Chapter 7: Social Content Creation
Content Calendars
One tool for blending different types of social media content and focusing on content strategy is a content calendar. A content or editorial calendar provides a broad view of intentional content over time. The calendar might include content for a single channel like Twitter, or content for multiple channels to ensure that an overall digital strategy is in play. It could detail content for a short-term goal or event, or for long-term content creation and tracking.
You can use something as simple as an Excel document or Google sheet to organize upcoming content by day or week. Hubspot also offers a free template and the Curata blog provides a list of other content calendar tools.
Benefits of a Content Calendar
- You can apply strategic timing and guard against “dead spots” in activity level.
- You can optimize the type of content and consider how you’re representing the different content “buckets.”
- You can create consistency in voice and content, especially when multiple people post to one brand account.
- It allows for oversight such as an intern drafting content for a calendar that is edited and approved by a supervisor or an agency drafting content for review by a client.
- You can more clearly measure what works and what doesn’t and see what aspect of the strategy or content is resonating or falling flat.
Sprout Social offers 4 Steps for Creating a Social Media Calendar with more logistical details on content calendars.
