Most of us post on social media daily. But implementing a targeted social media strategy is much different and takes lots of planning. Any digital marketer will tell you that a content calendar is an incredibly necessary tool if you want to create consistently engaging content that fits into your big picture. Below are 6 steps to create a killer content calendar that will help you win the social media game.

1. Choose Your Platforms

The first step in creating an effective content calendar is to choose which platforms you will be posting to. You don’t need to use every social media site, and you shouldn’t! Take some time to figure out which sites your audience hangs out on and which ones will help you achieve your specific goals. Some social media channels are better suited than others for specific content types. Certain types of content, such as videos and curated content do best on Facebook while high-res photos and quotes do really well on Instagram. Each social platform also has its own user demographics. Sprout Social has a great post that provides in-depth insight into some of the most common platforms.

2. Determine the Best Times to Post

Most of us already know a little something about peak posting times, but you if don’t, that’s ok! I didn’t at first. There are tons of charts and infographics out there that break down the best times to post on social media sites. In addition to peak posting times, some platforms even have peak posting days. For instance, the best day to post on Instagram is Thursday while the best day to post on LinkedIn is Wednesday. Use these days and times as a guide for mapping out your content calendar. Make sure to also consider what days and times work best with your schedule. After all, a content calendar is only useful if it works for you.
Once you’ve determined the best posting times, you should also consider how often you want to post on each platform. There are recommendations for that too, which you can find here. Your posting frequency might also depend on your audience demographics and social media goals. Again, make sure to figure out what works best for you.

3. Determine Your Content Ratio

The next step is to determine what type of content you will be posting and how often you will post it. In Do’s and Don’ts of Social Media I talk about the 80:20 rule. This rule says that 80% of your content should be shared or informational while only 20% should be promotional. This can be further broken down into types of content such as live video, original image, curated content, paid promotion and more. Decide the types of content you want to share with your audience and the frequency with which you want to share it. This will make brainstorming content in the future much easier since you’ll already know what you should be posting!

4. Compile a Content Bank

Once you’ve figured out the types of content you want to share, spend some time scouring the internet for images. articles, and videos you’d like to share with your audience. Organize and store these items in one location (i.e. a flash drive, google drive folder, etc.). You may even what to include some original content, captions, and hashtags. Doing this will ensure that you always have content to share even when you’re busy! Continue to add to your content bank whenever you come across something you want to share. Some people schedule their content right away but if you don’t have time for that, a content bank is your best bet.

5. Choose a Scheduling Method

Next, you need to choose a scheduling method. It doesn’t need to be super fancy, it just needs to work for you. Any type of calendar will do. Writing it out on paper or using Google Calendar are two fast, easy, and free ways to schedule your content. If you want something with more capability, Buffer and Hootsuite are both great options that are made specifically for content scheduling. I personally love Trello because it lets me keep my to-do list, content bank, and calendar all in the same place! Choose whichever one you like the best.

6. Fill in Your Calendar

Now it’s time to start plugging everything into your calendar. I like to break this part down into steps:

Step 1: Fill in your post days and times for each platform

Step 2: Fill in what type of content you want to share in each of those slots

Step 3: Add items from your content bank to each posting slot (you might even include captions or hashtags)

Step 4: Keep all your posts for the week (or day or month) in one, easy to access place by linking each of your posts to your calendar or writing out the details in your planner

Step 5: Set reminders for each post or automate your posts via Hootsuite, Buffer, or Agora Pulse.

Now that you’ve got your content calendar set up, you’re ready to start managing your social media like a boss! If you have any tips or tricks you use for content scheduling, share them in the comments below!

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XOXO

Nikita Barry

Your life. Simplified.