Tired of always being late in posting your content, right? The reason behind it is that you don’t have a schedule for what to post, when to post, and where to post. And if you are unaware, the only solution to all this mess is having a social media content calendar.
You may not be familiar with what it is, and even if you know. You may not know how to create one. If so, this blog is for you.
I have detailed everything to answer all of your questions about what a social media content calendar is, how to use it, and how you can have one.
What is a Social Media Content Calendar?
A social media content calendar is a tool that is used to organize and schedule your content posting on social media platforms. By using it, you can schedule your content posting. Your content can be aligned with your marketing goals.
You can structure out what kind of content you have to post, where to post, and when to post. A social media content calendar can assist you in different ways and can give you a lot of advantages. Let me explain some of the benefits that a social media content calendar can do for you.
You may also like related content: Best Content Calendar Software
Benefits of a Social Media Content Calendar
Social media content calendars have the same importance as a regular calendar. As you schedule your upcoming event, your routine and everything around it, just like this social media content calendar, is necessary for planning your posting routine, your strategies, and content preferences.
Ultimately, using this calendar saves you from rushing to think of content to share with your followers at the last minute. In addition to reducing stress, making a social media calendar can also significantly reduce preparation time because you’ll already know when, for what date, and for what purpose you need to post.
Here are some key features that assistance can provide you with.
- Time saving.
- Organizing Content Ideas.
- Routine management.
- Consistent posting.
- Strategic planning.
- Reduced Stress.
- Better content quality by planning.
How to Create a Social Media Content Calendar
Keep in mind that every business has a different campaign and a different slogan. You have to organize your content according to your specific niche.
Whereas the basics of every social media content calendar are the same, you need not worry about that.
Now, I am going to explain some basic steps you can use to create your social media content calendar.
1. Choose your Social Media Platforms for ContentPosting
Most of the businesses post their content and run their marketing campaigns on every single platform they know. They don’t even prioritize which platform is necessary for them, like an ecommerce business runs its advertising mostly for sales, and for that, the platforms mentioned below do the job.
- TikTok
So, it is clear that every platform has its strengths, and you have to prioritize which one is the best for you to post on. You have to do this activity before creating your social media content calendar because you may waste your time on a platform that is not important to you.
2. Specify your Target Audience.
After selecting the platform on which you have to start posting, analyze your target audience on each of them. Create a spreadsheet and mention your specific audience, and don’t get confused if your target audience is the same across all those platforms.
This demographic analysis will help you understand what kind of content you have to create for what type of audience.
Analysis of Competitors
You have to analyze your competitors to transform your strategy in a way that will beat theirs. Comparing your strategies with your competitors gives you an edge that, if it is working, you can have the same one for you to compete with them.
Check out what kind of content they are posting and what response they are getting from it, for example, if they are getting too many retweets or having many shares, etc.
You don’t have to copy your competitors’ content, or you need to repost or retweet theirs. What you can do is analyze their strategy and use it to enhance yours and grow better than them.
3. Create a List of Content for Posting.
After checking your competitors’ content, now create a list of content you are gonna post on your social media handles. At this moment, you don’t have to write your articles and develop posts because they will come later.
Now, mention what type of content you have to post and where to post. Keep in mind that every social media platform has its algorithms and prioritizes specific content.
4. Timeline Management and Resources for Content
Now you understand which content to post and where to post. It’s time to specify a timeline for posting your content because you may know that there are two types of content. One is time-sensitive, which you can’t post daily, and the other is evergreen, which you can post daily.
You have to organize this in your spreadsheet, which ones are time-sensitive and which ones are not. The collection of the content may seem complicated, so what you can do is have either the URL in your sheet with its corresponding links.
The most important thing is never to forget to promote your content, including your website. Some handle their social media content and forget about their website.
5. Create your Calendar
Making a social media calendar can be done in different ways. But from my side, I prefer to be simple. I’ll launch a Google Sheet and make a tab for every month that comes up.
After that, I’ll colour-code every social media handle to have a quick view of how frequently I’ll be publishing each one during a week. Because spreadsheets let you view each day side by side and even you can schedule what time you have to post, they also function well as calendars.
Create your calendar by going platform by platform after reviewing the post frequency you selected.
For example, let’s discuss Facebook, and you have decided that you will post four times a week on Facebook. Please pick up the colour you have specified for Facebook and use it randomly on four different days of the week.
Do the same for others as well. Next, review the kind of content you want to publish. Just return to your content social media content calendar and choose the relevant URLs if your Facebook profile is to receive one blog post and two lengthy articles every week. Do this again for each platform.
6. Utilize Scheduling Tools
After all of this, you have to automate it by using a scheduling tool like Buffer, etc. These tools will automate your posting and will post on their own your content at the appropriate day and time.
After completing your whole social media content calendar, use these tools to load up all your content and let them make posting simple for you.
Sum Up
Creating a social media content calendar is essential for any business looking to streamline its posting strategy and enhance engagement. By choosing the right platforms, analyzing your target audience, and studying competitors, you can effectively plan your content.
This organized approach not only saves time and reduces stress but also ensures consistent posting and better content quality. Remember, a well-structured calendar is your key to achieving marketing goals and connecting with your audience. Start today and take control of your social media presence for a more successful digital strategy!
