7 Steps to Creating a Killer Social Media Content Calendar

Step 1: Goal Setting

The first step in building your content calendar is goal setting. What are the goals of your social media campaign? Do you want more followers? More engagement on posts? Are you trying to sell something or advertise a service? Once you know what your goals are, it will be easier to determine which type of content will best suit those goals and get you the results that you want.  Here’s an example: Let’s say you want to increase traffic to your website. In order to do this, you need people viewing your website at different times throughout the day so they see new content every time they visit. Your goal would then be creating a weekly routine where someone sees a post every hour from 8 am until 8 pm with 12 different pieces of unique content including links and pictures (for example). You would have one link for lunch-time recipes, one for late-night desserts and so on – no two links should ever look similar because repetition drives people away from brands!

Step 2: Determine When and How Often to Post

Before you determine how often you’re going to post, it’s important to first determine when. If your goal is for your content to be seen by as many people as possible, then it’s best if you post at times when the most people are on social media. These times usually vary from day-to-day and hour-to-hour, so it can be difficult for new businesses trying to figure out the best time for them. Luckily, there are plenty of free resources online that will help tell you what times will get the most views. For example, Hootsuite publishes a Social Media Marketing Industry Report every month which includes stats about which days/times get the most engagement across Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and more.

Step 3: Find Content Ideas

In order to come up with content ideas, you can start by looking at your company’s website and blog. This will give you an idea of what types of posts have been successful in the past. You can also do some keyword research using Google AdWords or other keyword tools like KWFinder. Simply type in phrases that are related to your industry and see what keywords people are searching for most often. For example, if I am creating a social media content calendar for restaurant chains, I might want to research keywords like healthy menu, vegan menu, low calorie menu, high protein foods, etc.

Step 4: Determine Which Channels You Should Post On

The following channels are the most popular for businesses: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Instagram. The best platform for you will depend on your audience and what type of content you’re looking to share. If you’re looking for advice on which platform is best for your brand and what type of content is appropriate, check out this blog post. For example, if you’re an ecommerce business with a brick-and-mortar location in New York City, your customers might be most interested in photos of new arrivals or fashion trends. For this reason, Instagram might be the best channel for your business.

Step 5: Create Your Editorial Calendar from Your Idea List

The next step is to take your idea list and break it down into an editorial calendar. You can do this by categorising each idea into whether it should be posted on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. This will help you make sure you are posting at the right times of day and with the appropriate hashtags. You should also consider whether you want to include videos, links or images in your posts. Keep in mind that video takes more time than other types of content so you may need to plan ahead if you want to post one every week. Make sure to keep track of when new videos come out so that you don’t miss them!

Finally, don’t forget to measure what works best for your business by looking at which posts get the most engagement (e.g., likes and shares).

Step 6: Fill in the Gaps

Social media is an important part of your marketing strategy and it’s important to plan for it. However, with everything else you’re trying to fit into your schedule, the idea of sitting down and creating content can seem daunting.

But don’t worry! You don’t need an advanced degree in social media management or to be an expert in Photoshop. There are plenty of tools out there that make the process easier than ever before. BuzzSumo helps you find the most shared articles on any given topic so that you have great ideas for new posts without having to spend time researching them. Tools like Planoly help you keep track of which posts have been successful so that you know what types of content work best for your audience. Hootsuite allows you to manage all your social media accounts from one place, which means less time spent logging in and out of different accounts and more time actually posting engaging content!

Conclusion

Creating a killer social media content calendar can be a daunting task, but by following these 7 steps, it can be simplified and streamlined. By setting clear goals, determining the best times to post, finding content ideas, selecting the appropriate social media channels, creating an editorial calendar, filling in any gaps, and using the right tools, you can create a content calendar that engages your audience and helps you achieve your social media marketing goals. Remember to measure your success by tracking engagement and adjusting your strategy as needed. With dedication and a well-planned content calendar, you can effectively reach your target audience and build your brand on social media.