Creating a Better Social Media Content Calendar

by Amanda, Marketing & Strategy

This year, we’ve had several clients in need of social media strategy, and inevitably, content calendars, as part of their restaurant marketing package. So, we thought it was time to fine-tune our own content calendar template.

We started by searching the web for the best content calendar templates out there, and honestly, nothing quite met the needs of our clients. So, we took the best ideas from each and created a template that helped us work through the social process – from initial monthly planning to final posting. We include email blasts and blog posts as part of our template, since our marketing strategy ultimately drives our social messaging.

Social media content needs to be dynamic and responsive, but clients like to see a strategy road map. We found that a rolling 90-day calendar works best, starting with a fully-fleshed out first month. About 85% of the content is written and created, and 15% is reserved for ad-hoc posts that reflect what’s happening at the moment – we know we have to account for the unexpected (#nuggsforcarter can happen at any time). We include links to the graphic assets and the baseline copy, which is adjusted for each platform when it’s scheduled or posted.

Click the image above to download template

The second two months on the calendar include topics and content for each post, but without copy or graphics. This gives us a road map for the graphics we need to design, but keeps our calendar flexible, ready to incorporate trends and upcoming brand content. We update calendars every two weeks, or when there’s a significant change to timelines or strategy.

Of course, some clients are just looking for strategy, without a detailed posting calendar. For those clients, we have a three-month weekly workflow format. This focuses on frequency of posts for key promotions, seasonal messaging, and ongoing messaging. The format is also a great first step to creating a detailed content calendar, since it identifies key upcoming dates – ranging from promotion dates on the marketing calendar to relevant “Internet holidays” such as National Cheese Day (our favorite!).

Click the image above to download template