Social Media Calendars: Creating One the Right Way

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Social media calendars are great tools that can help any business stay aligned throughout the entire process, whether with you or an entire team.
But how exactly do you create a social media calendar the right way?

What's New?

What's new in marketing: TikTok launches new Unplugged info sessions, Apple's new iOS 15 update, and news from the head of Instagram.

TikTok Launches New 'Unplugged' Info Sessions to Share Insights Into How Marketers Can Succeed – This month, TikTok is running a range of free 'TikTok Unplugged' business info sessions, which will see some of the platform's biggest successes share their secrets and tips on how to grow your brand with TikTok marketing.

What Apple's iOS 15 means for marketers – Apple's upcoming privacy changes, including Hide My Email and Private Relay, will make opt-ins more valuable and may complicate already strained efforts to reach target users on iPhones.

'We're no longer a photo-sharing app,' says head of Instagram – As multiple social media platforms adapt to shifting user habits, Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, recently announced that the app is pivoting away from being primarily a photo-sharing app.

What's working?

Your social media calendar is just the tip of the iceberg.

By using one, you can help ensure that you're only putting out the best, quality content.

You'll be able to save time, set deadlines, and keep track of your results.

Calendars are only the beginning of the process; there's much more to be done after the fact.

How to Create a Social Media Calendar The Right Way

There are many ways to create a social media calendar, but we'll be focusing on the way that makes it easier and more efficient for you. Let's dive right in!

What Does Success Look Like?

A North Star Metric is the single metric that best captures your company's growth or your specific Social Media effectiveness.

Optimizing your efforts to grow this metric is key to driving sustainable growth across your entire customer base.

Unique metrics for each platform:

Spotify's Metric: Time spent listening.
Airbnb's Metric: Number of nights booked.
Social Media Metric: Consolidated engagement.

Determine Content Pillars Based on Personas

It is the sweet spot of what your brand cares about and what your audience cares about.

With personas, you can understand the target market based on the customer’s persona.

Focusing on topics and content relevant to your audiences will help you narrow down your ideal target market, making it easier to reach these people.

Content Blocking

With the content pillars created, you can begin blocking out your content in the form of a social media calendar.

If you have multiple social channels, you’ll want to block out content specific to that platform.

You’re not only going to save time, but it will create a more efficient workflow for your team and avoid confusion.

Write Content and Customize By Channel

Write your content for each post that you plan on creating.

As long as you have the base, you can then customize it for each social platform.

Twitter has a limited capacity; LinkedIn is focused on business & sales; Instagram is better for aesthetics.

Production / Graphics & Copy

Now it’s time to create your content!

If you’ve got multiple team members (one focused on content and the other on graphics), you want to make sure you’re on the same page.

Have an online design tool that makes it easier for your content team to update templates.

Write your content for each channel. Add some humour and pizzazz where needed.

“Create content that will reach your audience’s audience.”

Get your Team to Q/A Your Work

Having a Q/A process allows for constructive feedback to eliminate any grammatical, legal, or branding errors.

This is a phase where your copy and posts are refined before being scheduled.

Getting a team member to look at the content with a fresh set of eyes and a different perspective always helps.