How to Create a Content Calendar

“What do I post to my story? Ahhh! I forgot to add something new to my feed. What should my caption be?!”
Post panic is real. The solve is a content calendar. 

Step 01: Define 5-8 Content Types 

This should be fairly simple, as your brand will intuitively determine its own content types. For example, if you’re a beauty brand you might break things down like this: 

• Products: Highlight a product you sell, including what it works best for, how to use it, and so on.
• Ingredients: Break down the benefits of your hero ingredients.
• Behind the brand: Allow followers to better understand your brand’s philosophies and practices by sharing things like, “Our packaging is entirely recyclable.” 
• Customer reviews/press coverage: Feature positive feedback you’ve received—just be sure to do it sparingly so you don’t come off as too self-congratulatory.
• Inspired by: Share the people, places, words, and things that inspire your brand.
• User-generated content: Garner brand trust by reposting photos your followers have tagged you in. 

Step 02: Determine Your Posting Cadence 

Be realistic. Don’t commit to posting more than you actually can. As long as you stick to a consistent cadence (for instance, five feed posts and four stories per week), you’ll succeed. It’s breaking away from this set cadence that will return you to chaos. 

Step 03: Create a Calendar with Google Sheets

Select a calendar template and tweak it to suit your needs. This will be your constant touchpoint and will take you through an entire year, month by month. 

Step 04: Fill It In 

Look back at your defined content types, pinpoint any trending themes or upcoming holidays, and start plugging! When you’re finished, the calendar should be mindfully curated and aligned with your posting cadence. 

Step 05: Write the Corresponding Content 

Now all that’s left to do is write captions and find imagery to match. You can do this a day, week, or month at a time—the option is yours!

Need help? That’s what we’re here for. Email our studio manager Lindsay at lcarey@janemade.co for more details about our social media services.