Content is King. And now there’s a new queen in town, the content calendar. Ever since the content hype took off, every company and business was quick to jump on board to keep up with the ever changing Google algorithms and updates- just to be sure that they wouldn’t be penalized for not posting and updating their web pages frequently.
However, it’s become apparent that many companies and bloggers are struggling to keep up with posting relevant content on a daily, weekly, monthly basis. The idea of implementing a content calendar is nothing short of extraordinary- that is- as long as you establish and maintain it.
Content calendars are great for small businesses and bloggers who struggle to produce content, and are equally as great for those who are fairly consistent with publishing content. It’s a win-win for everyone. We’ll show you why and how to start a content calendar to get you up and running quickly and efficiently.
Let’s talk about the WHY:
- Stay organized and ahead of the game.
We suggest having a monthly meeting/brain storm session to throw out ideas of what types of content you want to curate and publish for your audiences.Sample topics for discussion: What’s a hot topic right now? How does it relate to your business or industry? What are some buzzwords you may want to target as keywords? Will the post offer something specific to the user? What different types of CTA’s will capture your audience? Are you going to incorporate images, video, infographics? These are all things to think about when filling in your calendar.
- Understand what’s working and what’s not
Compare your content calendar to last month’s calendar. Did you focus on more of one trend or topic versus another. Are you appealing to one sector of your audience and maybe lagging in another? Content calendars are a great way to compare, analyze and strategize ahead to create successful marketing campaigns.
- Prepare for the expected…and the unexpected
Is it the holiday season? Are you launching a new product or service next month? Company milestones? Knowing this information means things won’t pop up last minute and leave you scrambling to get things in line.
Okay, so this all sounds well and good. BUT- how do you CREATE a content calendar?
It’s not as hard as it may seem.
You can create a simple editorial calendar using Excel. Some useful columns to include are:
- Post Date
- Author (if you’re not the sole author)
- Title (or at least a descriptive idea of the content)
- Category
- Content/Details
- Keywords – is it SEO friendly?
- Target/Personas
- Media to be added (images, videos, infographics)
- What is the call to action (Is there a specific and measurable action you want to see from this topic)
- Social channels you plan to promote on
Bonus: if you prefer a template, we especially like Hubspot’s
Helpful hint: if you are working in a team environment, we set ours up in Google Sheets, so everyone can collaborate and be on the same page.
It is essential for small businesses to produce quality content that their audience needs and wants. But this takes time. Time most don’t have. This is why setting up a content calendar is so vital. It eliminates wasted time and can limit writer’s block. Most of all, by giving your audience what they need, when they need it, your content calendar will be a valuable asset in building engagement and loyalty for your brand.
Need help or tips with your content calendar? Send us a message, we will be happy to assist!