How Do I Create A Content Calendar in Google Sheets - WordPress Membership Plugin Members Sites

Jul 20, 2023

How To Make A Content Calendar within Google Sheets

                        An organized schedule will keep your content ticking over effortlessly. You don't have to shell out for a fancy project management tool. It's possible to create the ideal content calendar with a simple program you likely already use - Google Sheets. Find out how it's done.          

How to create a content calendar in Google Sheets

Hello to the exciting world of content marketing, where deadlines approach faster than a cheetah sprinting on the energy drink.

Imagine trying to navigate this intensely fast-paced setting without a map, an idea of where you are going, or perhaps a vague notion of your end goal. Sounds daunting, doesn't it?

That's exactly what it feels like to curate and manage content without a content calendar.

A content schedule is an outline of what you're going to post, where it's going to be posted, and the precise timeline for the date of its publication.

It's much more than an efficient organizer. It's at the core of your content plan, making sure your goals for marketing stay on course and your customers are always engaged.

Gripped audience eating popcorn

We'll be sharing our top suggestions, as well as how you can create your own content schedule within Google Sheets, that'll keep your entire team focused and on schedule!

The benefits of using the Calendar Calendar

There are several motives to plan ahead with an organized schedule:

Help Your Team Streamline Their Process

A content schedule consolidates every important detail for your creative team and any outside contributors.

It describes:

  • What needs to be accomplished,
  • Deadlines,
  • Other essential information (such in the form of references and keywords)
  • The person accountable of each project.

This clarity can significantly reduce confusion, last-minute rushes, and miscommunications.

With everyone crystal clear on the roles they play, everyone can focus on doing their best work. Now, that's a perfect recipe for productivity!

Strategically Organised Content

When you have a scheduled content calendar it's not just tossing content around and hoping for the best. Each piece of content has a purpose and contributes to your broader content strategy.

It ensures that your content serves a reason that is consistent with the themes you have chosen, and is in line your company's brand's messages. Also, you can ensure that each content type and topic gets their fair share of the spotlight and ensure that nothing is left unnoticed.

Schedule Content Before the Time

Give yourself the gift of time with a content calendar

It's late at night, your deadline is approaching, and you're scrambling to write the perfect blog article or think of an intriguing headline for your social media posting. If this sounds familiar then you'll need the help of a calendar for content!

With a content schedule These stressful situations can be avoided.

You are able to plan your HTML0 content weeks or even months ahead, which gives you plenty of time to collect information, conduct research and produce more compelling interactive, engaging content.

Furthermore, it permits users to organize content around significant dates or occasions that are relevant to your business or industry.

Differentiate Content

Content schedules provide a clear overview of your content landscape.

It is easy to determine if you're maintaining a good mix of different content types, whether it's blog posts, social media updates as well as podcasts and videos. Colors can be a fantastic option to determine the quality of your content visually.

Content Calendar Example

This ensures your content stays varied and engaging, so the audience isn't bored with repetitive content.

These are only a handful benefits of taking the time to prepare your content in advance.

Making a Content Schedule that is efficient

Let's break down a step-by-step guide to help you propel your approach to victory.

Step 1: Know Your Content Marketing Goals

There's no point in creating content just to make it look good. If you truly would like to maximise the value of your content, then you must identify your goals and the direction you're headed.

Determine "Why" as well as "Who"

Why?

What's the reason behind your content creation?

Arrow hitting target blue yellow leadership aiming achievement goal target

Who?

If you've decided on your goal It's now time to become in touch with a key component of your content strategy - your target audience.

They are the people that you want to reach through your content. The more you understand their interests, needs, and challenges and challenges, the greater your chance to create content that is a hit with them.

Use This Information Each Time You Design Content

The goals of your content marketing and your intended audience must be top of mind each whenever you design or write new information.

These elements will dictate the kind of content and the subjects you'll cover, and even which channels to distribute your material.

Step 2: Planning Your Content Strategy

Now that we've nailed down the basics of your goals and your target market, we'll begin the exciting part making a plan for the content plan.

This is where strategy and creativity merge, and where your content calendar begins to shape. So, grab your favorite drink, put on your creative hat and let's start!

Finding Ideas to Create Content

Start brainstorming ideas for your content. If we refer to"content," we're referring to all types of content.

  • Blog posts,
  • Social media posts,
  • Newsletters,
  • Podcasts,
  • Webinars,
  • Videos,
  • Infographics
  • Quotes
  • Customer testimonials
  • Demos

Don't hold back! Consider every type of media that your clients consume and the factors that drive them to purchase.

Imagine, for instance, that you're an online education platform targeting professionals seeking career advancement Your goal could be to provide them with the latest skills and knowledge regardless of their hectic schedules.

Your content schedule could include short tutorial videos, simple-to-follow instructional guides and inspirational success stories to be shared via the social media platforms on which career-oriented people are most likely to engage, like LinkedIn as well as Twitter.

TIP I: Use ChatGPT to generate Content Ideas

All are looking for methods to integrate ChatGPT to simplify their workflows This is an excellent way to achieve this.
         
          Making use of the potential of ChatGPT is great for brainstorming ideas. It's it's an AI machine language model is adept at offering diverse and creative suggestions that you might not think of.

The first step is to outline the content's objectives and the intended audience (as you did in step 1) Then, you can engage with ChatGPT as if in an actual conversation.

Here is how to create the perfect prompt:

1. Your company's mission and audience

"We're a start-up specializing in organic skincare products targeting those who want to be healthy and fit between the ages of 20-35.

2. Your goal should be explained.

We're launching a new collection of cruelty-free, vegan facial serums. Our aim is to increase the number of sales we make online by advertising the benefits that come with our product.

3. ChatGPT ChatGPT what content ideas you'd like to see it develop

Are you able to help us develop convincing content or ideas to highlight the advantages of our serums, and convince the people we want to reach out to an order?."

Here's the output GPT-4 created with this prompt:

You can then ask it to give you blogs with titles suggestions outline of your blog, suggest questions for your interactive quizzes.

It's all about interaction. the more specific your prompts, the more focused and beneficial the answers.

Tip II: Find Keywords to use in the Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Keywords are actually the key to SEO when it comes to online content. Keywords that are powerful can make what makes the difference between being lost among the sea of online content and being visible in search results of your desired potential customers.

It also provides a fascinating understanding of how your target audience searches for products like yours on the internet. Through the research of keywords, you've got the ability to develop content that addresses their queries or fulfills their needs.

SEMrush and Google Keyword Planner are great instruments to discover these valuable hidden gems. Embed these keywords into your website content to increase your SEO, and help push your pages higher on the ladder of search results.

SEMrush homepage 2023

3. Create a Master Content Calendar In Google Sheets

Once you've got an picture of the type of material you'll provide The next thing to do is determining the best time and place to release the material.

Maybe you've got a live video lined up for your website and an email newsletter in the queue, a demonstration of your product, or a gathering for your social media to take place in the same time.

Not to mention, your regular blog posts and everyday social media engagements.

The timeframe for your posts is completely dependent on you. However, remember, the consistency of your posts is essential for each of your content channels to be successful.

This is when a master calendar comes in handy. The goal of the master calendar is having a bird's eye view of your strategy for content and to establish a timetable for the publication of each bit of content.

This is how you achieve it:

In the account you have created in your Google Drive account select New in the top left of your screen. Next, move your cursor over an arrow  the word "new", and then click the template.

Scroll down and select Yearly Calendar. Scroll down and select Annual. This will produce an annual calendar in the current year.

Select the Customize your calendartab to choose from different styles. After you're finished, you can delete that tab in order to free up space to store useful data.

Then click on the tab for the month you wish to change.

Select the type of content you'd like to publish on this day, and color mark it so that it is obvious at a glance which kind of content you have scheduled for the day. It will help ensure that you've got a a healthy variety of content.

Content Calendar in Google Sheets

Individual Content Calendars

When your overall monthly plan is established, it's time to figure out the details.

Who's the writer? How much lead time do you require for editing and formatting the post? Who will be responsible for the social media and what exactly will they post? No stress--we've got a schedule to handle these tasks too!

But, here's how to make a blog calendar within Google Sheets:

  • Click the (+) icon at the lower left corner of your Google Sheet to add an additional tab.
  • Click the tab to move it next to the month that is in it.
  • Make the             Blog Schedule            sections with columns for
  • Publication Date
  • Blog Post Topic/Title
  • Writer
  • Deadline (give yourself plenty of time to revise and format your blog post before the publication date)
  • Keywords
  • Further information
  • Based on the design the blog is designed, you can include additional columns, such as "Blog Category" (long-form, shorter, infographic, etc. ).
  • Copy and paste the information from your master calendar.
  • Assign the task to another author by right-clicking the cell and pressing Comment.
  • @tag an individual on the team, or type in the full email address of the person who assigned them.
  • Make sure each contributor has access the calendar.
blog content calendar and social media calendar

And now, let's look at social media timetables.

You can either create a new tab or, to keep things centralized simply enter the info below your blog schedule.

In all schedules for social media You should add:

  • Social Media Platform
  • Post Time
  • Day
  • Content

To create a comprehensive plan, consider incorporating relevant hashtags, links photos, images or even the actual content in your article.

As with your blog schedule it is possible to assign an author, and include an indication of whether it's waiting by your social media administration tool (like Hootsuite and Buffer).

In conclusion

It can help you map out your content strategy, to ensuring that all the goals of your marketing are in line the content plan can be your trusted companion within the ever-changing industry of marketing content.

Utilizing Google Sheets as your platform making a schedule of content is just as simple as it is efficient.

From master calendars, to comprehensive blog and social media schedules You've got the options to streamline your process, diversify your content, and remain in the forefront of your field.

Then why not? Begin to harness the power of a carefully planned content plan today and witness your marketing campaigns for content flourish.

Remember, success in content marketing doesn't depend on who is loudest or most raucous, but who plans the best. With your brand new content schedule You're already on the right track. Now, let's get planning!

           Do you currently use an agenda calendar? Do you have any ideas you would like to share with our Member community? Please share them in the comments below.

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