Why is it crucial to create a content calendar? 

Has social media marketing got you racking your brain on a day-to-day basis? A content calendar could do you some good. During these trying times, as the novel coronavirus shows no signs of mercy, social media has grown in use. Now more than ever, it makes sense to be clear, concise, and calculated with every move made on social. Whether you’re a Mom and Pop looking to connect with your loyal customers online, or part of a multilevel corporation tasked with promoting a new product, these social networks will play an important role. The best way to manage your social media schedule is with a content calendar. You can stay organized with posts over multiple networks for an extended time, make sure all posts reflect your voice and message with a keen eye on detail, and you can save one of the most valuable assets you possess, time.

Here are 10 ways a content calendar can benefit your business;

1. PLANNING.

The only constant in life is change, which means there will always be something to talk about. With a content calendar, you can plan for everything you know is coming (eg. holidays) and create brand-related posts to accompany these events. Keeping all of these details in your content calendar will make posting feel and look a lot less intimidating, and also free up time for on-the-spot posts for events that cannot be planned.

2. HIGHER QUALITY.

Knowing what you plan to post ahead of time allows for more effort to be invested in creativity. This can be used to find relevant imagery and write captivating copy. This allows you to produce the highest quality content possible.

3. WHAT WORKS.

As beneficial as it is for planning forward, it has benefits in the other direction as well. Looking back on your content calendar you can see what worked and what didn’t and you can plan accordingly. Hindsight is 20/20, especially when it’s saved in your google drive.

4. VOICE.

Using the content calendar makes it clear to see what you’re saying and why. Reviewing ahead of time allows you to double-check your copy and be certain it’s brand-appropriate. With the many personalities social networks have on their own it is possible to lose your voice, with a content calendar, you can look and look again at copy and will be more likely to catch something off-brand.

5. RATIOS.

Use a content calendar to keep your ratios level. Whether using a 4-1-1 ratio or the rule of thirds, a content calendar will help you to make sure you’re keeping to your ratio. With the content scheduled for the day, month, or year, you can see whether or not you are keeping to the ratio you’ve decided upon and if not then you can adjust beforehand. 

6. PLANNING II (Brand Specific Planning).

One of the more obvious uses for a content calendar is planning. More specifically, planning for your brand. Not every holiday is for everyone. Use the content calendar to create posts that make sense for the brand. If you own a moving company posting on National Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day might make sense for you.

7. Best Fit.

With the content calendar, you can see what network the content is designated for. With this information, you can design and write specifically for each network. This allows you to create content that is the best fit to the network it will be posted to.

8. Already Scheduled.

‘Time is of the essence’, ‘time is money’, when it goes, it’s gone. Anything that saves time is beneficial to a business. It takes time to post, so having your post predetermined will leave more time available to do other things…like run the business.

9. Automate.

A content calendar makes using automation software much easier. All you have to do is plug in the content of your calendar and watch it go to work. An automated posting set-up can save plenty of time and potential headaches. For automation, without a content calendar, you may as well be posting yourself.

10. Profread. Proofreed. Proofread.

Creating posts in advance will give you the opportunity to proofread your work every time you, or anyone else, checks your content calendar. This makes it so fewer errors can slip through the cracks and posts have the best copy possible by the time they are posted.

These are some of the many benefits that can result from using a content calendar for your business’s social media accounts. Do you use a content calendar? If so what is your favorite benefit, if not why? Leave a comment below with your answer and don’t forget to follow for more marketing-related posts.