You need to create a content calendar. What are the best tools to help you get started?

If a team is just starting out, sometimes a good old-fashioned spreadsheet will do the trick. That's exactly what my team did and then we grew into using a more sophisticated process with Airtable and Sprout Social. The nice thing about Airtable is that there's a free option for smaller teams!

If you're looking to successfully pitch bylined thought leadership content to trade magazines, look at their editorial calendar published annually in their media kits (download from the magazine's website). Find topics that resonate with the expertise you can provide and pitch the editor along the lines of: "I saw your April issue focuses on X", we'd love to contribute an article on <insert short abstract>. Do this at least two months out from the content deadline published in the editorial calendar, print magazines have long production cycles.

Before beginning, consider your audience and goals. Who are you trying to reach, and what do you hope to achieve? Quality beats quantity every day, and ensuring it properly reflects your narrative while keeping your audience interested is the most crucial part of the battle. Once you have that set, the tools and setting up the cadence are the easy part. A spreadsheet will do for startups or tight budgets. Airtable or Sprout Social are great once you have a little money (or a lot) to spend. Also check out Hubspot, it has a lot of useful freebies.

Feature-rich and powerful: ClickUp, CoSchedule, Hootsuite Simple and budget-friendly:Buffer, Sprout Social,SocialPilot. Free options:Google Sheets,Trello, Evernote. Factors to consider: Team size and needs,Budget,Integrations,Ease of use,Creating an Effective Content Calendar Essential: Content types, Publishing dates and times: Schedule posts strategically based on audience engagement patterns. Content themes and topics: Align content with your marketing goals and target audience interests. Visuals and multimedia: Use eye-catching visuals to enhance engagement. Calls to action: Encourage audience interaction with clear CTAs. Tracking and analytics: Monitor performance and adapt your strategy accordingly.

The tool isn't important, particularly if you are a smaller team or organisation. An Excel sheet works just fine. The key to success is making sure it is maintained and your team are checking in with it every week. You also need to ensure the calendar is easy to read and use colours etc to make it visual/break out the months. Set up columns so it's clear the date something is going live, who is responsible for it, the type of communications it is and what collateral is required.

Mastering the art of setting up and populating your content calendar is not just about organization—it's about envisioning the journey your audience will take through your content. I've personally learned that the key is not just filling slots with ideas, but strategically weaving those ideas into a narrative that educates, engages and inspires. It's about understanding not only what your audience needs to hear, but also when they need to hear it. These tips can help you transform your content calendar from a scheduling tool into a dynamic blueprint for impactful storytelling.

It depends on the size of your business, if you are a small business, google sheet & calendar will do the work for you. You don't have to spend dollars on tools to streamline your workflow but if you are a medium & large enterprise choosing paid tools must be an option. To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with forethought (measure twice, cut once, right?) but without smart processes & smarter tools, bottlenecks can paralyze your production. So, what constitutes a "good" content calendar is subjective. Still, collaboration capabilities, integration with popular tools, easy-to-use interface, flexible formatting & automation capabilities are the features you should look for to ensure you create a content calendar that works for your team.

Choosing a tool can sometimes be a distraction. It is more important that you find something you will actually stick with rather than bounce from one shiny new tool to the next. You may also want to consider choosing something you can grow with. I personally love the flexibility of Notion; it's simple enough that it can be used by a solopreneur yet can also be used with a team as you grow.

When choosing a tool that matches my workflow and budget, I look for versatility and value. Trello stands out for its user-friendly interface, making content planning and tracking seamless. For social media management, Hootsuite offers a balance of comprehensive features and affordability, ideal for robust analytics and scheduling. These tools not only fit a modest budget but also enhance efficiency, ideal for managing diverse projects and maintaining a streamlined content strategy. For my personal socials, I use the Buffer free version.

It definitely depends on the size, who you’re sharing with and budget. I often still use a trusty Google Sheet. But some options, like Loomly, can be great to get approval from your client asap. Remember your time is valuable when looking into options.

Creating a calendar starts with getting the ideas OUT and on paper, evaluating against our SMART goals, prioritizing them then making sure the team has the Knowledge and Understanding of what the calendar represents so you can take action!

Building the framework begins, at minimum, the quarter before your next calendar is set to start. I have three meetings: 1) a general meeting with edit and creative teams to pitch and refine content ideas and delivery channels; 2) a meeting with all company stakeholders to listen to ideas and needs from each department and find solutions for those needs, and 3) a final “speak now or forever hold your piece” meeting that sets the strategy and tactics for making each theme, program, and pathway come to life. This level of preparation— and adhering to schedule — gives a transparent course of action, with buy-in from all sectors. It also gives content team the freedom to pivot in light of breaking news or analytics findings to serve users.

One of the most important steps to content creation is to create a content calendar to map out and track your posts. Many people create content without having a plan because they just want to get a post up quickly, but that’s not a strategic or effective approach. Your content calendar can be simple, I use a Google doc because it’s easily shareable. The simpler it is the better because people you’ll be able to easily find what you’re looking for. It’s really important to map out your content pillars, the 3 to 5 areas in your wheelhouse that support your brand and your business, in this plan. Your content should not deviate from these pillars. we purposing your content is so important and your content calendar can help you do that.

To initiate a content calendar, first, select a tool such as Airtable, Google Calendar, or Monday.com. Set up your calendar by designating publication dates, themes, and target audiences. Populate it with content ideas, aligning them with your marketing objectives. Ensure a consistent posting schedule. Leverage the tool's features for collaboration and task assignments. Regularly update and refine your content calendar to adapt to evolving priorities. This meticulous setup and ongoing management ensure an organized and strategic approach to content creation, aligning with best practices for effective content planning.

When setting up a content calendar, I typically follow a few steps. First, Google Docs is a great starting point to expand upon thematic pillars and audience topics from the content strategy, allowing space for idea drafting, topic debates, and more flexible planning. Think of this Doc as the link between strategy and production. When it's time to move into a production workspace or calendar, I recommend picking a tool that offers flexibility in organizing and viewing content by various cuts like media, audience, topics, goals, etc. My go-to's are Airtable and Notion. Depending on the size/structure of your business, integrating with existing platforms like Monday, ClickUp, or Asana can do the trick and play nice cross-functionally too.

Sometimes, all these automations and process designs make things harder. If you're a start-up or small company, don't waste time on planning stuff instead of doing it. Getting quality content out is more important than defining the whole process from end to end. You can add and redefine your process as you go. We are still on just an Excel sheet - simple, and you can see everything in one glance. When the need arises, I would like to add Hootsuite, etc.

Some tools that are effective include: - Trello: A visual collaboration tool that uses boards, lists, and cards. You can create a board for your content calendar, with lists for each stage of content creation, and cards for individual pieces of content. - ContentCal: A social media and content planning tool, ContentCal provides a visual calendar for planning and scheduling content across various platforms. It also includes collaboration features.

To save time and energy, you can use integrations and automation features that your content calendar tool may offer. For example, you can connect your content calendar with your social media accounts, email marketing software, or content management system. You can also automate tasks such as scheduling, publishing, or reporting on your content.

Leverage integrations and automation features offered by your chosen tool to streamline your content creation process. For example: Social Media Management Tools: Integrate your content calendar with social media scheduling tools like Buffer or Hootsuite to automate posting. Email Marketing Platforms: Sync your content calendar with email marketing platforms like Mailchimp or Constant Contact to schedule newsletters and promotional emails.

Use integrations that make sense and don’t start by trying to integrate EVERYTHING. It’s tempting to try and load everything up while chasing productivity. In reality, a lean content management platform is the best performing.

Pay attention to your website analytics, re’ audience engagement, downloads, shares, time spent, etc. Plan 50%+ of your content around those analytics, along with market leading content…meaning where your experts/ editors see the market and technology heading and what that will mean for organizations. Content calendars should be flexible, reviewed on a very regular basis and subject to frequent updates.

Before investing in a tool, ensure that you have consulted several different sources to understand whether it is the right fit for your specific content requirements. Building a network of fellow content creators is essential to gain access to genuine opinions and perspectives. Following popular creators in the space, attending webinars and subscribing to relevant newsletters can also help stay up to date on the latest tools available. Also, do not opt for a tool just because everyone else in the industry seems to be using it. Evaluate the size of your business and your specific requirements to understand whether it is really required. Unnecessary tools will simply add an extra process to your workflow.

Network with other creators, share ideas, and learn from each other's experiences. Participate in discussions, ask for feedback, and gain different perspectives on your content strategy. Stay informed about industry trends, challenges, and solutions. Get insights into your target audience's preferences and behaviors through real-world discussions. Develop your skills by learning from seasoned professionals and participating in collaborative projects. Improve your content planning, execution, and promotion strategies. Collaboration is key! Connecting with other creators can lead to exciting collaborations. Partner on content projects, exchange knowledge, and leverage each other's strengths to create even more impactful work.

To improve your content quality and performance, you can learn from the best practices and examples of other content creators in your industry or niche. You can follow their content strategies, analyze their content types and topics, and see what works and what doesn’t. You can also get inspired by their content formats, styles, and tones.

It's invaluable to look toward fellow creators, engaging them for insights on their best practices in crafting and monitoring posts within a content calendar. This collaborative spirit not only fosters a community of learning and growth but also empowers us to refine our strategies and adopt industry-leading practices. By learning from each other, we ensure that our content remains impactful, relevant and aligned with the evolving landscape of our audience's interests and needs.

Honestly, I'd recommend getting a Monday.com account. I was an account manager for scaled use cases at a Fortune500 company, and now I use it personally and professionally. Get clear with yourself and stakeholders with dynamic Gantt views, valid interdependencies. Also use the platform to support awesome kick-off meetings within a RACI framework and you can't go wrong, no matter the topic - I promise.

When developing content, the tracking and management is undervalued. You can write the greatest blog post in the world, but it’s no good if it gets lost in a wall of sound. When selecting content management tool, invest a good amount of time and use it as you would in real life. Time spent up front will drive a greater investment.

Apostem nas tecnologias. O profissional de comunica??o tem que estar constantemente ligado no que o mundo tecnológico oferece. Se você n?o é ligado à tecnologia, tenha um profissional desta área dedicado a sua área de conteúdo para garantir inova??es e trazer solu??es para a área. A tecnologia é super aliada da gest?o de conteúdo.

When you are starting the content ideation phase, consider identifying a content pillar that interests your ideal customer profile. From that broad subject, create ideas that relate to this pillar that provide value to your ICP. Those ideas can turn into blogs, infographs, podcasts, videos and other media to be incorporated into the content calendar based on production time and budget.

The user has to be kept in focus during the entire process. It is also critical that you have a system that works for both you and the user to be the most effective. I've learned many new systems working with a variety of clients and it has helped me be more well-rounded and move into new situations with less work anxiety.