Figuring out what to post on social media can be exhausting. Most people will schedule an hour out of their day to sit down and bang out a social media post.
We applaud the effort however, there is a better way. Creating a social media content calendar will help you get more posts done in less time and remove some of the stress related to creating social media content.
What Is a Social Media Content Calendar?
A social media content calendar is simply a planner where you can schedule your posts for the upcoming month. It is important to note that this planner should be shared with anyone who will need access to it (ie, co-workers or members of your team).
This can be hosted in something as simple as a Microsoft Word document or you can use a social posting tool like Hootsuite to create a content calendar.
What Are the Benefits of Creating a Content Calendar?
There are many benefits to creating a social media content calendar. Some of these benefits include:
-Posting Consistently: When you have a content calendar, you are more likely to post consistently on social media. This is because you will have already planned out your posts and you will not have to worry about what to post on a day-to-day basis.
-More Engaged Followers: By posting consistently, you will also be able to increase engagement with your followers as they will know when to expect new content from you.
-Improved Efficiency: When you have a content calendar, you are able to plan out your posts in advance which allows you to work more efficiently. You will be able to get more posts done in less time without worrying about what to post on social media.
How To Create a Social Media Content Calendar
Create your calendar: Pick the platform(s) you want to use for each of your posts then pick out specific dates that work best for you to write your content (ie, weekly, monthly, or every Sunday).
Post types: Next, think about the different types of posts you want to make (ie, blog post, image, video, etc.) and list them out.
Topics: Now that you have your post types, it is time to start thinking about topics. If you are struggling with what to write about, consider using social media tools like Twitter’s “suggested topics” or Facebook’s “Trending Topics.”
Hashtags: Finally, include any relevant hashtags that you want to use for your posts. This will help people find your content more easily.
Call-To-Actions: Create a call-to-action that ends the post with something you want your audience to do. This could be to contact you for a consultation, read the next post in a series, or sign-up for a course you're offering. Your call-to-action doesn't need to be where you ask for money, however, it's good to tell your audience what to do next, after all, you are the expert in your field.
Here is an example of what a social media content calendar could look like:
Hootsuite offers a great tool to plan out your content calendar. The tool will allow you to schedule posts, collaborate with other team members, and see your analytics all in one place. Additionally, Hootsuite has over 35 different social media platforms that you can connect to the platform which allows for easy scheduling right from within the dashboard.
The key is to create consistency and stay in front of your prospects as much as possible.