Do you need a social media content calendar? Yes, yes, you absolutely do!
Information in this post was obtained from the HubSpot Blog and Marketing Insider Group.
I don’t know what your job description looks like, but if it’s anything like mine then social media management is just one tiny bullet point on a very full plate. Unfortunately, managing a variety of platforms isn’t quite as small as a bullet point makes it out to be.
So, how do you keep everything straight? How do you create and curate content for multiple platforms while making sure to post often enough to keep your audience engaged? Four words...social media content calendar.
Let’s get started…
1. Use Your Content Strategy to Drive Content Creation and Curation
If you’ve already developed one, you’ll need your content strategy to determine how your content will meet your audience’s needs. According to Michael Brenner with Marketing Insider Group, “A content marketing strategy is the guiding document for executing how you’ll use content to meet business goals. It sets the parameters for what you’ll do, how you’ll do it, and where you’ll do it.” Don’t have a strategy yet? Check out more information in this article and get started.
2. Find the Resources and Calendar Template That Works for You
There are hundreds of articles, resources, and templates out there. It can be overwhelming to get started. You might even question whether you actually need a content calendar or not. The answer is yes, yes, you do!
Sophia Bernazzani with the HubSpot Blog said in her post, “We're all busy. And when we're busy without a plan in place for the tasks we have to get done, things inevitably slip through the cracks. Social media content is no exception.” When you’re trying to cram something that can be a full-time job into just a portion of your daily workload, opportunities for engagement will be missed.
Many companies have downloadable templates to get started with that are more than just a calendar. HubSpot’s template below has the calendar, content tabs by platforms, and more to ease planning and scheduling headaches at the last minute. Check out the HubSpot blog article for more information on setting up your own calendar.
3. Set Up Your Content and Share
Start filling out your content calendar with important deadlines, holidays, campaigns, and more. Michael Brenner with Marketing Insider Group lays out some steps on building a content calendar in this post. One particular piece he mentions is to “establish timelines” and “document everything.” This will be particularly important if you are collaborating with a team.
Another way to share your calendar is through Google Drive or OneDrive. If you have multiple people working on content, this is one of the easiest ways that everyone can see real-time changes without emailing back and forth and wondering if it is the most current document.
Finally, having a document like this makes scheduling your content even easier. If everything is already built into the content calendar, then all you have to do is plug it into your scheduling tool. Whether you’re using HubSpot, Hootsuite, or another option having the material complete, vetted, and ready to go can keep quality content in front of your audiences. Happy planning!
Resources
Bernazzani, S. (updated September 24, 2021). 11 Social Media Calendars, Tools, & Templates to Plan Your Content. Hubspot Marketing Blog. https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/social-media-calendar-tools
Brenner, M. (August 30, 2021). How to Make a Content Calendar You’ll Actually Use [Templates Included]. Marketing Insider Group: Content Marketing. https://marketinginsidergroup.com/content-marketing/how-to-make-a-content-calendar-youll-actually-use-templates-included/
Brenner, M. (September 13, 2021). The Ultimate Content Marketing Strategy Template. Marketing Insider Group: Content Marketing. https://marketinginsidergroup.com/content-marketing/the-ultimate-content-marketing-strategy-template/
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