How to Create a Robust Content Calendar That Works in 2024

What is a Content Calendar and Why Do You Need One?

A content calendar is a structured document for scheduling and tracking content production and distribution.

It’s crucial for enhancing collaboration and maintaining focus for both teams and individuals on short-term and long-term content marketing tasks.

Content calendars are essential for teams, but solopreneurs also benefit significantly from them.

Even if managing solo, it’s challenging to keep track of everything mentally.

Utilizing a content calendar makes executing a content marketing strategy far more manageable.

It offers a bird’s-eye view of your content marketing activities, allowing adjustments similar to a chess game.

A well-organized content calendar displays past achievements, current tasks, and future objectives.

Is a Structured Content Calendar the Right Solution for Everyone?

People’s responses to structured environments vary; some flourish while others find them restrictive.

It’s about personal preference and individual personality.

Remember, the choice isn’t binary—strictly regimented or no calendar at all.

There’s a spectrum of possibilities.

After all, it’s YOUR content calendar.

Every business and team is unique, leading to diverse content calendars.

And that’s perfectly fine.

However, don’t let laziness prevent you from exploring the benefits of a structured content calendar.

The advantages are significant, and it’s worth experimenting.

Try creating a basic calendar and commit to it for a month.

What’s the worst outcome?

At the trial’s end, you’ll have produced and shared valuable content for your business.

If a structured approach doesn’t suit you, at least you’ll know you gave it a try.

Most Important Qualities of a Working Content Calendar

Simplicity

Your content calendar must be simple and easily decipherable at a glance.

To ensure this, include only essential data and arrange it logically.

I prefer spreadsheet-based calendars, organizing information in a “need to know” sequence.

This method organizes details from general to specific as you approach content publication.

Here’s an example of what this looks like:

Consensus

While having a leader is key, teamwork is crucial.

It’s beneficial for the entire team to agree on the content calendar.

Consider your team members’ strengths and preferences to boost productivity and morale, allowing choices in their tasks.

Consistency

Committing to a content calendar demands consistency.

Using a content calendar sporadically offers limited benefits, but consistent use provides a comprehensive overview of your past, present, and future actions.

Inconsistency in content marketing dilutes efforts and delays results.

However, it’s not catastrophic to occasionally miss deadlines or revise your calendar.

Let your content calendar evolve, but strive to maintain and respect it as much as possible.

Vision

Laying out your marketing efforts in a calendar sharpens your content strategy and processes.

This approach offers a clearer perspective on your strategy.

A broad overview of your content helps in identifying weaknesses and informs future decisions.

Examples of Information to Include in Your Content Calendar

There are various approaches to structuring your content calendar.

At the basic level, you might track simple data points like:

• Content Type
• Content Channel
• Publishing Date
• Link

Alternatively, you could opt for a more detailed approach, including specifics like:

• Word Count
• Main Keyword
• CMS ID
• Repurposing Opportunities

Remember, there are also countless business-specific or niche-specific data points that might be crucial for you.

Given these variables, building a custom content calendar that suits your specific needs is advisable.

While using pre-made templates for inspiration is fine, customize them the moment they don’t fully meet your requirements.

Consider including the following in your custom content calendar:

• Content Type
• Content Channel
• Titles
• Status
• Due Date
• Publishing Schedule
• Targeted Search Intent Category
• Meta Tag
• Permalink
• Link
• Author
• Editor
• Buyer Persona
• CTA (Call-To-Action)
• Word Count
• Main Keyword
• CMS ID
• Repurposing Opportunities

6 Benefits of Creating a Content Calendar

Planning Saves Time

Developing a content calendar can take a day or two, but consider the potential productivity gains.

By planning, you might produce more content—imagine six articles instead of four in a month, totaling 24 more articles a year.

Though these figures are hypothetical, a structured approach with a content calendar can significantly boost your effectiveness.

Publishing Consistency

Consistency isn’t just about a rigid schedule, but about maintaining high-quality in every publication.

Avoid publishing content just for the sake of it. Uphold high editorial standards.

Improved Audience Building

Consistency, like publishing every Tuesday at 6 PM, positively impacts audience building.

Your loyal audience expects regular, predictable content.

Deviating from a consistent schedule can harm your audience’s perception of you as a publisher.

Long-term commitment to a predictable schedule encourages repeat visits.

Improved Content Quality

Having a structured plan weeks in advance simplifies content production into smaller, manageable goals.

Instead of spending an hour deciding on a topic, simply refer to your content calendar and start writing immediately.

Zero friction.

This approach frees your mind to concentrate solely on creating the article, leading to superior outcomes.

Better Utilization of Holidays, Special Events, and Seasonality

Planning your content well in advance enables you to capitalize on holidays, special events, and seasonal trends, particularly if relying on search engine traffic.

A key reason is that it often takes 4-8 months for articles to reach peak placement on Google.

This can be quicker with a strong domain or low-competition keywords, but it’s not instantaneous.

For instance, starting Christmas-themed content in April or May is not unreasonable.

A content calendar that accounts for such timing gives you a competitive advantage over those who haven’t planned beyond their next Tweet or other substantial content.

Publishing Content at Peak Engagement Times

Peak engagement time is when your audience is most active on the platform.

This is crucial for social media posts and YouTube videos.

Most social media algorithms initially show your content to a small audience segment to gauge if it’s worth wider distribution.

The goal is to post when most of your loyal followers are online, maximizing engagement (likes, views, shares) in the first hour.

While not a make-or-break strategy, timing your posts for peak engagement is a worthwhile consideration.

How In-Depth Should You Go with Your Content Calendar?

This decision is entirely up to you.

You can adjust your content calendar in two aspects:

Timetable: Weekly, monthly, and yearly calendars.

Complexity: The level of detail you include in your content calendar.

For first-timers, a useful approach is to dive deeper for the initial month than your comfort zone allows.

This extra effort offers a taste of having more structure than usual.

Experimenting is key to discovering what works best for you.

After trying a more detailed approach, you can always scale back to what feels right, especially if a complex calendar doesn’t suit your needs.

I’ve chosen not to include content calendar examples or templates in this article, as I advocate for a custom-tailored approach.

Creating a simple Google Spreadsheet for your calendar’s main data points is quick and straightforward.

However, planning and filling it with content ideas requires significant time and effort.

Building your own content calendar will likely boost your enthusiasm and attachment to the idea.

Free Content Calendar Tools

Trello

Trello is a free tool ideal for maintaining a content calendar.

Described as a collaboration tool, Trello organizes projects into boards, providing a clear overview of what’s being worked on and by whom.

Trello’s workflow is adaptable to be as simple or complex as needed, with various functionalities available.

Google Sheets

I personally prefer using Google Sheets for content calendars.

It’s cloud-based, offering accessibility and customization options such as adding or removing columns, applying filters, and color coding.

Google Sheets is flexible, allowing it to be as simple or detailed as required.

Asana

Asana is a browser-based tool, free for up to 15 team members, with affordable plans for larger teams.

The company describes Asana as a tool that simplifies team-based work management.

Offering both a Trello-like board and a list view similar to Google Sheets, Asana allows for versatile workflow creation in your content calendar.

FAQ

Q: Are content calendars and editorial calendars the same?

It depends on the perspective.

Sometimes, an editorial calendar is a strategic document, outlining the philosophy and strategy for key content production throughout the year.

It’s often more visionary than a practical operations tool.

Other times, the terms content calendar and editorial calendar are used interchangeably.

Q: What is a social media content calendar?

It’s a specific type of content calendar designed to manage your social media content.

A social media content calendar might encompass all your social media channels, or be tailored for each channel individually.

Q: Are paid content calendars worth it?

Personally, I believe no.

Handing over control of your content production and distribution strategy to someone else is not advisable.

Stay focused on your content marketing goals and plan daily actions that align with achieving these goals.

Q: Should I use someone else’s content calendar template?

Only if it’s adaptable to your specific needs, your team’s needs, and your overall content marketing strategy.

Using a generic content calendar template without customization can potentially detract from your efforts.