Building an Impactful Social Media Content Calendar
Written by Courtney Raguso, Social Media Content Creator
Many business owners often face the challenge of remembering to post on their social channels because, well, they’re running a business. The value of social media should never be overlooked, and oftentimes it does. Some people get frustrated when they don’t see enough engagement, but a big part of that problem can be from an inconsistent and disorganized posting schedule. Others struggle to find direction in what to post, and lack definitive goals on what they want to achieve with each post. If you find yourself constantly having to play catch up, you are not alone. However, there are things you can do to make this process a lot easier. Once you are able to organize your campaign and plan ahead, you will be able to achieve more out of your social media efforts. Having a social media content calendar is a great way to overcome this common issue, and it will help you get on the right track. Essentially, a content calendar is used to organize and streamline your social media content across all of your channels. There are many platforms you can use, such as Hootsuite and Trello, that will offer more than what an Excel spreadsheet can. They allow you to set posting days and times, insert text and image details, and include tabs for each social channel, just to name a few basics. The great thing about these tools is that you can easily share your calendar and collaborate with your team. These qualities are considered standard for most platforms and will make it so much easier to post.
At this point, you can probably guess why using a content calendar can be beneficial, but let’s get more specific. When it comes to posting on social media, you want your content to target your audience, and offer them something valuable or insightful about your company. You want your posts to be as engaging as possible, and if you’re always posting last minute, the quality of your content will suffer. People can sense when you are just throwing something together. The last thing you want is for your audience to get tired of always seeing inspirational quotes or product highlights. You have to put thought into your content if you really want it to resonate with your audience. Yes, you can still share quotes and product promos from time to time, but the key here is to be strategic with your content. You want to offer a variety of content thatis purpose-driven, and you need to understand there is a time and place for different discussions. So, it’s important to show that you are listening. A content calendar will help you with all of this and achieve better quality content that converts. With a content calendar, you’ll be able to maintain consistency with your posting, which is another significant factor to your audience because it shows that you are present. In addition, it will also help you visualize all your planned posts for the next weeks or months ahead, which will save you so much time in the long run.
When it comes to building your calendar, the first and most essential time-saving step is a quick audit of your currently active social channels. It helps to see what’s working well and what isn’t, so you don’t waste time posting something your audience doesn’t want to engage with. See what channels do better for you and figure out what types of posts work better on certain platforms. Maybe memes and educational posts do better on Instagram, while blog posts and promos do better on LinkedIn. It depends on your company and what industry you’re in. It also depends on the audience you’re speaking to. Different channels have different audiences, and it’s your job to figure out how you should communicate with each one. From images and video to graphics and links, there are many types of posts you can share with your audience. It helps to have a clear value proposition, whether it’s educating, entertaining or giving back to the community. This, too, will help you with your consistency. Try focusing on 3-5 pillars of content that are related to your niche, these pillars can include topics such as expert advice, promos, and company culture; having a focus will add variety to our content plan without diluting your brand’s core value. Once you decide what you want to post, you can then figure out your posting times and days of the week. We recommend between 3-5 posts a week. Posting too much content is usually never a bad thing, however, not posting enough will cause your audience to forget you even exist. With a content calendar, there is a lot you can achieve. Some business owners don’t have the skills and expertise to break the data down and know what you should be posting. That’s why we have content experts here who know these social channels inside out, and can create unique and engaging content for your brand.
At MSM DesignZ, we put in the time and energy required for success, so you can ensure you are using every dollar for maximum return. With over 20 years in the business, we have watched marketing evolve from traditional to digital. Whether you need a website refresh, more attractive email, or a quality online presence, we can do it all. When we take on a client, we put in 110% and treat every brand as if it’s our own. We will always continue to place our clients’ needs at the heart of our operations. From web development to social media management, we’ll work directly with you to build a personalized strategy to not only retain but also gain business. We are assisting in all areas for our clients. Visit our contact page at https://www.msmdesignz.com/contact/, and we’ll work with you to devise a custom plan that will keep your brand alive and well. We look forward to working with you!
Sources:
https://biteable.com/blog/social-media-calendar/
https://later.com/blog/social-media-content-calendar/
https://buffer.com/library/social-media-calendar-guide/