Building a Content Calendar: Best Practices
We all know that taking the first step into something new can be the most challenging part. However, sometimes it's easier with a roadmap. When it comes to content creation, deciding when and what to post can be very difficult. Not having a plan in mind can keep you from starting anything. Building a content calendar can alleviate the difficulty of posting. We have come up with a few best practices to make the most of creating a content calendar.
@templatestudioph Our Social Media Content Planner is out now! ✨ Tutorial coming soon 👀 Get yours at raket.ph/templatestudioph 🥰 #socialmediamanager #socialmediamarketing #virtualassistant ♬ Diva - Beyoncé
Why make a content calendar?
Consistency is essential when trying to break into the algorithm. Having a plan for when you will post helps ensure you stay on target. Deciding on the topics and timeline of your posts is the primary practice of building a content calendar. Having this set up early can help make posting part of your everyday routine. When building a content calendar, remember that it needs to be realistic to your current life. You already have work, family, and social responsibilities. Content creation then has to fit into the limited free time you already have. Being too ambitious with your goals can lead to burnout. This is especially true if it takes a while for the fruits of your labor to pay off. If you want your content calendar to be useful, you have to make it reasonable.
@personalbrandlaunch0How to Create a Full Month of Content 🗓️ Follow for more social media marketing education ✅♬ original sound - Personal Brand Launch
Preparing for a Content Calendar
The best thing you can do before laying out the framework of your content calendar is to start tracking your time right now. When do you have the most free time? What do you end up doing in your free time? What is your state of mind after a busy day? Depending on your interests, writing, filming, editing, or posting is better suited to busier, freer days. Take time to evaluate what could fit into your current schedule. Once you have an idea of your current schedule and the free time you have available, it is time to start planning next year. If you have already started posting, you probably have a general sense of how long each step takes you. If you are new, give yourself a generous estimate. It may take a week or more to research, write, shoot, edit, and post a video while keeping up with everything else you are doing outside of content creation.
@inspiredmediaco let’s plan your content🗓️🤝✨ #contentcreatortips #contentplanning #socialmediastrategist #socialmediamanager ♬ original sound - Alyssa | brand builder✨
Depending on your style, you can make a schedule that lists only the days you intend to post new content, or you can be specific about the tasks you hope to accomplish each day leading up to a new post. We recommend being as specific as possible because breaking up a task into smaller pieces makes it more achievable. It may be a significant undertaking right at the beginning, but it will likely pay off in the long run.
Topics for your Content Calendar
Once you have a general sense of the scheduling, it is time to come up with ideas. For some niches, like art-related content, it can be easy to come up with a bunch of ideas that you can sprinkle throughout the year. There may be times when inspiration strikes, or a trend goes perfectly with your niche, and you have to move around a few ideas, but for the most part, you can come up with general ideas that will last you a while. Coming up with ideas can be hard, but it is the perfect time to consider what you want out of your content. Outside of follower and view counts, think about why you chose this topic to focus on. What story do you want to tell? Having a strong understanding of your overall hopes for this content can help you come up with fresh ideas about what you bring to the table.
@juliabroome CONTENT IDEAS (that aren’t trends) !! 👀 for you to post this week 🧚🏼♀️📈#contentideas #fyp ♬ original sound - julez | social media
Even if you have an idea of what you want to share on your account, breaking it down into individual posts can be daunting, so we recommend taking some time to think through the specifics of what led you to your niche. What about this topic sparks interest with you? Talk about what people may overlook. Has it been in your life for a while, or is it a new interest? Have some videos about how you got into this niche. Are you using social media to hold yourself accountable for starting something new? Make some content about why it has been hard to begin this journey. Looking to create a community that centers around something you care about? Find—or even start—events in your area that connect to this topic.
@latinapreneur Here is a simple way to build your content calendar👩🏻💻🗓️ #contentcreatortips #contentstrategytips #contentcreatorplanning #contentcalendar #contentcalendartutorial #contentcalendartemplate ♬ original sound - Andrea Casanova
If thinking about the "why" behind your account still leaves you coming up blank on topics to make content about, consider what is happening at different times of the year. How do holidays and seasons affect your niche? Taking the time of year into consideration can make your content more relevant as it shows up in people's feeds, which can drive engagement.
Allowing for Flexibility
While some niches may lend themselves well to coming up with all the ideas beforehand, topics like current events or review channels require more flexibility around scheduling. That being said, building a content calendar can still be incredibly helpful. Building your calendar may focus more on research. Channels that deal with current events, personal life, and media evaluation all rely on timing, but you can schedule time to learn more about your craft. To avoid getting stuck in whatever's working, take research days to determine if there are more efficient or effective ways to communicate the topics that matter most to you. Creators in time-specific niches may also find value in developing a handful of timeless topics for when nothing is happening in their area of interest. These can help in moments when you still need to post but feel there's nothing worth posting. These topics can focus on why you are interested in this topic or how it has changed over time. The specifics of what you decide to have in this list of rainy day topics really depend on the type of content you are making. Flexibility is essential, no matter what topic you are covering. The most important thing is that this content calendar continues to be useful, so if you find, halfway through, that it is no longer serving your interests or does not fit your needs, it is time to reevaluate how it can be helpful. Some aspects of posting are taking longer or shorter than you expected. Maybe topics you thought would be interesting don't hold your interest. I believe audiences only want a specific type of content you are making. Remember that building a content calendar is a tool to help you post consistently, generate ideas, and manage your time. Once it no longer serves this purpose, it is time to identify what needs to change and make it work for you!