It is not unusual for a marketing plan to gradually decrease. Time becomes short, priorities change and activities are lost.
So how can this be prevented? With a content calendar, of course.
In a content calendar, all publishing is planned for shorter and longer periods – in a more straightforward way in excel or the equivalent or more advanced in a project tool intended for the purpose. The primary goal is to create a mutual place with access for all stakeholders, total transparency and no lost ideas. The calendar should be a constantly evolving document that maps all marketing activities within a project or organization. The purpose is for all stakeholders to know their respective parts of responsibility throughout the project. At the same time, they will be constantly aware of what has so far been done.
A content calendar visualizes the content strategy over time and across platforms
The content calendar lists what is to be published and on which platforms. You can have several content calendars for different channels such as social media, e-mails, articles, etc. However, there is a point in gathering everything in one place for a total overview.
Follow the strategy and keep the goals
A well-maintained content calendar helps your communicators to follow the strategy and keep their goals. Everyone can also see how the overall content works together with the communication.
One of the many benefits is the ability to visualize the content strategy over time and across platforms. It clarifies publication needs regarding important dates within the organization and directly shows where there may be gaps in the content planning. With, for example, social media and newsletters side by side with different types of content, you can also see the overlap you might otherwise miss.
Not least, a content calendar is a way for the whole team to keep track of what is going on or should be done – the more open and transparent, the better. External stakeholders can also be invited to get an overview of the ongoing communication planning. It will then be their responsibility to stay up to date.
The benefits are several
1: Deadlines and expectations are clarified
Assigning tasks to different people, it becomes clear to them and everyone else what applies. Now it will be much easier to drive the marketing plan forward. No one can claim that they did not know. A content calendar also shows overlapping deadlines. Conflicts in scheduling become apparent and can be adjusted early by you and your team.
2. Responsibilities are evident
A well-organized content calendar clarifies who is responsible for each part. Assign a person to manage and update the calendar itself and ensure that deadlines are met. The calendar should be easily accessible to everyone and identify who is responsible for delivering each part of the plan and when.
3. Clear key messages
Another benefit is the visibility of your company’s or organization’s key messages. Your calendar can, for example, contain the titles of whitepapers and e-guides, viewpoints in posts and articles, headlines for events and presentations, messages in different campaigns and subject lines for different mails.
Keep former actions. Looking back on past activities and communications can help you choose the best messages and moments for them.