How to Create a Content Calendar in Minutes

Social media has become essential to businesses’ content marketing strategy in today’s digital age.

With billions of people using social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, companies can no longer afford to ignore the power of social media.

However, it’s not enough to post randomly on social media or stick to just one platform; businesses must create a well-structured social media calendar to maximize their social media presence.

Creating a social media calendar can be overwhelming, especially for businesses just starting on social media.

That’s why we’ve created a complete guide to help you create a social media calendar from scratch.

In this guide, we’ll take you through the step-by-step process of creating a social media calendar, including defining your social media goals, understanding your audience, choosing the right social media platforms, and creating a content plan.

We will also show you how Optimo, a FREE AI generator, can help you plan your social calendar, develop content ideas, and create content and engaging social media posts.

With our guide, your social media team can create a social content strategy that reaches your target audience, help you achieve your business goals and engage your audience effectively.

What are social media calendars?

A social media calendar is a schedule that outlines what content to post on each social media platform, at what time, and on which day.

It helps businesses plan and organize their social media activity and provide their audience with a steady stream of engaging content.

A well-structured social media posting calendar also ensures businesses use their time and resources effectively, avoid last-minute content creation, and miss out on valuable opportunities.

Conduct a social media audit.

Before you can start planning your content strategy and any upcoming content, you must clearly understand your existing social media accounts.

Conducting a social media audit can help you create a precise, up-to-date record of your accounts and identify areas for improvement.

What should you be looking for in your social media audit?

You will need to look at and assess various aspects of your social media presence before setting up a content calendar, including:

• Impostor accounts and outdated profiles
• Account security and passwords
• Social media marketing goals and KPIs for each branded account by platform
• Your target audience, their demographics and personas
• Who is accountable for what on your marketing team, and how you assign tasks
• Your most successful posts, campaigns and tactics
• Gaps, underwhelming results, and opportunities for improvement
• Key metrics for measuring future success on each platform.

The findings from the above will help to inform your content planning and enable you to create a social media content calendar that is effective.

Choose your social media channels and the content you’ll post

When it comes to social media marketing strategy, creating a content mix that resonates with your target audience is crucial.

One way to achieve this is by developing a social media calendar that balances promotional content with other content your followers will find informative or entertaining.

Two standard marketing strategies for a content mix that you can use to get started are the social media rule of thirds and the 80-20 rule.

Social media rule of thirds.

The social media rule of thirds recommends that one-third of your posts on social platforms promote your business or drive conversions.

These posts can include product or service promotions and discounts or exclusive offers in your online store.

The other third of your posts should share curated content from industry thought leaders, which can help establish your brand as a reliable source of information.

The final third of your upcoming social media posts or posts should involve personal interaction with your followers.

This can include your social team asking questions, responding to comments, or running polls.

80-20 rule

The 80-20 rule suggests that 80% of your posts in your social media calendar should inform, educate, or entertain your audience.

This content can be in the form of blog posts, news articles, videos, or infographics.

The remaining 20% of your posts in your content calendar should promote your business or drive conversions, such as promoting a new product launch or a limited-time offer.

Switching this up when posting content is important so that you do not bombard your followers with a constant stream of promotional content.

What social media channels should you use for what content?

It’s also essential to determine which social channels to use for which content types when creating a social media calendar.

Each platform has its own strengths and weaknesses, and not all platforms may be necessary for your business.

Instagram, for example, is ideal for visual content.

Coming up with engaging captions and appropriate hashtags can be something many content creators struggle with, but Optimo has a FREE Instagram captions tool.

Simply select it from the social media drop down menu, describe what your post is about and let Optimo come up with five captions, each with relevant hastags.

On the other hand, Twitter is ideal for real-time updates and conversations.

You can also share blog posts and website content on Twitter.

If you are feeling a little stuck when it comes to putting tweets on your editorial calendar, Optimo’s Tweet Ideas is incredibly helpful.

Simply add in. the topic you want to tweet about, and it will come up with five great ideas for you to add to the best social media calendar.

If you are into creating video content and reaching a younger audience, there are various platforms but Reels on Instagram has taken the social media world by storm.

Optimo can suggest Reel ideas, and there’s no reason you can’t carry the same ideas over to Facebook or even TikTok.

The main thing is to produce high-quality content.

User-generated content and curated content

Lastly, don’t forget to schedule user-generated content and curated content in your content calendar.

These types of content can help you build trust with your audience and reduce the burden of creating everything yourself.

Encouraging your followers to share their experiences with your brand can provide a human touch that resonates with your audience.

Sharing relevant content from other sources can also help establish your brand as a thought leader in your industry.

By implementing these strategies, you can create a well-balanced social media calendar that engages your audience and drives results for your business.

Quality assurance and brand safety

Quality assurance and brand safety are crucial things your social media team need to think about when creating a social media content calendar.

In today’s digital age, ensuring that your brand’s online presence is consistent, trustworthy, and free of potentially harmful content is more important than ever.

One way to maintain quality assurance in your content calendar is to establish clear guidelines for the content type you will post.

Consider the tone of voice, messaging, and visual elements to ensure consistency across all platforms.

Adhering to established standards can build trust with your audience and reinforce your brand’s values and identity.

Brand safety is another key consideration when creating a social media content calendar.

This involves ensuring that the content you post is appropriate and does not pose a risk to your brand’s reputation.

One way to mitigate this risk is to monitor user-generated content carefully and remove any posts that could be considered offensive or inappropriate.

It’s also essential to stay current on industry standards and content creation and publishing guidelines.

This includes staying informed on platform-specific policies and rules that dictate what type of content is allowed and what is prohibited.

Failure to adhere to these guidelines could result in losing trust with your audience and potential legal or regulatory issues.

Decide on content posts and categories for each channel when creating your social media calendar

When creating a social media calendar, it’s important to decide on the types of content posts and categories you’ll be using for each channel.

Each social media account has its own unique audience, tone, and style, so it’s essential to tailor your social media content ideas and post ideas to each platform accordingly.

Visual or text-focused content?

Start by considering the types of content that resonate with your target audience on each platform.

For example, Instagram is highly visual and is best suited for photos and videos, while Twitter is more text-focused and is great for short updates and news announcements.

Content categories

Next, determine the content categories you’ll be using when scheduling posts.

This will help you organize your content and provide a well-rounded mix of posts that engage your audience.

Common content categories include educational or informative posts, promotional posts, user-generated content, and behind the scenes content behind-the-scenes posts, and interactive or engaging posts.

How often and when to post?

It’s also important to consider the frequency and timing of your social posts.

For example, you may want to post more frequently on Twitter than on Instagram, and you’ll need to consider the best times of day to post on each platform to ensure maximum engagement and look at ongoing feedback as to whether it is still working.

Most social media platforms offer tools to help with data analysis.

Social media content calendars

Social media calendars are essential for any social media managers in businesses that want to maintain an active and engaging presence on social media platforms.

A social media calendar is a schedule of planned posts and content, organized by date and platform, that helps ensure your social media strategy is consistent, well-planned, and effective.

Saves time

One of the biggest benefits of using a social media editorial calendar is saving time.

By planning your social media content in advance, you can avoid the stress and last-minute scrambling often accompanying social media management.

You’ll have a clear roadmap of what content you’ll be posting and when, which allows you to focus your energy and resources on creating high-quality, engaging content that resonates with your audience.

Consistency and coherence

Another advantage of using a social media calendar is that it helps ensure consistency and coherence across your social media platforms.

By planning your content in advance, you can ensure that your messaging, branding, and tone of voice are consistent across upcoming posts on all platforms.

This can help build brand awareness and recognition, making it easier for your followers to engage with your content and understand your brand’s value proposition.

Measure the effectiveness of your social media strategy

In addition, social media calendars can help you track and measure the effectiveness of your social media strategy.

By planning your content in advance and tracking key metrics such as engagement, clicks, and conversions, you can identify which types of content are most effective on which social channels, and make data-driven decisions about your social media strategy.

What does an effective social media content calendar template look like?

An effective editorial calendar or content calendar template should include the following key elements:

1. A clear, easy-to-read format which lets you quickly and easily see what content is planned for each day, week, or month. Google sheets can be a great (and free) tool for this. You can link it to your Google calendar or other digital calendar as well. You can also look online for a free template.

2. A column or section for each social media platform allowing you to plan and organize content for each platform separately. You can then create your social media posts on Optimo and copy and paste them straight into Google Sheets or your other chosen social media calendar format.

3. A clear and concise description of each piece of social content, including the topic, content formats, and any relevant links, creative assets or attachments.

4. The publish date and time for content and on which social network it is going on.

5. Assignments and responsibilities for each piece of content, including who will be responsible for creating and publishing each piece and who will provide feedback.

6. Space on the content calendar for notes, comments, or feedback from team members or stakeholders.

An effective content calendar template should be flexible, customizable, and designed to fit your business or organization’s needs and goals.

Customizable templates are available online, but make sure you make it your own – you never know, you may have a better idea of how to do it!

An effective social media calendar template can streamline your content planning and production processes, ensure consistency and coherence across your social media platforms.

With a social media calendar template, you can plan posts and get a clear picture of what is going on where and when in your social media marketing strategy.

What’s the difference between an editorial calendar and a content calendar?

An editorial and content production calendar are essential tools for managing your social media presence.

While content calendars focus on the day-to-day tasks of content creation and distribution, editorial calendars take a more strategic approach, focusing on long-term planning and overarching themes.

Editorial calendars are typically used to plan blog content around specific events, holidays, or marketing campaigns.

In contrast, content calendars are used to schedule individual posts and ensure a consistent flow of content.

Ultimately, the main difference between the two is that editorial calendars help you plan and execute your social media strategy.

Content calendars help you manage the daily tasks of creating and sharing content.

By using both tools, you can ensure that your social media presence is strategic and well-executed.

Determine the most efficient posting schedule for your content

When determining the most efficient posting schedule for your social media content calendar, it’s essential to consider a few key factors that can impact engagement and reach.

One of the most critical factors to consider is your target audience.

Who are they?

What social media platforms do they use, and when are they most active?

Conducting research to understand your audience’s behaviors and preferences can help you identify the best times and days to post for optimal engagement.

Another important factor to consider is your industry.

Some industries may have higher engagement rates on certain days or times of the week, such as during peak business hours or after work hours.

Different social media platforms may also have different optimal posting times and frequencies.

For example, Instagram users may prefer more frequent posts throughout the day, while LinkedIn users may prefer fewer posts during work hours.

Consistency is also key when it comes to social media posting schedules.

Establishing a regular posting schedule that aligns with your goals and available resources can help you maintain a consistent presence and build brand awareness.

By tracking your social media metrics and adjusting your social media posting schedule often, you can maximize your social media marketing efforts and effectively reach your target audience.

Additionally, utilizing social media management tools like Hootsuite or Buffer can help you schedule posts in advance and streamline your social media content calendar planning process.

Final thoughts on creating a social media calendar

Setting up a social media calendar is an essential aspect of any business’s content marketing strategy.

With the right planning and organization, businesses can create a well-structured social media presence that engages their audience and drives results.

Conducting a social media audit, choosing the right social media channels, creating a balanced content mix, including user-generated and curated content, and maintaining quality assurance and brand safety are all critical factors to consider when setting up a content calendar for social media.

By following these guidelines and using tools like Optimo, businesses can develop a social content strategy that effectively reaches their target audience, achieves their business goals, and builds a strong brand reputation in the online world.