Do you want to plan out all the stuff you will post online next year? Making a content calendar can help with that. A content calendar is a schedule that says what you will post and when. It helps you stay organized.
Why Make a Content Calendar?
A content calendar is very useful.
Here are some reasons why
- It helps you post regularly. Posting a lot is important for growing your audience online. A calendar reminds you to post often.
- It lets you plan ahead. You can schedule posts for holidays, sales, or other big events far in advance.
- It helps you reuse old content. On your calendar, you can plan to republish posts that did well in the past.
- It helps you stay consistent. With a plan, your posts will have a similar style and voice.
- It makes working with a team easier. Everyone can look at the calendar and know what others are working on.
How to Make a Content Calendar?
Now let’s talk about how to actually make a content calendar for next year.
Here are the steps
- Pick Where You Will Make It
First, decide where you want to make your content calendar.
You have a few options
- In a notebook or paper planner
- In a spreadsheet program for example Excel or Google Sheets
- With an online calendar app
Spreadsheets and online apps are nice because you can easily update them. But some people prefer writing things down.
- Decide What Time Period
Next, decide how long your calendar will cover.
Common options are
- 3 months
- 6 months
- 1 year
A one-year calendar is most common for an annual overview. That way you can plan for the whole year.
- Add Important Dates
Put any important dates on the calendar first.
These could include
- Holidays your audience celebrates
- Your company’s anniversary or big sales
- Industry events like conferences or webinars
- Product launch dates
- Deadlines for projects or campaigns
Having these marked helps you schedule around the busy periods.
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- Figure Out What to Post
Now you need to decide what types of content to include.
Common options are
- Blog posts
- Social media posts
- Videos
- Podcast episodes
- Email newsletters
- Graphics or visuals
Do not try to cover too many types at first. It is better to start smaller.
- Set Your Schedule
How often do you post each type of your content?
For example
- 1 blog post per week
- 3 social posts per day
- 1 newsletter per month
Having a consistent schedule makes your planning easier.
- Fill in Content Ideas
Once you have a posting schedule, you can start listing content ideas on the calendar.
For example
- Topic ideas for blog posts
- Holidays or events to post about
- Specific products or services to promote
Do not worry about finalizing everything now. You can tweak it later.
- Note Who is Responsible
If you work with a team, assign roles for each piece of content. That could include
- Who writes the draft
- Who provides visuals or design
- Who reviews and edits
- Who publishes
Assigning roles to everyone makes it clear what they needs to do.
- Review and Update
Your calendar won’t be perfect at first. Set reminders to check on it regularly and make changes as needed, like
- Adding new content ideas
- Adjusting the schedule
- Reassigning tasks
Reviewing it keeps your calendar accurate and useful over time.
More Content Calendar Tips
To make your 2024 content calendar even better:
- Don’t fill the whole calendar at once. Leave room for new ideas that come up throughout the year.
- Get your whole office team involved in the planning process. Ask for input from others.
- Consider your audience’s interests when choosing topics. Create content they’ll find useful or interesting.
- Look at your analytics to see what worked best in the past. Do more of that.
- Plan time to create, review, and promote each piece of content. Don’t just schedule the publish dates.
- Use calendar tools that allow you to attach files, notes, links, etc. to stay organized.
- Check what big events, holidays, trends, etc. are coming up so you can plan accordingly.
- Batch your similar tasks together, for example filming multiple videos in one day.
- Be flexible and adjust the calendar as things change throughout the year.
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