Creating a comprehensive social media content calendar is essential for maintaining a well-organized and effective digital marketing strategy. With a structured calendar in place, you'll gain clarity on your posting schedule for the entire year, ensuring consistent and engaging content across all your social channels.
The key elements to include in your social media calendar template are as follows:
1. Publish Date: This is the date you plan to release a specific social media update.
2. Types of Content: Categorize your content into various types such as Courses, Social Media Campaigns, Evergreen content, and Important Dates to tailor your posts to different business needs.
3. Topic/Title: Provide a brief description or title for each post, guiding content creation.
4. Content/Details: Clarify the purpose and details of each post to maintain a clear focus.
5. Responsible Person: Designate who will be in charge of creating and posting each social media update.
6. Social Network: Specify which platforms (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) the content will be published on.
7. Goal/Metrics: Define the specific objectives for each post, such as increasing website visits, building relationships, or boosting engagement.
8. Workflows: Organize content in workflows to visualize how it guides users through your sales funnel.
9. Post Type: Select from options like "Normal Post," "Link Post," "Chained Post," or "Carousel Post" to determine the post's format.
10. Content Type: Indicate whether the content is a photo, graphic, GIF, video, user-generated content, or text-only.
11. Link: Include any relevant links to accompany the post.
12. Shortened Tracked Link: If you use a link shortening service like bit.ly, provide the tracked link.
13. Publishing Time: Record the best time for posting based on when your audience is most active.
14. Approval 1 and Approval 2: If required, note the approvals needed before a post goes live.
15. Live Link: Once the post is published, record the live link for easy reference.
Scheduling Tools:
After creating your social media calendar, employing a scheduling tool is highly recommended. These tools automate the process of posting content to your social media platforms. Consider using platforms like Hootsuite, meetEdgar, or Trello for efficient scheduling.
Remember, while setting up a social media content calendar is relatively straightforward, the real challenge lies in maintaining consistency. Stick to your calendar and continue to update it weekly to reap the many benefits of a well-planned social media marketing strategy. You've got this !