What’s a content calendar? 

It’s one of the best ways to stay on top of your social strategy! A calendar can help you visualize all your planned posts for the weeks or even months ahead. One of the biggest challenges in managing a social media account is maintaining consistency – some weeks may naturally have lots of event-inspired content while you might find yourself hitting roadblocks during quieter periods. A calendar can help take the pressure off and make your tasks more manageable! Save time and test different strategies by organizing all your campaigns in one place and tracking what resonates most with your audience. There are so many benefits to building a scheduling database, and there’s no better time than the new year to revamp your approach!

 

  1. Save time by being organized

    Plan out images, links, topics, events and more – all in one place! The last thing you want is to be coming up with topics on the fly, and high-quality posting can be achieved with just a little bit of planning and a simple documented strategy. Blocking out time to plan an entire month’s worth of content can save you hours compared to taking time out of each day to plan your posts! Organizing campaigns in advance also grants more time for editing and feedback amongst team members. (A calendar will also help you prevent missing a major deadline!)

     

  2. Customize posts to each platform

    To effectively utilize social media platforms as major marketing tools, dedicate time to learning the different demographics across each of your accounts. Each social channel has different intended uses and is viewed by unique populations – and a calendar can help you visualize this information side by side.

     

  3. Coordinate your campaign schedule across all platforms

    Your content calendar will give you a better idea of your overall marketing strategy – giving you the space to tweak where you notice gaps or an imbalance in topics. Consistency is key when it comes to maintaining an audience, and a calendar can ensure a steady stream of relevant, engaging content.

     

  4. Easily share with others across teams

    A content calendar is also highly useful in keeping all staff members on the same page. Having one easily accessible content database allows colleagues from across teams to take a quick look and support the overall campaign. Not surprisingly, transparency between sales and marketing departments can lead to higher sale rates and customer retention rates!

  5. Inspires brainstorming

    A surge of creativity often accompanies a new organizational system, and getting a fuller look at your campaign will almost definitely spark some ideas! Plus, by including audience engagement measures in your content calendar, you can monitor feedback and gain valuable insights into how to adjust your posting schedule.

 

Have more questions? Direct Development is here to help plan your next social media campaign!