Step Away from the Content Calendar! Why Social Media Success Depends on Keeping it Real

I have a confession to make. I hate content calendars. 

That felt really good writing that line. Let me explain. For one, and my fellow content marketers will understand this, there is nothing worse than asking somebody with EIS, that is, Explosive Idea Syndrome, to pause, sit down, and carefully plan out their next week, month, even year in a neat calendar that's never quite executed the way it is on paper. Why? Because your business (hopefully), is different today than it will be a week, month, or year from now. 

More importantly, it can directly threaten your brand authenticity, the very fabric upon which trust is built, which according to the 2015 Edelman Trust Barometer is looking increasingly bleak for brands worldwide. This is serious stuff, guys, because if your prospects don't trust you, they're not going to buy from you, it's that simple. 

Believe it or not, there's no formula for keeping it real. You can't dupe authenticity by setting up auto responding bots or scheduling posts for the sake of scheduling posts. Quantity does not equal quality, and the most important part of being active online is being present to engage and interact with your followers and prospects. Authenticity is about so much more than voice and tone, it's about awesome customer service, reputation management, social listening, and transparency. 

Beyond the authenticity issue, scheduled posts may be problematic because you are risking your brand's integrity when tragedy strikes. How many times have you read about big brands that have posted the wrong thing at the wrong time? Don't be that brand put on blast because they couldn't hit the un-publish button quick enough. 

Lastly, think about your favorite family photos. Maybe some of them are posed, but for the most part, the photos that evoke the strongest sense of nostalgia are the candid ones, the ones that could not have been captured exactly the same way on purpose, but are so perfect because they most accurately tell the story.

Social media is not a newsletter, it's a camera broadcasting your brand's story, so make sure to give it your very best shot.