BUT, DO I EVEN NEED A CONTENT CALENDAR?

A couple weeks ago, a friend asked what I was planning to write for my blog the next day. When I shared the topic, he asked how I already knew. Naturally, I showed him my content calendar.

For those considering implementing a calendar, here’s why I like them:

• They keep things organized. Do you know exactly when your next Facebook post is happening? Do you know what content will be shared? Content calendars help keep that information organized. 

• They help analyze. It’s easier to see which messages are being shared too little or too often and which ones gain traction or fall flat when you can see just how and when they’ve been shared. A calendar allows content to be shifted to the best time of day and platform.

• They save time. Honestly, if this were the only benefit, I’d still use content calendars. The organization a calendar provides makes long-term planning much easier and saves me from sitting down every morning to write witty, on-message copy. Let’s face it, as fun as writing social media messages can be, if you had to create it on the fly every day, it would get boring and stale.

• They aid collaboration. Content calendars allow for better integration and collaboration among teams. They make it easier to share information, as well as allow flexibility in how messages are shared. 

Most PR pros that I know use some version of a content calendar for managing social media. The beauty of these calendars is that they allow pros to strategically plan when and how messaging is disseminated. Without that planning, the tactics of messaging can take over and overall objectives can be lost because strategies take a back seat.

There are many options for content calendars. Each can be customized to fit the needs of an organization. I’ve linked a few of my favorite options below. What’s most important when using a content calendar is just that – the use. Like any other tool, it can only be as effective as the professional using it.

• CoSchedule has a free template here.
• HootSuite offers a free sample template here.
• HubSpot has a free Excel or Google Sheets template here.
• MarkeTo has a good sample here.

Extra credit: Hootsuite and Sprout Social have great guides for creating your custom content calendar.

Cheers!