Mapping Out Your Content Calendar

Do you have a small business and need help figuring out where to start when planning your content calendar? I’ve got you. 

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to map out your content calendar from idea to execution, with plenty of examples to get you started.

What are your content goals?

Don’t just start planning your content. You need to define your goals first. What does your business stand for? What do you want to talk to your audience about? Where do you want to see the most growth? Other goals include:

• Increasing website traffic

• Boosting engagement on social media

• Generating leads

• Building brand awareness

Who are you talking to?

You can’t speak to everyone. Honestly, that sounds exhausting. So, make sure you define your target audience before starting to work on your content plan. Your audience type will influence how you speak to your audience. Consider the following:

• Demographics (age, gender, location)

• Interests and hobbies

• Pain points and challenges

How to conceptualise content ideas

What are your audience’s pain points or challenges? What do they like to talk about? (You can discover this on social media, forums, via user research or platforms like Answerthepublic, Semrush, etc.). Here are some key content types to consider:

• Blog posts

• Short and long-form videos

• Infographics

• Podcasts

• Webinars

• Whitepapers

Stay on track with a calendar

Like Miro? Then use it. A fan of Notion or Asana? Then let’s go! Google Sheets also works just fine. It’s about finding a tool that works for you. Here are some suggestions for what your calendar should include, but you can do your own thing here as well:

• Content title

• Content type

• Publication date

• Platform

• Owner

• Status

Plan content a month in advance

This has always worked well for me as I like to plan my next month of content based on my report and learnings from the previous month. Ensure that your content is evenly distributed across different platforms and formats. Be realistic about your capacity to create and publish content regularly. (You don’t HAVE to post every day just for the sake of posting.)

Here’s what your monthly content calendar may look like:

Create a schedule for content production

Once your calendar is set, start creating your content. Use tools like Canva for graphics, Adobe Premiere for video editing, and Sprout Social or Hootsuite for scheduling social media posts. Aim to have content ready at least a week before the publication date.

Incorporate learnings

Do a monthly retro of your content. That means:

• Do a monthly report of your content performance and then plan more of what works, i.e., increase the frequency of successful content types.

• Experiment with new ideas based on learnings, try new formats or topics.

• Optimise underperforming content, i.e., revise or repurpose content that didn’t meet expectations.

Just start!

It can be daunting to get going. My top tip is not to be too hard on yourself or on your content. Remember, the first post doesn’t have to be groundbreaking or go viral. You just need to create a system that works for you. Develop a manageable content calendar that you enjoy working on and features content you enjoy creating. 

Consistently think about the ‘why’ when posting. Consider your goals with this content and who is consuming it. And if you focus on reassessing along the way (your content plan should never be set in stone!) based on the performance, engagement, and conversion of your content, you should be good.