It’s a busy week for your retail store. You just opened a new location and hired five people to staff it. Online sales are up 15% and you’re struggling to restock some of your customer’s favorite items. A quick glance at your email inbox shows 150 unanswered messages. Meanwhile, your company’s social media accounts are gathering dust. Where could you possibly find the time to create a post?
That’s where a social media calendar can help. With the assistance of your calendar, you can line up your content schedule and automatically post to your social accounts. Some calendars come with extra tools to finesse content, like templates and AI-generated captions. You’ll never need to worry about going radio silent on your socials when you’re swamped with other tasks — a big win for business owners constantly on the go.
The social media calendar: Your strategic roadmap
Chances are, you use a calendar for other parts of your job. Maybe it helps you plan out your to-do list or schedule meetings. Why not use one for your marketing needs, too?
What is a social media calendar?
A social media calendar lays out the content you’ll use in future posts. It lists all the details of your upcoming content: posting date and time, plus information in the post itself, such as images, text, and video.
There are specialized social media calendars (like the one available through Constant Contact) that offer advanced scheduling and other features. Or you can opt for a more traditional option, like a digital calendar or spreadsheet.
Why do I need a social media calendar?
Attracting (and retaining) clients starts with a solid marketing plan. And your social media accounts are part of that. They help you reach new customers and engage with existing ones. But for many business owners, social media marketing can fall by the wayside when things get busy. With a calendar, it’s easier to keep things on track.
Another benefit is consistency. If you regularly disconnect from social media only to resurface weeks or months later, it may hurt your account’s visibility and reach. With a calendar, you can schedule regular posts that keep your account active and engaged.
Planning your social posts may help you avoid social media missteps since there’s more time to think about what you’re sharing with followers. Instead of coming up with something on the fly, you have time to review and edit it first.
The role of a social media calendar in comprehensive digital marketing
There’s a major emphasis on social media as part of a holistic digital marketing strategy. But it’s just one component — tools like email marketing, blogging, and online ads also play a role. A social media calendar frees up your time to work on those aspects, too.
Components of an effective social media calendar
A well-developed social media calendar contains multiple elements:
- The day and time you plan to share each post
- The social media account and platform the content appears on
- Actual post copy, graphics, and video
- Any special elements, such as links to your store or tags
If your company has accounts on several platforms, try to vary your content on each one. You might change the wording a bit or use a video instead of an image. That way, your audience has a reason to follow you on multiple platforms instead of just one.
You’ll probably find that certain types of content perform better on one platform than another. Instagram prioritizes stories and reels, while TikTok is all about the short-form video. Text posts do well on X. And Facebook is a bit of a mish-mash — you may need to play around with it to see what gets the most reach.
Another consideration is audience interest. While social media can certainly help you make more sales, you want to balance advertising with value-driven content that entertains your audience. Think behind-the-scenes footage, a meme that relates to your business, or useful tips that benefit your audience. Those are the attention-grabbers that capture eyeballs and motivate people to follow your social media accounts.
Business objectives and content planning
You can align your social media calendar with your organization’s goals. For instance, maybe you’re the manager of a non-profit running a charity drive during the holidays. Use your non-profit’s social accounts to share progress and encourage followers to donate to your cause.
Tools and technologies for calendar management
Constant Contact’s online marketing calendar offers all the features you need to manage your social media posting schedule. You’ll find helpful templates, sharing tools, and holiday reminders to keep your campaigns current. It offers advanced scheduling and deep-dive analytics so you know how each post performs.
Content creation and scheduling strategies
To get the most out of your social media calendar (and your marketing efforts), keep these tips in mind.
1. Mix up your content
A little variety helps keep followers engaged. Try sprucing up your social media posts with videos, images, carousels, reels, stories — whatever you think adds extra flair!
2. Stay relevant
Try to keep social media posts in alignment with your industry. For instance, if you run an accounting firm, sharing posts about new fashion trends might be off-message. Aim to create content that coordinates with your brand and industry.
3. Be consistent
Social media platforms tend to reward accounts that post frequently with better reach. Of course, that doesn’t mean posting every five minutes — it’s a delicate balance.
Neil Patel recently did a study on posting frequency across various social media platforms. His findings suggest posting once a day on Instagram and LinkedIn. Adding at least two to four Instagram stories also helps. Going beyond that may impact your reach.
4. Lean on automation
If your eyebrows went up when you saw how frequently social media platforms expect you to post, relax. Most people (especially business owners) can’t keep that kind of pace. That’s where automation and scheduling tools help.
Consider using a tool like Constant Contact to create social media posts and automatically share them. Our AI-driven features speed up the content creation process, and our platform connects with Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. You can schedule your social media posts weeks in advance, giving you plenty of time to review them and come up with new ideas.
Remain flexible and test: Data-driven social media calendar optimization
As you roll out your social media content, keep an eye on your analytics. You can view them directly through the social media platforms you use (provided you have a professional account).
You may get clearer insights from third-party social media scheduling tools. More robust reporting analytics can help you identify opportunities — like recommended hashtags or posting times to increase reach. Pay careful attention to views and engagement since they indicate whether content hits the mark with your audience.
Using key performance indicators
Marketers often set different benchmarks to evaluate post and account performance. Some you might want to measure include:
- Post impressions
- Engagement — comments, likes, and direct messages
- Reach
- Follower growth
- Link clicks
- Shares
Try setting new KPIs for your social media accounts each month. You might start out with something within your control, like posting frequency. As you attract new followers you can set bigger goals.
Refine your content strategy
Some posts will outperform others. When they do, try to figure out why. For example, maybe you always post pictures on Instagram, but you decide to switch it up with a carousel. Your pictures usually attract 1,000 views, but your carousel post tops 10,000. The format change likely helped boost impressions.
Post format is just one consideration in your content strategy. Also look at your messaging, posting times, and frequency. Maybe your account sees lots of activity if you post on Mondays, but there’s a 50% decline in impressions on Saturdays. You might benefit from scheduling your best content on Mondays and dropping Saturdays altogether.
A/B testing
Changing minor aspects of your content may lead to more views or engagement. You might update its font, use a different caption, or change the color of an image.
Once done, share both posts with a small segment of your followers to see which one does better. If there’s a big difference in engagement or impressions, you know to go with the winner when you share it with your entire audience.
Advanced social media calendar tips
Social media marketing takes a bit of getting used to. As your skills grow, try to fit in these strategies to enhance your reach and engage followers.
Capitalize on holidays and events
When it makes sense for your business, try to incorporate upcoming holidays or events into your social media posts. You might make a New Year’s-inspired post and ask everyone what their resolutions are. Or, you could tie in a special promotion with Independence Day.
You can also promote events through social media. Maybe your organization is sponsoring an upcoming 5K in your area, or you’re holding a local lunch and learn to discuss a topic. Use social media to spread the word and drum up interest.
Zero in on trending topics
Social media algorithms tend to favor content that touches on current trends or news. Take advantage of these opportunities to create relevant posts and boost your reach.
To see how this might work, assume you offer financial planning services. You might create a post around a trending personal finance topic or a stock that recently hit new highs.
Develop a brand voice
Think of your company as a singular entity with its own identity, almost like a person. What qualities characterize your company’s personality? Is it fun and playful, or smart and professional? Try to keep posts consistent with your brand voice, so it doesn’t confuse your audience.
Overcoming common social media calendar challenges
You may encounter a few hiccups as your social media marketing strategy gains steam. That’s okay — there’s always a solution.
Content ideation and creativity blocks
Coming up with fresh posts and new content every day isn’t easy. If (and when) you hit a “social media block,” take a break. A quick walk around your building or a few hours away from your computer screen may work wonders.
Another option is looking to your competitors for inspiration. What type of content do they share? Are there any missed opportunities or gaps you could take advantage of? Seeing what others share may give you a few ideas to fire up your account.
Keep your follower’s interest from waning
Too many of the same types of posts may lead to audience fatigue. Look for fresh ways to engage your followers. You might spruce things up with giveaways, pop-up quizzes, or how-to videos. The key is to always give the audience a reason to read your post or watch your story. The more value they see in following you, the more engagement you’ll see.
Adapting to platform algorithm changes
Social media platforms (and search engines) regularly update their algorithms for technology changes and to provide a better user experience. If you see a sudden drop in impressions that you can’t attribute to your content, it may be an algorithm change.
As an example, Instagram used to revolve entirely around pictures and images. That changed when it introduced stories and reels. If you don’t use those features, you may not get the reach you’re hoping for. Try to stay on top of news related to the platforms you use. If there’s word of an algorithm change, you may need to refresh your content strategy to adapt.
Resource management and efficiency
You might wear a lot of different hats as a business owner. But if social media marketing isn’t your ballgame, maybe it’s time to bring on someone who specializes in it to grow your account.
There are tons of digital marketing companies out there who can assist. And if you prefer a more budget-friendly option, you might find a freelancer who can keep up with your social media content.
What does the future hold for social media calendars?
Social media marketing has come quite far since the early days of MySpace and Friendster. But it’s still evolving. AI, machine learning, and other emerging technologies will likely change how businesses use social media in the years to come.
Staying on top of the technology can keep your accounts relevant. And at Constant Contact, we’re all about helping small businesses build a devoted fan base of loyal customers. Our email and social media marketing tools help you do exactly that. With us, you can automate social media posts, schedule them in advance, and plan out marketing campaigns. To see what Constant Contact can do for your business, sign up for a free trial today!
Next, download our free social media guide!
