How to Create a Content Calendar
Whether you’re a one-woman show or a team of several writers, a content calendar provides much needed order and peace of mind for content marketing planning, producing, and upkeep. With a quick glance, you’ll know the Who, What, Where, and When of your content production and also have a space to add links and post-publication metrics. Nice!
Using the easiest method within reach when you’re first starting your content marketing efforts makes sense. I get it! You’re juggling 1,000 tasks as a business owner or Marketing-Team-of-One. But that combination of post-it notes, browser tabs, voice memos, oddball entries into a notebook, and a crowded planner that all once made sense will quickly grow into a Medusa of Content.
Tame the content marketing strategy chaos with a real-deal content calendar that’s easy to create, maintain, and can be used collaboratively or solo.
Sound like a dream? Let’s dive in and create a content calendar that serves as a one-stop-shop for all your content planning, production, and publishing information.
What’s a content calendar?
A content calendar is a tool, often a spreadsheet or calendar, used for planning and tracking content production. It includes basic information like topic, author, publication channel, status, and the URL but it can also include a ton of other info depending on your needs (like SEO, CTAs, and other non-acronym but still important bits).
Main areas of your content calendar:
Topic or Headline
Author and/Owner
Content Format (blog post, infographic, case study, video, etc.)
Publication Channel/Platform (owned, social, third-party, etc.)
Publication Date
SEO/Keywords
Status (planned, in progress, under review, published)
URL
Tip: Include all of your content marketing channels on one content calendar so you and your team can see the big picture and always know what’s going on.
Deciding on a content calendar tool
What type of tool should you use to create a content calendar? Spreadsheet? Regular calendar? A dedicated workflow or project management app? There are a lot of available options, ranging from super simple to more sophisticated software platforms.
Spreadsheets are arguably the simplest, most common tool that works whether you’re managing a simple blog or multiple content marketing projects. Spreadsheets like Google Sheets or Excel are easy to use and update and can be accessed by multiple people for collaborative projects. Bonus: spreadsheets can be exported for other uses (like uploading as a csv file to other apps or a CRM).
A calendar or Kanban table are fantastic options for quick visual understanding of your content. They are especially great for teams working on a number of projects but it’s limited by how much information you can realistically include on each card and how to track information post-publication without revisiting that whole Medusa issue. There is something so very satisfying about sliding a card along the production flow but I find this method works best when paired with a Spreadsheet.
A workflow or project management tool, like Asana or Trello, might be a better long-term solution if you manage a growing team or multiple projects with multiple collaborators. These apps are great because you can manage and track everything from marketing to sales to product development and anything else all in one convenient space. Everything you work on can be archived and searched, plus saved project templates make upkeep and maintenance a breeze. The downside is that there are some additional onboarding procedures than a simple spreadsheet but it’s wonderfully convenient to have all of your projects in one spot.
How to use a content calendar
From the initial set-up to ongoing updates, your editorial calendar is your content marketing hub. Here are my recommendations on how to use a content calendar with ease, to avoid overwhelm, and that ensures that you’ll keep using it! (Again, avoid the Medusa-like content marketing craziness).
Plan Quarterly
At the beginning of the quarter, set aside time with your team to brainstorm and assign topics, set goals and deadlines, and discuss past and future project goals. Armed with the next 3 months of content, enter all of the information from working titles to authors/editors to due dates into your editorial calendar. Then you’re ready to hit the ground running!
Update in Real Time
Update the editorial calendar as each piece of content moves along in production. The owner or author should be responsible for updating their own progress in real-time (meaning, as it happens -- not at the end of the week or end of the month).
The real beauty of a shared Google Doc or Asana project is a) access for all team members, and b) the ability to visualize content production. With a quick glance, all team members can see every project’s current status and act accordingly.
Post-Publication
Once the piece is published, enter the URL into the spreadsheet and then revisit to enter pertinent stats like views, likes, shares at a later date. Done!
Create a Editorial Calendar
Sold? Great. Here are some fantastic (free) options to get you started. Currently I use a Google Sheet (my custom template is below free for you to use). I also have experience with Asana and Trello, which are both easy to use and great options for teams and those wanting a bigger integration with other projects.
AZ Content Calendar Google Sheet Template - This is the Content Calendar that I actually use to keep track of all my own content. Hit the button below to get access.
Asana Editorial Calendar Template - Multiple views make it easy to customize to your needs. Create a Task Template to copy for each piece of content, then you’re ready to roll.
Trello Editorial Calendar Template - Switch between views, like Kanban table and a calendar, to easily keep track of production, from planning to publication.
Happy planning!