And why a content schedule for social media makes good business sense
The store opens in 20 minutes. Along with everything else on your must-do list, writing a social media update to start the day is just another task. One that’s easily pushed aside if you run out of time, right? Wrong? If there’s one thing 2020 taught us, it’s how important social media can be to keeping our businesses thriving during hard times.
Creating social media content is a never-ending job though. Depending on how many channels your business is using, you’ll not only need to be concerned about constantly creating new content (and proofreading it for typos and spelling mistakes), but to sizing the images that go along with that content for each channel. Gone are the days that the image size you used on Twitter could also be used on Instagram or Facebook. There’s no denying how important social media is to your business, just as they’re no denying how challenging it can be to maintain.
If you’re serious about using social media to help you reach your business goals, it’s time to learn how to create content in advance as well as schedule it – instead of doing it in real time.
What is a content calendar?
A content calendar allows you to plan weeks and months in advance, keeping track of special holidays or sales and roll them seamlessly into your social media updates. It can feel like a big commitment to get started – and it is – but organizing your content will not only save time, it’ll reduce panic attacks in the long run.
A content calendar can be as a simple as a spreadsheet on your computer that helps you keep track of content as you create it and publish it. Or it can more complex and dynamic, an online system that allows you to share and collaborate with teammates in real time. Whichever method you use, organizing your updates will ensure you don’t miss important dates and it will allow you save creative ideas for future use. Think of it as the best way to avoid desperately scrolling through inspirational quotes to find something – anything – to post again.
Beyond organization, a content calendar offers a host of benefits that will help preserve your sanity and grow your online footprint in a smart, sustainable way:
- Create a consistent posting schedule. Consistency is a key pillar of success on social media. The more regularly you post, the more your content will be woven into the algorithms of the social media platform you’re using. Whether you’re talking about a big sale or celebrating a national holiday, getting your content seen by more potential customers is the goal.
- Create better quality content – with less typos. Writing content ahead of time is like building a failsafe into your social media updates, giving you breathing room to reread your work for building on your brand personality and for eliminating spelling mistakes and typos. And if your updates involve sensitive content, that sober second thought before posting can prevent embarrassment or being seen as tone-deaf.
- Foster more creativity. Once you’re into a routine of creating and scheduling content – instead of in-the-moment-panic-posting – you’ll be able think bigger. Managing a contest on Facebook or Instagram, for example, might be conceivable now that all your content is written ahead of time, right? Maybe it’s time consider working with influencers?
- Find more time to engage with your online community. Instead of spoon feeding your social media channels, you’ll be able to devote more energy to chatting with people who engage with your content.
- Capture relevant moments. With your day to day content taken care of, you’ll be able to focus more energy on timely events in your community – or in the world – as they pertain to your business goals.
- Get better at measuring results. Just as sales people hone their selling skills by learning what works and what doesn’t, creating content ahead of time and closely watching results will help you learn what works and what doesn’t.
As many benefits as a content calendar offers, be aware of its limitations. If your social media updates lack personality, they might be seen as robotic, bland or uninspiring. A content calendar helps you organize your creativity – but it doesn’t replace creativity.
As well, if you’re scheduling your content in advance, have a social media crisis plan in place in the event you need to pause your publishing schedule suddenly. After a catastrophic event – local or global – brands often choose to go dark for a short period, especially if loss of life is involved. If you’re using multiple scheduling tools across different social media platforms, you’ll need to be able to pause all your channels quickly and easily – without missing anything in the process. I recommend using a platform like Hootsuite for all your social media scheduling – and pausing as needed.
Creating a social media content calendar can be a challenge – especially if you’re new to this medium. If you’d like a copy of my social media content calendar, leave a comment below (with your email, which won’t be made public) and I’ll be happy to share mine with you. And if you’re struggling with your digital strategy, I’d love to hear your questions and how I can help. Drop a comment below or shoot me an email and let’s start talking.
In the meantime, these posts might help you begin your content marketing journey:
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