Whether you’re working as a social media manager or looking to grow your online presence, having a content calendar can be the key to your success. Scrambling for content can lead to infrequent publishing and posting of content that lacks value or interest to your target audience. Learning how to build a content calendar will keep you organized and align your content with your social media goals.
Steps to Build a Content Calendar
Consistency is a significant factor in an effective content strategy. The content will vary depending on your business’s industry or target audience, but the structure behind the calendar remains. Our social media managers at TargetMarket follow these steps when first building a content calendar.
1. Choose the right social media platforms for you.
When determining which social media platforms to use, you should consider the type of content you plan to create and which channels your target consumers are on. While having an online presence is important, don’t feel the need to be active on every social media channel if it doesn’t match your brand identity. If your content is more visual, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook are your most optimal channels. However, LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook are your best options if your content is more text or link-driven.
2. Use a calendar template.
This step may seem obvious for building a content calendar, but utilizing a calendar template is an essential part of the process. A visual representation of your monthly schedule is a great way to lay out all the content in one place. Many third-party platforms offer content calendar templates you can utilize, or you can create your own calendar template with Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel.
3. Determine the frequency of posting.
Depending on the social media platform for which you’re building a calendar, their associated algorithm may recommend a specific frequency for publishing content. However, regardless of the social media channel, quality over quantity is a common rule of thumb.
When first starting out, coming up with a month’s worth of content can be intimidating. Aim for 2-3 posts weekly, and note which days and times result in the best engagement. From there, you can base your schedule on prior analytics to increase the chances of your content being seen.
4. Outline important calendar dates for your business.
These days, there seems to be a national holiday or celebratory month in honor of everything. If you’re dealing with content burnout, searching for relevant holidays for your business is a great way to spark creativity. You can craft a month’s content around a specific cause or campaign and tie it into your organization.
Recognizing important calendar dates for your business is also an excellent method of showing your followers that your content is current and timely. With some companies, it’s evident that their social media channels pump out content with little to no relevance to what’s going on in the world. Keeping your content seasonal or up to trend can help you connect with more followers and expand your reach.
5. Take advantage of evergreen content.
In addition to current content, your content calendar should still include evergreen content. Evergreen content is information that can be shared at any time of year yet still spark interest. Especially during the slower months, this type of content will be beneficial when it comes time to build a content calendar. Some examples of evergreen content are “how-to” blogs, product reviews, testimonials, tips & tricks, or general photos of your team, products, etc.
Keep a folder of evergreen content readily available to help fill gaps between seasonal content, new product announcements, current events, and more.
6. Schedule content in advance.
Now that your content is planned out, scheduling it is the final step to mastering your social media strategy. There are many apps or websites that allow you to schedule out content in advance, making life as a social media manager much easier. Here are some of our favorite digital marketing apps that we use daily.
Contact Our T(ea)M
Learning how to build a content calendar effectively can make all the difference in your social media presence. If you’re interested in working with one of our skilled social media managers, our team at TargetMarket is here to help. Get in touch with us here!
