If there’s anything more difficult than creating content, it’s planning it out!
So many business owners struggle with the initial planning stage, as it can appear much more complicated than it really is. Usually, the thought of creating a content calendar sounds like a convoluted task that is quickly left on the shelf for another time. Creating content doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, once you get the fundamentals in place, you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to maintain. You’ll wonder why you didn’t use one before!
We’re going to show you how to create your content calendar so you can start planning your content today:
It starts with goals –
A natural starting point. Every business, no matter what shape or size, needs a clear idea of their goals when creating content. So sit down and write out the main goals you want your content to achieve – more customers? More on your mailing signups? Build hype for a new product range? The world is your oyster!
Decide on content formats and topics –
Now decide what kind of content you will be sharing. Will they be blog posts, social media posts, emails? If you want to be even more organised, establish what kind of topics your content will be covering too.
Establish a realistic timeline –
Decide on a timeline and the frequency you will be posting content. Will it be weekly, monthly, or quarterly? For example, if you’re planning content for social media, you will be planning to publish more regularly than if you were publishing a blog post. So, set dates for when each piece of content will be posted or shared, make sure you keep your content realistic and doable, we want your content calendar to make your job easier, not tire you our more!
Creating your template –
Where will your content calendar be located? If you have a team working on your content, you’ll want a document that is easily shareable, and you want to be able to easily track progress. We all use & recommend using Google Sheets (or Excel) as they are both easily accessible.
Add your content to the template –
Now it’s time to fill in your content calendar! You could keep it simple by just choosing which piece of content you want to post, or you could get really fancy and fill in extra fields. Include content topics, titles, and assign team names to specific pieces of content. You can add updates to these fields too, so everyone can keep track of any changes!
Keep up-to-date as you progress –
A content calendar helps you & your team to form a habit, and checking it regularly will keep you on top of your content schedule. You’ll also be able to check in on the rest of your team if you have one, and keep track of any changes; updates, topic ideas, and published posts.
Review your content calendar –
At the end of the time period, you can review your content calendar to see what content did well, and what did not. With this extremely helpful data, you can plan out your next round of content!
We are experts in the digital world and we can help ensure your website is working for you whilst also introducing you to our other digital services which can also help like: Search Engine Optimisation, Digital Marketing, Email Marketing or Content Creation.
