Is content a key part of your marketing? It is? That’s great! But how do you make the most of it? There is one tool that can help you create better content and stay organized. And that tool is… a content calendar! If you’ve never made a content calendar before let me tell you a little bit about how content calendars can help you, and how to get started planning your content calendar. Keep reading or watch the video below.

What Is A Content Calendar?

It’s very simple, a content calendar is a list of the content you want to publish. There is no one correct format. In fact, your content calendar doesn’t have to be in calendar form at all! You could use a simple spreadsheet that lists your content ideas. Or you can use a shared Google Calendar to assign publishing dates for all your blog post ideas. The format you choose is up to you. What’s important is that you have a plan in place.

How Content Calendars Help You 

Ok, ok. So this content calendar business sounds very organized. But what does it actually do? And more importantly, how does it make your business run more efficiently? Keep reading to find out how.

Hold Yourself Accountable With Due Dates

Every day I talk to business owners who start out with the best of intentions about creating content but never find the time to start. This isn’t because they’re bad at business. Just the opposite in fact. These business owners are excellent service providers. Their clients come first, and their marketing comes second. Content is an afterthought that sneaks in after the workday is through. Which is great for the clients they already have, but not so great for finding new clients. But when you have a content calendar, you also have a plan. You know what to do, and when to do it.

Create Content Consistently

Releasing content here and there is not the most efficient use of your time. Even if it’s the most amazing content the internet has ever seen, if you’re not releasing content on a regular schedule, you’re cheating yourself, and your audience. Part of showing up for your audience is doing it consistently. A content calendar will help you stay on track and create an expectation for your audience about how often they can expect to see content from you. 

Connect With Your Audience

Think about your own scrolling habits. When you’re knee-deep in an Instagram black hole, how likely are you to look at a post from a creator you’re not familiar with? If you’re anything like me, not very likely. You’re looking for content from trusted sources, sources you see on a regular basis. And that goes double for liking or commenting. Build trust. with your audience by showing up consistently.

Stop Scrambling For Ideas

If you’ve ever sat in front of a blinking cursor wishing you were anywhere else, then you can see the appeal of knowing what you are going to write about. When you have a content calendar in place, you can systematize how you create content. You can work more efficiently by focusing on one aspect of content creation at a time. Brainstorm all your ideas in one session. Sit down and research all your posts so you have all the information you need to actually write. Instead of scrambling, imagine yourself confidently tackling your content.

Delegate Content Creation To Team Members

You might not have the time to create content, but you might have a team member who can do it, like a content writer or VA. But when you don’t know what you want to write about, or when you want to publish, it makes it almost impossible to delegate content creation. Once you know what you want to create content about, and when it’s due, it’s much easier to hand the task to your team. 

How To Plan Your Content Calendar

1. Ask yourself why you want to create content?
   If you’re doing it just because you’ve been told you should, you likely don’t have an intention. Is your goal to educate your audience? Do you want to reach a brand new audience?? Content can accomplish all of that, but it’s important to for you to know why you’re doing it.  
2. Then, set some goals.
   What do you want your content to accomplish for you? Do you want more leads? A bigger email list? That will help you figure out what kinds of content will accomplish your goals, and where to prioritize posting. 
3. Identify every channel you need to create content for.
   This will tell you how much content you need to create. There are so many platforms, and there’s no need to have a presence on all of them. Pick a handful that work for you. Prioritize platforms where you already have an engaged audience.  
4. Identify your bandwidth for content.
   During the planning phase you will have so many ideas, but executing ideas takes time. Remember the three thousand other things you have to do during the day? How much time does it take you or your team to create one post? Are there enough available hours to complete your content vision? Do the math, and adjust your calendar accordingly. 
5. Brainstorm Ideas.
   Write every idea down, don’t judge yourself. Then go through each idea and decide if it lines up with the story you want to tell. If it does, find space for it on the calendar.
6. Start by planning a manageable amount of content.
   That might mean a month, it might even mean a week. I recommend a month. The benefit of planning for a month at a time is that you can make changes based on your observations. It’s easier to experiment and tailor your content based on actual reactions and feedback from your audience. Creating more content than you need just means that there will be ideas you’ve become attached to that don’t work with your new strategy, and you’ll have to go back and redo work. 
7. Put all your posts on the calendar.
   You can use whatever app fits into your workflow. For example, a simple Google calendar is easy to share with your team, and easy to update. You could use Asana or Trello. Or, you can use a tool like CoSchedule to manage your content. This post isn’t sponsored, but I use CoSchedule to plan my content calendar. I love the integrations with apps like Google Docs and Word Press. I’m able to easily access scripts and schedule blog posts. If you want to try CoSchedule for yourself, you can use my affiliate link.

So there you have it. A content calendar can help you make content an accessible part of your marketing. If all of that sounds overwhelming, give me a call! I’d love to see how I can help you plan your content calendar.