The All-Important Content Calendar: Why You Need One and How To Create It

*This post was originally written and posted on Brittani Wills Creative in Summer 2018.

Hi everyone! Hannah here. This post is part of our “Intern Blog Series” we’ll be doing this summer. Today I’m tackling about one of my favorite topics in the realm of social media: content planning! 

In the age of social media, there are so many things to keep track of - whether it’s a holiday (#NationalIceCreamDay) or an engaging Q&A video (we’re all about these). Keeping up with what’s going on the social space can be overwhelming, but that’s one reason why keeping a content calendar is one of the MOST important things content creators and social media managers can do. 

Here’s our take on why having a content calendar is vital for your brand and how you can create one. Read on!

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT

NEVER MISS OUT

National Hot Dog Day. Star Wars Day. Best Friends Day. Hallmark or Internet-made, new holidays are always popping up on social media. Keeping a content calendar can not only help you keep track of these engagement-friendly social media holidays, but also keep track of important dates for your brand - like your company anniversary or new product launches.

ORGANIZATION

Calendars in general keep your content organized and in one place. Having one central spot for all of your content makes it easier to plan future posts. This doesn’t just mean making sure you have content for important dates ready, but also to know exactly what and on what channels you are publishing - whether that be Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram. Being efficient with your scheduling also helps to keep consistency in your content plan.

ANALYTICS

Your content calendar can act as a tool to help you plan out future content based on what’s already performed well. You can decide based on engagement, post likes, and shares what is working best for your brand and audience. Understanding what content is succeeding - or isn’t - on your social media platforms helps you get to know your audience and the best times to post for your brand.

HOW TO DO IT

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

Base your content calendar off what your audience reacts to and seems interested in. Knowing what engages your followers is the first step to brainstorming awesome content for your calendar. If you know your followers inside and out, you can also use this knowledge to target future followers.

LOOK AT EXISTING CONTENT

Take an audit of any existing content. What’s working? Are you posting too much of the same content? Or maybe not enough of something else? Analyzing what you’re already doing helps ensure that you are pushing out engaging posts for your audience. Even if you can’t tell what’s working from the get go, A/B test your content to see what gets more reaction from your followers and develop a plan from there.

STRATEGIZE

Schedule your content based off what you know about your followers and existing content. Plan out any evergreen features, visual patterns and important dates and decide what channels to post them on and how often. 

Use these strategies and tips to plan out some awesome content for your brand! 

Happy planning!