5 Things You Need to Create a Content Calendar

I may be bias, but content is one of the best ways to reach your audience. People are normally online to find information (like you right now!) which can lead them to your content. But organizing content itself, can be a nightmare. A content calendar can come in handy, but the process of creating one can be a hassle.

When creating a content calendar, there a 5 main things you need to make it work to your advantage. Don’t let a calendar stop you from creating amazing content and reaching your tribe!

Calendar Template

Surprise! The first thing you need is a calendar template. Don’t make it complicated if you’re just starting out or dread this part of the process. Find or create something that gives you everything you need. The dates for when you’re posting, an idea of what you are posting, and the content you need to supply.

You can download my free calendar template here. It’s super simple and all you need is Microsoft Word. Perfect for beginner’s or someone who just needs the basics!

Content Strategy

I’m sure you knew this was going to be on the list. Your content strategy will help guide you through the process of creating a calendar that works for you. Just like with anything else, you need a plan that you can stick to.

Your strategy needs to include your purpose. Why are you creating this content?To get engagement, to grow traffic from your site?

Next is your type of content. What content will you create? Texts, videos, images, etc.? Testimonials, story-telling, promotions?

Now you need to include your post schedules. How often are you posting and when?

Lastly, you need your goals. Measurable goals that will help you understand if you’re strategy is working or if you need to make adjustments.

Content Pillars

This is a huge part of your content creation process. What are you going to write about? If you’re struggling to create content, then you need to create content pillars. Pillars, or buckets, are the foundation of your message. Decide what your message is all about. This may mean that you need to find a niche or get more specific.

Here’s an example – me! So, marketing is my general field. I have experience in plenty of marketing, but my focus is content marketing. So, from there, I developed what my main pillars of my business and content are. Those are visibility, influence and an engaged audience. All things I help accomplish through content marketing. So, these three words help me shape my content.

Related Post: Content Mistakes You’re Making that’s Hurting Your Business

Branding and Messaging

Having an established brand will greatly help your content especially when it comes to visuals and graphics. My brand is pink and sparkly so when I’m creating content for myself, I know exactly how my content will look. In fact, I’ve created a brand guideline to ensure that my brand is consistent. You can find how to create one for yourself here.

Of course, you can’t forget about your messaging. Your content pillars will guide you on what to write about, but your messaging will determine how you say it. Develop a writing style, tone and voice (More on this in the above guide). You want to keep this consistent, as well, so your audience will know who are each time they read your content.

Scheduling

Now, that you’ve created your calendar and gotten a better hold on your content, it’s time to schedule out your amazing creations. That’s where tools like Hootsuite and Later come into the picture. These tools will help you automate your content posting, so you can spend less time posting and more time creating.

Use your calendar to help you plan out what you’re scheduling. Create your content in batches, schedule it out, then focus on engagement rather than continuous creation. Grab my free guide which includes a tutorial on how to schedule content using Hootsuite here. (I know I have a lot of freebies about this stuff!)

Now, that you’ve got what you need to make it work, create those content calendars! If you’re looking for more one-on-one help, visit my work with me page!