Creating a social media content calendar doesn’t have to be time-consuming or complex. Your calendar can be as simple as you’d like, and you can use free tools to create it. But like so many parts of running your agency, having a plan for your social media content is important.
Try our tips for creating your social media content calendar at your agency.
Many Benefits of a Social Media Content Calendar
A thoughtfully designed social media content calendar can work wonders for your agency. You’ll see several benefits from scheduling your ideas:
- Nothing gets missed when you plan your content with a calendar. Maybe you want to publish content to align with the seasons, like tips for safe spring driving. Or perhaps you want to take advantage of designated months, like Distracted Driving Month in April to run a targeted PSA campaign. Using a social media content calendar to plan your content in advance ensures you don’t forget any of the special occasions.
- Having a calendar means you can schedule content in advance. Scheduling your content using your social media tools means you can work more efficiently. Getting ahead of your content needs by scheduling it allows you to spend your time creating content thoughtfully rather than in a rush. And you can relax knowing your content is ready to go when the publish date arrives.
- Using a social media content calendar shows a more holistic view of your content. By using a calendar, you can get a view of your content in a year’s snapshot. It is easy to spot gaps and fill in blank spots in your schedule when you plan out the year in advance. You can also see where you may be short on a topic if you take the time to plot your content on a calendar. Being consistent with your posts is a lot easier when you can see your schedule on a calendar.
Create a Social Media Content Calendar at Your Agency
Try these steps to create a social media content calendar at your agency.
Evaluate your social media channels and goals.
Consider the different social media channels you have and your goals from your social media campaign. If you have several social media channels, think of your messaging for each. You may be able to use the same content and messaging on various channels, but you may need to mix it up, too. Consider using longer form messaging on LinkedIn and a shorter version on Twitter, for example.
For each social media channel, outline the types of posts you want to create.
You can post educational content, interesting tips, fun facts, trending news, announcements and events, holiday information, and more. Think about how to best communicate your message and what your audience on each channel wants to see. Some channels may require more images, for example, or embedded videos.
Get specific with your content.
Once you have outlined the type and category of content you’d like to create, start scheduling it. Include dates you will publish your content, images, and links you will use in your calendar. The more details you can include now, the easier it will be to update your content when you go to publish it.
Use a tool to create your calendar.
You don’t have to buy anything to create a social media content calendar. You can use an Excel or Google Sheets spreadsheet to organize your content. You can find plenty of free options available online. You can also try a paid version with different social media managers, but you don’t need to invest any money to have a useful social media content calendar.
Create and schedule your content.
Now comes the fun part — creating your content! Draft your content, add hashtags and images, and include links. Then schedule it using your social media planner or on your social media channels. You can prepare a month’s worth of content or more at once to use your time more efficiently.
Revise your social media content calendar as needed.
Your calendar should be a living document you edit when necessary. Perhaps you have a new product you’d like to feature in your social media campaign. You can change your schedule and add updated content as needed to make your content calendar work best for your agency. Review how your posts are doing and check your metrics to see if you should make changes to your strategy and calendar.
Valuable Discounts for Members of the American Agents Alliance
Using a social media content calendar at your agency is a great way to promote your agency and increase your online presence. And when you combine that with strong SEO practices, you can expand your marketing potential. Members of the American Agents Alliance enjoy discounts on SEO services designed to help agents maximize their online potential.
Become a member of the American Agents Alliance today to take advantage of this discount and many others. See how we empower independent agents and brokers to thrive!
