In this blog post, we’ll discuss what a content calendar is, who should be using one, and the many benefits of doing so. We’ll also provide tips on how to structure your own content calendar, plan ahead, and keep a nice workflow. Let’s get started!

Content Calendar Template

If you’re having trouble with publishing content, you should consider a content calendar. You can make one on your own, or you could use our free template below.

WEEK 1 MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY
to research              
to edit              
to create              
to engage              
to post              

It’s no secret that content is king on the web. What might be a secret to some, however, is how to plan and organize your content so that you’re always putting out the best stuff possible. That’s where the content calendar comes in – it’s an essential tool for marketing strategies, social media management, and keeping a blog content schedule. 

What Is a Content Calendar?

A content calendar is, quite simply, a tool used to plan and track your content production. It can be as simple as a Google Sheets, Calendar, and Excel spreadsheet, or as complex as a custom-built app. No matter the form it takes, a content calendar serves two primary purposes:

Who Should Use a Content Calendar?

Any business or individual who produces regular content can benefit from using a content calendar. This includes (but is not limited to) bloggers, vloggers, podcasters, articles writers, infographics designers, and even social media managers. If you regularly create and share content online, a content calendar can help you save time and stay organized.

Editorial Calendars vs Content Calendars

Both editorial calendars and content calendars are important tools in any content creator’s arsenal. But which one is right for you? Let’s take a closer look at each type of calendar and see.

An editorial calendar is a tool used by writers, editors, and publishers to plan out the content they will create. This can be anything from articles to social media posts and beyond. A content calendar, on the other hand, is a tool used to plan out the promotion and distribution of that content. This can include things like when and where to post it, who to share it with, and more.

If you’re a content creator, then chances are you need both an editorial calendar and a content calendar. An editorial calendar helps you plan out what content you’re going to create, while a content calendar helps you plan out how you’re going to promote and distribute that content.

Content Calendar and Content Creation 

There are many reasons to start using a content calendar. For one, it can help you better understand your audience by giving you an at-a-glance view of the topics you cover most often. This information can be valuable when planning future content, as it can help you determine which topics are most popular with your audience and worth revisiting in the future.

Keeping a content calendar can also help you improve your content creation skills. This is because it allows you to plan and schedule your content in advance, giving you more time to focus on the quality of your writing. Additionally, a content calendar can help you keep track of what topics you have already covered, preventing you from accidentally repeating yourself. 

As well as that, it can help keep you accountable to your goals by ensuring that all of your content is working towards a specific purpose or goal. This is especially helpful if you’re trying to grow your audience or increase engagement with your content. By having a clear understanding of what you’re trying to achieve, you can ensure that all of your content is working towards that goal.

Finally, keeping our pieces of content organized will save you both time and money. A content calendar can help make the content production process more efficient by allowing you to plan and schedule your content in advance. This way, you can focus on creating quality content rather than scrambling to meet deadlines. Additionally, having all of your content planned out in advance can help prevent writer’s block and ensure that you always have something fresh and relevant to share with your audience.

What Should Content Calendar Include

One way to structure your content calendar is by breaking it down into sections for each day of the week. For example, Monday could be devoted to creating new content, Tuesday could be reserved for editing and polishing that content, Wednesday could be dedicated to promoting that content, and so on. This type of calendar can be helpful if you have a team of people working on different aspects of your content strategy.

Another way to structure your content calendar is by topic or campaign. This can be helpful if you’re working on a specific project or initiative and need to make sure all of your content is aligned with that goal. For example, if you’re launching a new product, you might create a content calendar with topics like “Introducing the new product,” “How the new product works,” and “FAQs about the new product.”

No matter which format you choose, though, there are a few key elements that should be included in every one. At a minimum, your content calendar should include the following information:

Additionally, you may also want to include columns for tracking things like social media engagement, website traffic, and other metrics. This information can be helpful in understanding what types of content are most popular with your audience and determining which topics are worth revisiting in the future. There are a number of different ways to structure your content calendar, so it’s important to find a format that works best for you and your team.

Alternative Ways to Plan Your Content

If you don’t like using a calendar, you can always plan your content with a simple to-do list. This can be more difficult to stick to, but may work better for some people. To-do lists lift the sense of urgency as there’s no deadline, and thus may be less stressful. If you’re a content creator with long deadlines, or if your marketing team is only accumulating content at the moment, then the to-do list should do.

Another way to plan your content is by brainstorming ideas with a team or colleague, and making notes. This can help ensure that you are covering a variety of topics and perspectives, and can also give you some good ideas for new angles to approach old topics. Of course, it still requires you to note stuff down, but rather than keeping them organized into slots, you can prepare a thought map, or a content board.

Lastly, you can try planning as you go. Stick to the topics you find most relevant at the time, and keep posting regularly. When you feel your numbers are dropping, simply latch to another trend and try working with it. This is not the safest option, though, as not all trends last, and are profitable.

Social Media Content Calendar Tools

There are many social media content calendar apps and tools available on the market today. Some of these apps are free, while others come with a monthly or yearly subscription fee. They are usually pretty intuitive, and clear. The only drawback is that they are not very customizable. Some popular options include Hootsuite, CoSchedule, and Sprout Social. These tools can help you track your social media posts, content ideas, upcoming content, and more.

The Bottom Line

Content calendars can be extremely helpful in keeping your content marketing, and strategies, organized and on track. They can also help you measure the success of your content over time and make adjustments as needed. If you’re not already using a content calendar, we highly recommend giving one a try. You may just find that it’s a valuable addition to your content planning toolkit. Thanks for reading!