There are several steps to building online content calendars. These calendars often save time, reduce mistakes, capture relevant creative brief details, hit deadlines more accurately, and more. Additionally, these calendars can be built to track content tasks and reduce duplicate work errors. As a tech-savvy app user, create online content calendars to segment the stages of your marketing content pipeline. Read on to discover how to build an online content calendar. This way, you can avoid common IT productivity mistakes and track progress better.
Choose A Platform
Choosing a platform is the first step in building content calendars for your electronic media channels. There are many platforms available to create and host your calendar on. Consider what you need the calendar for. If you need it for a solo project or endeavor, simple platforms or even pen and paper work well. If you’re collaborating with a team, allow them to view, edit, and give feedback on proposed content by using a collaborative platform. This way, you maximize content marketing and SEO while sending new content to other collaborators. Surely, deciding on a platform provides collaboration capabilities and direction to the rest of the process.
Set Goals
Second, set the goals your content calendar needs to achieve. You track the impact of your produced content on your brand by setting content goals. Thus, always have an end goal in mind, and refrain from creating too many. While you can have several goals, too many often dilutes the focus you and your team can provide. Try to keep a maximum of three end goals. Absolutely, provide robust tracking insights and focus to your calendar by setting a maximum of three goals.
Choose A Template
Now, choose a template to build an online content calendar from scratch. There are several key elements to include within your online content calendar. For example, you need to have a breakdown with your publishing channel, writing topic, and type of article to be published. In addition, your template must include the estimated date and time for publishing. Also, include a process stage label. Here, your content items will be categorized as “In Progress,” “Done,” “Scheduled,” or “Published.” Certainly, choosing a template is a critical step to build a content calendar from scratch for your tech agency. Following these steps, you can increase productivity and maximize organization across your content efforts.
Determine What the Calendar Tracks
Third, determine what your calendar will track. This digital project management tactic maps out the functionalities and insights the calendar provides you. Start with basics such as platform, copy, visuals, and links to assets as well as published posts. Then, add more complex details that have the potential to provide further assistance. Details like this include platform-specific formats, affiliated campaigns/verticals, and geo-targeting. This way, you maximize the functionalities of your calendar. Certainly, ensure your calendar fits your specific needs by determining what it will track.
Targeted Content “Shows”
Next, created targeted content “shows” to post with the calendar. Think like a television network, and liken your content to tv shows. They should be predictable, steady campaigns that audiences can recognize. The three most common types of content shows are binging shows, one-time shows, and regularly scheduled. Binging shows are steady campaigns with constant themes and formats, and should hit at least two audience demographics. One-time shows should be done quarterly or yearly, and address a major consumer pain point. Round out the calendar with regularly scheduled content that doesn’t have to connect or be completely consistent in theme. Definitely, maximize your content calendar’s engagement by creating various content “shows.”
When & How Often To Post
Lastly, decide when and how often to post digital content from your calendar. The various social media platforms have different times and frequencies for maximum exposure as well as engagement. Receive improvements to awareness, engagement, shares, and traffic by posting at the right frequencies on the right platforms. Additionally, maximize post exposure by choosing the right time to post. For example, about 80% of the US population lives within the Eastern and Central time zones, so base your posting schedule off those time zones to target US audiences. Of course, maximize engagement, awareness, traffic, and shares by posting at the right times and frequencies.
Building online content calendars can be done in a myriad of ways. For example, provide collaboration capabilities and direction to the rest of the process by choosing a platform. Second, provide focus and tracking insights to your calendar by setting a maximum of three goals. Third, ensure your calendar fits your specific needs by determining what it should track. Next, maximize your calendar’s engagement by creating various targeted content “shows.” Finally, increase awareness, traffic, and shares by posting at the right times and frequencies. When wondering how to build an online content calendar, consider the steps described above.