Do you need Social Media Content Calendar Ideas?
Scrambling for social content is nothing new. Meetings take place. Deadlines are missed. New tasks come up. And when you have the following social media update looming over your head every 30, 60, or 90 minutes, it’s challenging to get any real work done.
Because social media content speeds through so rapidly, you may feel thrown off at times, so having a pre-planned social media content calendar should be your new best friend.
The best social media managers maintain comprehensive content calendars. They’re essential organisational tools for planning the material you’ll produce and distribute strategically. You may avoid last-minute scrambling to keep your social media pipeline full by working ahead of schedule, reducing stress and increasing quality content.
What is a social media content calendar?
A social media content calendar is a schedule of all your upcoming social media posts. This can be anything from Twitter updates to full-blown blog articles. By mapping out what you want to publish and when you give yourself a clear road map for executing your strategy flawlessly.
The goal is to produce the best content possible while also promoting it at the most reasonable times. This is where social media analytics comes in handy — you can use data from your past posts to gauge what has and hasn’t worked well and then adjust accordingly.
Benefits of using a social media content calendar
There are several advantages to using a social media content calendar, no matter the size of your business and social media marketing strategy.
First, it allows you to look at a big-picture view of your entire social strategy. This is essential for ensuring that all of your content works together to promote your brand and achieve your marketing goals.
Second, a social media calendar helps you to plan and be strategic about your content. You can line up blog posts with upcoming events or product launches, for example, or ensure that you’re constantly promoting your most popular pieces of content.
And third, a social media content calendar helps you track your progress and success. By looking at your calendar regularly, you can quickly see what’s working and what isn’t and make necessary adjustments to your strategy.
Other advantages include:
Reduced stress levels
By having a plan and knowing what’s coming up, you can avoid the last-minute scrambling that often leads to subpar content. Thus, you’ll be able to produce better content and feel less stressed in the successful social media strategy process.
Greater efficiency
You can batch similar tasks together and work more efficiently when you have a plan for different social media accounts. For example, if you know you need to write three blog posts this week, you can block out a few hours to do all the research and writing at once.
Improved quality
You have the time and mental space to produce your best work when you’re not rushed. This is especially important for complex or long-form content like ebooks and white papers.
Better time management
A social media content calendar forces you to be realistic about what you can accomplish in a given period of time. This can help you avoid overcommitting and falling behind, which is all too common when there’s no plan.
What should a social media calendar include?
Now that you know why you should use a social media content calendar, it’s time to start putting one together. But what exactly should you include?
Here are the key elements:
Dates
This is when each piece of content will be published. Dates are crucial for time-sensitive content like Twitter updates and Facebook posts.
Content-type
What kind of content are you creating? This can be anything from a blog post to a video or infographic.
Topic
What’s the main idea or theme of the content? Ensure all your content is aligned with your brand and marketing goals.
Headline
Your headline should be catchy and accurately reflect the topic of your article. A good headline can make a big difference in social media engagement.
Channel
Which social media platform will you be using to promote your content? This is important for ensuring that you publish your content on the right channels.
Target audience
Who is your target audience for this piece of content? Keep this in mind as you’re creating and promoting your content.
Call to action
What do you want your audience to do after reading or viewing your content? Include a call to action in every piece of content you create.
How to create a social media content calendar
Creating a social media content calendar is relatively simple. Follow these steps:
Audit your social networks and content
Before creating a social media content calendar, you need to take inventory of your existing social media presence. This includes your profiles, pages, groups, and any content you’ve already published.
Take a look at each piece of content and ask yourself the following questions:
- Is the content still relevant? Has it been updated recently?
- Is the content aligned with your brand and marketing goals?
- Who is the target audience for this piece of content?
- What is the main idea or theme of the content?
- What is the call to action?
Evaluate your findings and make a note of any changes that you need to make. This will help you create a more effective social media content calendar.
Choose your social channels and content mix
Once you’ve audited your social media presence, it’s time to start thinking about which channels you’ll use to promote your content. This will depend on several factors, including your target audience, marketing goals, and resources.
Think carefully about which channels will most effectively promote your content and reach your target audience. It’s also important to consider which channels you’re already active on and which you can realistically maintain.
Once you’ve chosen your channels, it’s time to start thinking about the content ideas you’ll create.
Common content types include blog posts, videos, infographics, and images. Mixing up your content to keep things interesting for your audience is essential.
Set your goals
Now that you’ve chosen your channels and content mix, it’s time to start setting some goals. What do you want to achieve with your social media content calendar?
Some common goals include increasing brand awareness, generating leads, and driving traffic to your website. Once you’ve decided on your goals, you can plan your content accordingly.
Planning your content
Now it’s time to start putting together your social media content calendar. Begin by brainstorming a list of topics for each piece of content.
Then, start filling in the details for each piece of content, including the title, channel, target audience, call to action, and other relevant information.
Finally, add your content to a calendar or scheduling tool and start posting your social media posting calendar!
Read our blog: Different Types of Content for Social Media
Invite your team to review and use their feedback to improve your content calendar
Review and update your calendar regularly to ensure your content is relevant and aligned with your goals. Taking feedback from your team can also help you improve your social media posting schedule.
Tracking and analysing your social media content calendar
Monitoring and analysing your results is essential once you’ve started promoting your content. This will help you determine what’s working and what isn’t so that you can make necessary changes.
Some metrics you may want to track include reach, engagement, clicks, and conversions. Use this data to improve your content calendar going forward.
Social Media Calendar Tools
Now that you know how to create a social media content calendar, it’s time to start planning your content. Here are a few tools to help you get started:
- Google Calendar: This is an excellent option if you want a free template and easy-to-use tool.
- feedalpha: Social Media Scheduling tool that allows you to create, plan, schedule and analyse your content. Tag management for your content so you can have a clear view of the types of content you have scheduled. It also gives you content to share with your audience.
- CoSchedule: This tool helps you plan, publish, optimise, and measure your results in one place.
- Hootsuite: This tool allows you to schedule posts, publish content and track your analytics.
- Sprout Social: This tool helps you with everything from content creation to measurement.
- Buffer: This tool allows you to schedule and publish content across multiple social media platforms.
No matter which tool you choose, make sure it’s something that you’re comfortable using and meets your needs. Choosing the right tool will make your life much easier and help you get the most out of your social media content calendar.
10 Social Media Content Calendar Ideas
Now that you know how to create a social media content calendar, it’s time to start planning your content. To get you started, here are 15 social media content ideas for your calendar:
Ask a Question
One of the most effective strategies to engage your followers on social media is by making them feel invited to participate in your articles. And you can accomplish this by posing queries that will entice them to join the discussion.
Create a calendar slot for questions your audience would find appealing. This might be anything from industry-related subjects such as which search engine optimisation tool they prefer or more personal ones like how they like to begin their day.
Discount or Promotion
People are always on the lookout for a good deal. You can increase your social media engagement and reach by running a discount or promotion while generating leads and sales.
When planning your discounts or promotions, consider any holidays or special events that might be relevant to your business. For instance, if you sell fitness equipment, you might want to run a promotion around New Year’s resolutions.
Share A Tip Or Trick
Your audience is likely constantly looking to improve their skills in your industry. By sharing a tip or trick, you can show them that you’re an expert in your field while also helping them out.
To make this content more engaging, try using video or images to break down the steps of your tip or trick. This will make it easier for your audience to follow along and understand.
Contest or Giveaway
Another great way to engage your audience and increase reach is by running a contest or giveaway. This content is especially effective if you’re looking to grow your social media following.
When planning a contest or giveaway, consider what prize you’ll offer and how you’ll promote it. For instance, you might want to run a contest on Instagram and require people to follow your account and tag a friend in the comments to enter.
You can also promote your contest or giveaway on other channels, such as your email list or website.
Showcase a product or service
If you’re looking to increase awareness of a new product or service, showcasing it on social media is a great way to do so.
When planning this content, include high-quality images or videos that accurately represent your product or service. You’ll also want to have any relevant information, such as pricing and features.
In addition, be sure to link to where people can purchase your product or service. If you’re selling a physical product, this might be your website or online store. If you’re selling a service, this might be your appointment booking page.
How-to post
As we mentioned, people always seek to improve their skills in your industry. So, a great way to engage your audience is by creating how-to content that will teach them something new.
When planning a how-to post, be sure to include all of the relevant information and details that your audience will need to know. You’ll also want to use images, videos, or infographics to break down the steps of your process.
Take A Poll on your social media accounts
Social media is a great place to get feedback from your audience. By taking a poll, you can not only engage your audience but also collect valuable data that you can use to improve your business.
When planning a poll, consider what information you want to collect. You might also want to offer a prize or discount to those participating.
Share A Customer Story
Customer stories are a great way to show the impact of your product or service. They’re also an effective way to build trust with your audience.
Planning this type of content includes information about what problem your customer was facing and how your product or service helped them solve it. You might also want a quote from the customer to add a personal touch.
Beyond The Scenes Photo Or Video
People are always curious about what goes on behind the scenes of a business. By sharing a behind-the-scenes photo or video, you can give your audience a peek into your world while increasing engagement.
When planning this type of content, including an interesting story or detail about what’s happening in the photo or video. You might also want to have a call-to-action, such as asking your audience to share their behind-the-scenes pictures or videos.
Weekly Round-Up Interesting Articles
If you’re looking to drive traffic to your website, a weekly round-up of interesting articles is a great way.
When planning this type of content, including a mix of articles that appeal to your audience. You might also want to briefly describe each piece to give people an idea of what it’s about.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are several ways you can use social media to engage your audience. By planning and creating engaging content. You can increase your reach and build relationships with your audience.
What type of content do you find most engaging? Let us know in the comments below!
Looking for more ideas? Visit our Content Ideas hub.
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