As 2021 wraps up, now is the perfect time to start planning out your content ideas for the new year. This is where having a proper content calendar comes in handy–essentially it is a tool used to plan, monitor, and streamline all content activity related to your brand.
We have all used calendars, whether physical or digital, to be reminded of important dates or to schedule tasks throughout the day. Why would you not treat your social and web content to the same luxury? If you’re serious about growing your content’s presence, learn why your brand should consider implementing a content calendar into its marketing efforts below.
How can a content calendar benefit you?
Having a content calendar for your business allows you to have a bird’s eye view of everything upcoming. A detailed and up-to-date calendar will be the bread and butter of your marketing strategy. Not only is it a major stress reliever and time saver for organizing content, but utilizing a comprehensive content calendar is a simple way to encourage your team to be more strategic.
While you start thinking about your New Year’s Resolutions for 2022, don’t forget to prioritize your brand’s marketing efforts! To make planning for the new year a breeze, here are some best practices to make use of for your content calendar.
Create a content library for important assets
Can you picture a world where you’re able to easily access files and documents without spending that extra time rummaging deep through archives? Do yourself a favor and take the time to put together a folder of necessary materials for web and social content to be all in one place. Think of this as a tool for simplifying the content calendar brainstorming and planning process, as all the files and documents you may need would only be a click away in your reach. When arranging your library, make sure the settings allow for it to be shareable and accessible with multiple users from various devices. Google Drive and Dropbox are great viable options for its user-friendly interface and free cost.
Pre-fill calendar with important dates
Important dates go beyond holidays and national days. Think about key events or launches for your business that are set to take place. Are there any goal dates or deadlines for certain projects and campaigns? Is your brand planning a major sale for Amazon Prime Day? These are just a few suggestions of additional things to call out in your calendar. It might also be helpful to include days or months where certain holidays are observed or recognized. Whether it’s Employee Appreciation Week or Breast Cancer Awareness Month, if you know what’s approaching, you can curate and plan content accordingly. Plus, having a heads up on important dates is an easy way to be more mindful and in-tune with your audience.
Find creative ways to be more practical
Despite the seemingly demand for “new” content in our ever-expanding digital world, not everything going on your social channels needs to be one hundred percent fresh. Consider stretching out and pulling from existing high-quality assets to get more mileage out of your pieces with minimal effort. Why not use snippets of a past blog post for an Instagram caption or infographic post? Similarly, a podcast can turn into a blog post and a customer testimonial can become an Instagram story. This is not merely cutting corners, but rather being as efficient as possible with your resources. Don’t forget to make sure you schedule time within your calendar to update past articles or re-audit your website.
Want to improve your content marketing strategy for 2022? Get in touch with our team today to determine the best plan for your brand!