How to Create an Effective Content Calendar for Small Business
As a small business owner, you understand the importance of maintaining a strong online presence to boost brand visibility and engage with your target audience. However, achieving social media success requires careful planning and organization.
How do businesses do it?
There's a lot that goes into success on social media but in order to stay on top of it, you need a well-structured content calendar, also sometimes referred to as an editorial calendar.
This post will share the key elements of creating an effective content calendar tailored to the needs of small businesses that don't have a dedicated marketing team.
Please note, some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I may receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.
Why a Well-planned Content Calendar is Essential for Small Business's Social Media Strategy
As a social media marketer, one of the complaints I hear the most is
“I can't keep up because something else is always more pressing and I just don't get around to posting.”
As you know, running a small business often means wearing multiple hats, and a social media content strategy can easily get overwhelming without proper planning.
A content calendar can offer several benefits.
- Consistency– A content calendar enables you to schedule posts in advance, ensuring a consistent social presence, even when you're busy with other aspects of your business.
- Time Management: By planning and organizing your content in advance, you save time and can focus on other critical aspects of your business.
- Improved social media marketing Strategy: A content calendar helps you align your social media efforts with your specific goals making your marketing strategy more effective.
Key Elements of an Effective Content Calendar
- Which Social Networks
- What days and times
- System for planning
- What to post
Diversifying Across Different Platforms
Which Social Networks should you use?
Start by identifying the social media channels that align with your target audience and business goals.
Each platform caters to different demographics and has a unique culture so understanding these nuances will help you tailor the types of posts you share.
While it's essential to focus your marketing efforts on platforms where your target audience is most active, explore other platforms that might complement your business, and expand your reach, but not until you're able to be consistent on at least 1 platform.
I always advise my clients to emphasize consistency over quantity.
Use a Free Content Calendar Template
Leverage free content calendar templates available to kickstart your planning process.
These templates can save you time and provide a framework for organizing your content.
Content planners don't need to be this involved, especially if you're just starting out with a social media plan.
You can use a Google calendar, or Google Sheets, print out a 30-day blank calendar, and use pen and paper if that works. You can grab this free download below
If you're more of an “I'll only use it if it's pretty” kind of person then I have a beautiful Google sheet that provides all the bells and whistles, but it's not free.
Identifying the right Time to Post
There are debates about this topic online, so a great way to discover when your audience engages most is to check your metrics on your different social channels.
Just because you saw a graphic that says “the best time to post is at 11 on Mondays”. doesn't mean that's true for your audience and circumstances.
Take advantage of audience insights and analytics on your platform, or tool to determine the most effective times to post on each channel.
This ensures your content reaches your audience when they're most likely to engage.
Creating a Content Creation Process
When you're a small business, you don't always have different team members handling each department, and a social media manager might not yet be on the team.
I know from my own experience, trying to create content for my business has always been a struggle, especially if I don't have a system.
If social media marketing falls on your shoulders, try to streamline the content creation process that fits your schedule and energy levels.
For example, If your creativity peaks in the morning, block out a few mornings so you can brainstorm.
If you're anything like me, ideas pop up all the time, so get in the habit of writing those juicy nuggets down and storing them in one central location. (I even have a notepad in the shower because that's when I have all the best ideas!)
Batch Same Tasks
Switching from task to task is not the most efficient way to use your brain power, so plan for more productivity by batching the same tasks.
If you're going to create a graphic for one post, block off an hour and create all your graphics for the month.
Tailoring Content to Your Target Audience
What in the world are you supposed to share on social media?
The short answer is to share value with your ideal customers.
By understanding your audience's interests, preferences, and pain points, you'll be able to create the types of content that resonate with them.
Hopefully, you've identified your ideal client, so you know who you're speaking to. Don't waste your time on social media sharing content your audience doesn't want, because they won't engage.
If you're a health coach for women, sharing an article called: “The Top 10 Places to eat junk food and sit all day” won't attract the audience you want. (You might get a few who want one last go-round before they join your program!)
The point of social media marketing is to attract people to your offers by providing value. So, share content that your ideal customer will find valuable.
Hint: It's not just free stuff
Come up with Content “Buckets” “Categories” “Pillars” (Whatever You Want to Call Them)
A simple way to plan and organize is to have different categories also referred to as pillars, buckets, or themes, and then create content that fits into these categories. Each pillar has a different purpose.
Some common pillars are:
- education,
- inspirational,
- building trust,
- entertaining
- promotional
Pro Tip
Promotional content should comprise only 20% of total
In addition to the different pillars, you should have a nice mix of images, videos, quotes, and articles.
Using Social Media Scheduling Tools
If you're reading this right now and thinking Stacy, there's no way I have time to do all of this on a consistent basis!
I get it! I don't either, but stay with me because we can do this!
And don't worry, you're not going to have to set an alarm every day and stop what you're doing to post on social media.
Once you have your content planned, you can schedule them to post when you want!
Metricool
There are many tools for scheduling social media. Some are free and some paid, but the best free one in my opinion is Metricool.
What's included in Metricool Free Plan:
- Schedule up to 50 pieces of content every month!
- Share on all social platforms (free plan doesn't include Linkedin)
- Social media content calendar
- Best times to post
- an app
- analytics
Flick
Flick is an Instagram tool that has incredible hashtag-heavy capabilities, and they offer a free 7-day trial. If you find that Instagram is going to be your channel, it's a terrific tool.
Meta Business Suite
and if you're only on Facebook and Instagram I'd recommend you use their native scheduling tool on the platform. You will need to start with a Facebook Business Page.
Won't using a scheduling tool ruin my engagement?
You'll see a lot online about this, but it's been tested by experienced and successful marketers and is believed to be a rumor.
Stacy Covitz
I don't believe using scheduling tools will affect your engagement because as long as you're being consistent and providing value to your audience, the scary algorithm will treat you well.
Building your Content Calendar: Step-by-Step
Step 1: Gather your supplies
- Content Calendar of choice
- Business Calendar-12 months
Dates to have ready:
- Holidays
- Promotions you have scheduled for the year
- Planned Vacation
- Product launches
- Sales-Black Friday/End of Year
- Busy Weeks
- Slow Weeks
- Customer needs during different times
- Social Media Holidays-insert link
Step 2:
Start adding in all the important dates and times for the whole year.
Keep in mind, the content you're creating is about helping your ideal customer, right?
So while you're planning your 12 months, be mindful of what's happening in their lives at different times of the year.
Look at all the different social media holidays because that's a great way to have relevant content without having to put too much thought into it.
Pro Tip:
Only share social media holidays if it makes sense for your brand.
For example, if you're a health coach you wouldn't want to share a post for #nationaldonutday with a picture of a dozen delicious-looking donuts.
That's off-brand and would not be providing value to your audience
Step 3: Braindump
There are a lot of ways you can brain dump. I'm a write-it-down kind of person, (which is funny because my writing is horrendous) but you can do this on your computer. a whiteboard or whatever works for you.
This is how I do it
1) write down all the topics your business does/helps
Now take those topics and fit them into the pillars or themes we talked about before.
Think about what your goals are for all the different events your business has going on during the year.
If there is a particularly busy month with a product launch or big event, your pillars might be promotion heavy for that month, which is fine as long as it all evens out to be no more than 20%.
Step 4: Selecting Your Social Media Platforms
Based on your research and target audience, choose the social media platforms where your business can thrive and effectively engage with your customers.
If you're not sure where you should post, watch the above short video.
Step 5: Take your completed calendar and batch your content
Find all the images, create your graphics, write your captions, create videos, find memes and gifs, and fill out your content calendar with everything needed!
Remember, this step can be spread out and not done all in one day.
And I do realize this seems like a lot, but if you do this for 3-12 months at a time, you will be amazed at how much your business grows!
Do the hard work upfront once and have an entire year of consistency on social media!
Step 6: Scheduling and Publishing Posts
Celebrate- the hard part is over!
Use your content calendar to schedule posts in advance, either using Meta business suite, or the free version of Mertricool.
This practice ensures a consistent posting schedule and allows you to plan content around special events or promotions.
Step 7: Monitoring and Adapting
Keep track of your content's performance through analytics and insights. Use this data to refine your content strategy and identify areas for improvement.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is a content calendar, and why do I need it for my small business?
A content calendar is a tool used to plan, organize, and schedule your social media content in advance. It helps maintain consistency, save time, and align your content with your marketing goals.
How do social networks impact my content strategy?
Each social network caters to a different audience with varying preferences. Understanding these differences allows you to tailor your content for better engagement.
How can Google Sheets help me organize my content calendar?
Google Sheets provide a collaborative and accessible platform for team members to contribute to the content calendar, making it easy to manage and update.
How do I determine the best time to post on social media?
Analyzing your audience insights and engagement patterns will help you identify the best times to post for maximum impact, but keep in mind there are other factors that could affect this depending on current events in the world.
Are there any free content calendar templates available?
Yes, there are numerous free content calendar templates available online that you can customize to suit your business needs.
What are the essential elements of a social media strategy?
A well-defined social media strategy includes clear objectives, target audience analysis, content planning, and consistent monitoring and optimization.
Easy Peasy, Right?
I know- I'm kind of joking. it's a lot of work, but it is the most efficient way to tackle social media marketing.
A well-organized content calendar is a valuable tool for small business owners to manage their social media presence effectively.
By understanding your audience, leveraging free templates and tools, and planning ahead, you can create engaging content that resonates with your followers and helps grow your business.
Remember, consistency and authenticity are key to building a loyal online community.
By taking the time to plan in advance, you'll be on your way to social media success!
You've got this!
