If the words “marketing content calendar” fill you with dread and trepidation, I get it!
Maybe it’s the organization nerd in me, but I would never just start creating content willy-nilly without some type of calendar. It’s very helpful to have a structure in place, so that you’re not repeating yourself, creating too much (or too little) content, or missing out on opportunities for crossposting.
The biggest benefit to having a calendar is that it keeps you accountable and consistent in your content marketing efforts. And don’t worry – you don’t have to commit to creating a whole year at once. Try just a quarter, or even a month!
Let’s dig into my 4-step process for creating a marketing content calendar, using a concept I call “content buckets.”
Step 1: Choose an Organizational System
I create content calendars for my clients in Google Sheets. You can also use project management software like Asana.
Step 2: Pick Your Content Buckets
Here are the nine content buckets I use with my clients. Pick the ones that make the most sense for you and your business.
Promotional*
Asking people to take the next step in buying your product or service.
*Within this content bucket, you will have several subcategories. List every product and service you provide. Each one is a subcategory.
Educational**
Providing a resource related to your expertise. This could be content you create yourself or content that you curate from a trusted source.
**Again, you will have subcategories under this content bucket. List out all your main areas of expertise. Each one is a subcategory.
Branding
Talking about your “why” – your mission, values, or purpose of existing.
Behind-the-Scenes
Bringing people behind the curtain of your organization, such as showcasing how something is made or describing what goes into your process.
Company Culture
Showing what it’s like to work with you, such as a group meeting, employee spotlight, or talking about why people want to work for you.
Success Stories
Sharing testimonials or success stories from happy customers or clients.
Engagement
Inviting people to engage with your content with a question, poll, or contest.
Inspirational
Giving encouragement or motivation through a quote, a throwback story from your organization’s history, or another inspirational story.
Humorous
Sharing a funny cartoon, meme, or video. This could be something you create or something you curate from another source.
Step 3: Pick Your Content Types
Your marketing content will include social media content and long-form content, such as blogs, e-books, newsletters, podcasts, videos, webinars, and more. Now, it’s time to decide how you want to deliver your content.
For example, under the “Promotional” content bucket, you listed all your products and services. For “Service A,” you could:
- Record short-form videos for social media that highlight that service.
- Create case studies about client success stories and publish them on your website.
- Include promotional blurbs about this service in your monthly email newsletters.
- Put together educational webinars on a related topic that you can use to promote your service.
- Tie your service to holidays and special recognition days on social media.
Here’s another example! Under the “Educational” content bucket, you listed all your areas of expertise. For “Expertise A,” you could:
- Create carousel posts for Instagram (images) and LinkedIn (PDF) that people can swipe through for helpful tips.
- Write blogs that establish yourself as a thought leader in that area of expertise, publishing them on your website and personal LinkedIn.
- Record podcast episodes on your own show (or appear as a guest on other podcasts) to talk about that area of expertise.
- Write an e-book to use as a lead magnet on your website, helping build your email list.
- Share helpful articles on LinkedIn from other thought leaders in your industry, giving them credit and adding your own two cents in the caption.
Step 4: Build Your Content Calendar
Within your chosen organizational system, start putting dates next to each piece of content. Make sure you rotate through your content buckets so your content isn’t one note. Now, you’ll see that it’s starting to come together and can begin creating the actual content!
Get More Ideas for Content
I’ve created a free PDF download to help you ideate content ideas. It’s geared for social media content, but you could easily convert many into long-form content ideas.
Using this downloadable PDF, you’ll learn how to ideate for social media posts and snag 57 specific, attainable ideas. Some are even fill-in-the-blank prompts! It’s designed as a checklist, although each idea could also be executed on a recurring basis or recreated in multiple ways.
Enjoy!