How to Create a Social Media Calendar to Plan Your Content

As a business owner, you know that one of the keys to success is having a strong presence on social media. But with so many platforms to choose from, it can be hard to know where to start. That’s where a social media calendar comes in.

What Is A Social Media Calendar?

A social media calendar is a schedule of planned content for social media platforms. It helps businesses and organizations plan and organizes their social media posts in advance, allowing them to effectively manage their online presence and stay consistent with their messaging.

A social media calendar typically includes details such as the type of content (e.g. text, images, videos), the specific social media platform it will be posted on, the target audience, and the intended message or purpose of the post. It can also include details such as hashtags, mentions, and links to related content.

What are the benefits of a social media content calendar?

There are several benefits to using a social media content calendar:

Improved organization: A social media calendar helps businesses and organizations plan and organize their social media content in advance, allowing them to better manage their online presence.
Increased efficiency: By planning and scheduling content in advance, businesses and organizations can save time and resources that would otherwise be spent on last-minute content creation.
Consistency: A social media calendar helps businesses and organizations maintain a consistent posting schedule and messaging, which can be important for building and maintaining a strong online presence.
Better tracking and analysis: With a social media calendar, businesses and organizations can track the performance of their social media efforts and identify which types of content are most effective.
Enhanced collaboration: A social media calendar can be a useful tool for coordinating content creation and approval within a team or organization.

Overall, a social media content calendar can help businesses and organizations streamline their social media efforts and better achieve their marketing goals.

What are the best apps to create a Social Media Content Calendar?

There are many apps and tools available that can help businesses and organizations create and manage a social media calendar. Some popular options include:

Hootsuite: Hootsuite is a comprehensive social media management platform that allows users to schedule and publish content across multiple social media platforms, as well as track and analyze performance.
Buffer: Buffer is a social media scheduling tool that allows users to schedule and publish content across multiple social media platforms, as well as track and analyze performance.
Planoly: Planoly is a visual social media planning and scheduling tool that allows users to schedule and publish content across multiple social media platforms, as well as track and analyze performance.
Later: Later is a social media scheduling tool specifically designed for Instagram, allowing users to schedule and publish content on the platform, as well as track and analyze performance.
CoSchedule: CoSchedule is a comprehensive marketing calendar and project management tool that includes a social media scheduling feature, allowing users to schedule and publish content across multiple social media platforms, as well as track and analyze performance.

These are just a few examples of the many apps and tools available for creating and managing a social media calendar. It’s important to choose a tool that meets the needs of your business or organization and is user-friendly for your team.

Deciding on a Posting Schedule

Deciding on a social media posting schedule can be challenging, as it involves finding the right balance between posting enough content to keep your audience engaged, but not so much that you become overwhelmed or spammy. Here are some factors to consider when deciding on a posting schedule:

Audience demographics: Different age groups and demographics may have different preferences for how often they want to see content from a brand. For example, younger audiences may prefer more frequent updates, while older audiences may prefer fewer.
Platform and content type: Different social media platforms have different norms and expectations for posting frequency. For example, Instagram is known for its more frequent posting, while LinkedIn tends to be more business-oriented and may have a slower posting schedule. The type of content you post can also affect how often you should post. For example, a brand that posts mostly visual content may be able to post more often than a brand that posts mostly long-form written content.
Industry and competitors: It’s a good idea to research what your competitors are doing in terms of posting frequency and use that as a benchmark. You should also consider the expectations and norms of your industry when deciding on a posting schedule.
Resource availability: It’s important to be realistic about how much time and resources you have available to create and post content. This can help you determine a posting schedule that is both effective and sustainable.

Ultimately, the best posting schedule will depend on your specific audience, goals, and resources. It may be helpful to experiment with different posting frequencies and analyze the results to see what works best for your brand.

Template Ideas for a Social Media Calendar

Here are some template ideas for a social media calendar:

Grid calendar: A grid calendar is a straightforward way to plan and organize your social media content. It consists of a table with rows and columns, with each row representing a specific social media platform and each column representing a specific day or week. You can use this template to plan out the content you want to post, along with any relevant details such as hashtags, mentions, or links.
Editorial calendar: An editorial calendar is a more detailed and comprehensive approach to planning and organizing your social media content. It typically includes a list of themes or topics for each month, along with specific content ideas for each social media platform. This template is useful for businesses and organizations that want to align their social media content with a broader marketing strategy.
Content calendar: A content calendar is similar to an editorial calendar, but it includes more detailed information about the specific content that will be posted on each social media platform. This can include things like the type of content (e.g. text, images, videos), the specific message or purpose of the post, and any relevant details such as hashtags or mentions. This template is useful for businesses and organizations that want to have a more granular view of their social media content.
Visual calendar: A visual calendar is a social media calendar that includes visual elements such as images or graphics. This can be useful for businesses and organizations that rely heavily on visual content, such as fashion brands or restaurants. Visual calendars can be created using tools such as Canva or Adobe Creative Suite.

Ultimately, the best template for a social media calendar will depend on the specific needs and goals of your business or organization. It may be helpful to try out different templates and see which one works best for you.

What should a social media content calendar include?

Creating a comprehensive social media content calendar is one of the most important elements of a successful social media strategy. A content calendar allows you to plan, create, and publish content in a timely and organized fashion. It helps ensure that your content is varied, relevant, and engaging.

So, what should your content calendar include? Here are some elements that should be included in your social media content calendar:

Content topics: Start by creating a list of topics that you want to cover in your content. These topics should be related to your brand, industry, and target audience. This will help ensure that your content is relevant and engaging.
Content types: It’s important to mix up the types of content you create and publish. This could include text, images, videos, podcasts, and more. This will keep your content fresh and interesting.
Scheduling: You should plan out when you want to publish your content. This could include specific days of the week or times of day. This will help make sure your content is spread out and consistent.
Social networks: You should also plan out which social networks you will be posting to. You should focus your efforts on the channels that are most important to your brand and target audience.
Promotional plans: You should also plan out how you will promote your content. This could include sharing it on other networks, employing influencers, or using ads. This will help ensure that your content reaches the right people.