for your specific needs and can be easily edited and updated.
Step 3) Create columns for essential elements
A content planning calendar requires more than just a few dates and ideas.
You want a full visualisation of every element going into each piece you intend on publishing. The best way to do this is with a series of columns.
Here is a list of what columns should be included in a content calendar:
Publishing date
Deadlines for creating, reviewing, and editing
Main topic, headline, or idea
Publishing location (website, LinkedIn, Medium)
Content format (video, blog, email, sing-song)
Status of piece (written, under review, published)
Meta titles and descriptions
Where piece will be shared (Twitter, Facebook, Email list)
Type of content (new piece, update to old piece, promotional piece)
People involved (writer, editor, videographer, publisher)
Special notes
You can use the above as a starting point for creating your content calendar columns.
Not all of these will necessarily apply to your content strategy, and there may very well be elements missing that you will also need to include.
Take the time to decide what’s important for you.
Step 4) Fill in the calendar with your ideas
If you followed my advice in the earlier section about content strategy, you ought to have a big list of topics or ideas for future content on hand.
You should also know how frequently you can afford to publish content for each platform you’ll be using.
All that’s left to do now is apply your strategy to your editorial calendar.
For each content idea/topic/headline, designate a specific publishing date that aligns with the posting frequency you’ve decided on.
Use these dates to determine other deadlines, making sure that each piece of content has sufficient time between creation and publication to be reviewed and edited as necessary.
Fill in the rest of your columns with as much information as is currently available to you.
*A note on deciding publishing dates for your content*
For some brands, it may make sense to tell a story through the order in which you publish your content.
Perhaps in January all your scheduled content will relate to Topic A. And in February your content will relate to Topic B.
This can often apply when creating a content marketing strategy around certain keywords you wish to rank for through SEO.
However, not all brands need to worry about the order in which they post.
The most important thing is that you always have something (relevant to your audience) to publish, and that you are publishing consistently.
Step 5) Get everyone onboard and get the ball rolling!
Once all your columns are filled in, feel free to aestheticise as you see fit by colour coding various items and implementing other design features.
Then it’s time to share it with your team.
Certain platforms, such as Trello, allow you to restrict which people can see certain items. This is a great way to keep certain projects confidential, and avoid overwhelming your staff with work that isn’t relevant to them.
Once you’ve granted appropriate access to your team members and explained how your brand new content planning calendar works, you’re good to go.
Don’t forget: The purpose of a content calendar is to make sure all content gets published on time, every time. Set up reminders or alerts when deadlines are approaching, and actively check and update the calendar with new information as it arrives.
Looking After Your Content Calendar
Much like a Tamagotchi, your content calendar needs frequent checkups and nurturing in order to live a long and healthy life.
Here are a few ways you can help yours to perform well for a long time:
Regularly update and review your calendar.
Take the time to train all staff on how to access, read, and update the calendar.
Search the web for some content calendar examples from your industry to get inspired.
If something isn’t working, fix it!
The buck doesn’t stop with content calendar creation; use your wins and losses to inform future marketing endeavours.
That’s it from me today.
As always, I hope this article has been helpful for you and wish you all the success in future content marketing campaigns.
If you’d like to get in touch about my copywriting, content marketing, and email marketing services, you can do so via this link.
Tschüss!