A content material calendar is an effective way to visualise your publishing schedule. From weblog posts and social media content material to e-mail campaigns and YouTube movies, holding monitor with out one is a ache to say the least.
It will get much more difficult if you’re publishing throughout a number of platforms and managing a workforce of creators, editors, and producers.
These are a few of my favourite content material calendar templates for staying organized.
monday.com: A multi-purpose content material calendar template
In search of a versatile and highly effective technique to handle content material and different varieties of work in a single place? monday.com is without doubt one of the high undertaking administration options I’ve used.
The free plan is nice for as much as two customers and is greater than sufficient to strive monday.com’s free content material calendar template. Nevertheless, paid plans include way more performance and are higher fitted to groups needing automation, formulation, integrations, and dashboards.
Be taught extra about monday.com: monday.com assessment | monday.com’s latest options.
This content material calendar template is nice for groups that want a technique to plan and execute content material alongside different varieties of tasks.
It’s nice for high-level or short-term planning, however it actually shines if you use it as a technique to assign duties and get work performed. With tons of inbuilt undertaking administration performance, you may simply set due dates, set off notifications, and monitor progress too.
It really works simply as properly for any kind of content material, from social media and movies to long-form weblog posts.
You may view the entire work as a easy desk, Kanban view, calendar, timeline, or interactive dashboard (relying in your plan).
Though the template itself is comparatively easy, the extensibility of monday.com as a device means you may add on or mix it with different templates to create a whole enterprise operations system that runs your total division or firm.
Notion content material calendar templates
Though Notion has undertaking administration options, it will possibly do a complete lot greater than that. It’s basically a clean slate with the power to create any kind of system or workspace you want. It really works notably properly for issues it’s worthwhile to hold monitor of.
In our context, it really works nice for content material. Nevertheless it’s additionally glorious for notes, budgeting, HR, finance, and extra.
For those who’re a solo person, the free plan will get you by for a very long time. Groups can strive Notion with the free plan, however you’ll must improve to a paid plan to proceed utilizing it.
Be taught extra about Notion: Notion assessment | Notion vs monday.com | Notion vs Confluence.
A fundamental content material calendar template and Kanban board
Notion’s fundamental content material calendar template is a good place to begin as a result of it requires zero effort to arrange. Out of the field, you’ll get pre configured calendar and Kanban views you may add content material to straight away.
The calendar is nice for guaranteeing a constant publishing schedule whereas the Kanban board makes it simple to maintain monitor of manufacturing alongside the way in which.
You may brainstorm concepts utilizing the inbuilt “idea” standing and transfer gadgets to “in progress” if you’re able to get to work. Don’t like an concept? All it’s important to do is delete it. Every merchandise permits you to connect media information so you may collect every thing it’s worthwhile to publish in a single place.
This template works simply as properly whether or not you’re working by your self or with a small workforce.
A Notion template for managing social media content material
Notion’s easy social media content material calendar works rather well in the event you repurpose current content material throughout a number of channels. Reasonably than creating 4 gadgets for a single video, you may create it as soon as and tag the merchandise for YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.
Like different Notion templates, you may simply arrange a variety of views, considered one of which is a calendar that makes it simple to see every bit of content material and the platforms it would go on.
As quickly as an merchandise has a date, it reveals up in your calendar. That is true even when it’s nonetheless within the technique of being created.
However shade coding on the calendar view relies on every merchandise’s standing, providing you with an instantaneous visible of what’s on monitor or operating behind.
As a result of Notion is so versatile, you may simply replace both template or broaden on them to make them give you the results you want and your workforce.
ClickUp content material calendar templates
ClickUp isn’t as versatile as monday.com or Notion, however it has extra inbuilt performance. As a substitute of constructing what you want, it already exists and can be utilized proper out of the field.
On high of that, the free plan is way extra beneficiant. You may have a limiteless variety of customers plus you get limitless duties, collaborative docs, workforce chat, customized fields, and a number of undertaking views.
Superior options, like automations, Gantt view, calculations, time monitoring, targets, workload administration, and superior permissions are all obtainable on paid plans if you’re prepared.
Be taught extra about ClickUp: ClickUp assessment | ClickUp vs monday.com | ClickUp vs Notion.
A sophisticated all-purpose content material administration template
ClickUp’s advertising and marketing content material calendar template is without doubt one of the most fully-featured and versatile choices on my listing. It’s versatile sufficient for solo entrepreneurs and mid-sized groups alike, Plus, you don’t must do a lot to get began.
It comes with eight distinctive statuses, ten customized fields, and workforce collaboration instruments so you may assign duties and monitor the progress of all of your content material.
Relying in your plan, the template consists of eight views, giving everybody in your workforce the chance to see their work in a manner that works greatest for them. Customers can simply change between calendar, board, listing, timeline, and Gantt chart views with out impacting anybody else.
On the calendar view, color-coded content material sorts make it simple to remain organized and see what’s happening throughout completely different platforms at a look.
As a bonus, ClickUp’s collaborative doc creator additionally makes it simple to create an organization wiki, doc your processes, plan campaigns, and take notes as a workforce.
A easy editorial calendar template
This editorial calendar template is ideal for bloggers and editors. It comes with 4 completely different views — calendar, board, listing, and timeline — making it simple for your entire workforce to view big-picture planning whereas additionally specializing in their particular duties and to-do lists.
The template consists of seven inbuilt statuses, together with in assessment, scheduled, and printed. As a result of it’s arrange for running a blog, you received’t must customise it to match your wants.
The entire inbuilt statuses are shade coded, so it’s apparent the place every thing stands, even from a excessive degree.
You may take issues a step additional by categorizing your content material and importing the entire digital property you want for publishing. As soon as a submit is reside, there’s additionally a customized area for the URL so you may shortly entry it sooner or later.
Between the 2 templates, this one is way easier and simpler to begin utilizing on day one. Nevertheless, it will possibly really feel cluttered and overwhelming in the event you’re utilizing it for extra than simply weblog posts.
Airtable editorial calendar template
Airtable is by far probably the most highly effective device on this listing, particularly when you have loads of knowledge it’s worthwhile to join collectively. My workforce makes use of it for all kinds of issues, together with income, content material manufacturing, service supply, and extra.
Like Notion, it requires a major quantity of labor up entrance. However you’ll find yourself with a customized setup designed round the way in which you’re employed in the event you’re keen to place within the time.
If in case you have fewer than 5 collaborators, you can begin utilizing Airtable without spending a dime. You’ll get limitless bases, 1,000 information per base, 1 GB of storage per base, and 100 month-to-month automation runs.
Be taught extra about Airtable: Airtable assessment | Airtable vs monday.com | Airtable vs Notion.
Airtable works rather well when you have loads of knowledge. It’s an ideal resolution for reporting, analytics, content material administration, workload administration, and anything that accumulates loads of knowledge factors. This template presents a superb place to begin in case your present focus is on planning, organizing, and managing high-volume manufacturing.
Like different templates, you’ll get a number of views — grid view, calendar view, and creator workload come pre configured.
You’ll additionally get particular person tables for managing content material, planning content material, and holding monitor of your workforce (together with their roles, capability, and availability).
Though this template is straightforward, you received’t have to fret about deleting a bunch of belongings you’ll by no means use. As a substitute, it’s a place to begin you may construct on as you get snug and your wants change.
Airtable’s largest disadvantage can be its largest benefit.
The software program’s flexibility means there are dozens of how to perform the identical factor and it will possibly take loads of time to determine what works greatest for you.
However in the event you want one thing that’ll by no means impede your progress, it’s value studying the fundamentals.
Asana social calendar template
The entire instruments we’ve lined thus far are extremely versatile. In order for you one thing that requires much less setup and has far much less room for error, Asana’s a more sensible choice.
Though it’s extra inflexible, there’s normally one greatest technique to set issues up so that you don’t have to fret about doing it mistaken, doing it mistaken once more, after which doing it mistaken yet one more time earlier than determining the very best resolution.
Its free plan can be very beneficiant, permitting for limitless tasks, duties, messages, and storage. It’s an ideal choice for small groups or bigger groups who need to strive earlier than they purchase.
Be taught extra about Asana: Asana assessment | Asana vs monday.com | Airtable vs Asana.
Technically, this template is for managing social media content material. However you need to use it for any kind of content material from movies and podcast episodes to free downloads and case research.
It consists of every thing you’ll have to ideate, strategize, prioritize, and assign work throughout each channel you employ. Plus, you may add new tasks and tie them to high-level milestones or targets to remain aligned.
With every bit of content material, there’s a spot for the content material itself, key phrases, and information so you may simply collect every thing in a single place.
The template even consists of built-in approval workflows to manage high quality at each degree and activity dependencies if you wish to use the essential path methodology.
Regardless of being extremely feature-rich, it’s comparatively simple to get began. All it’s important to do is add the entire channels you submit on, add a chunk of content material, fill out all of its data, and set a date. From there, you recognize every thing it’s worthwhile to know to make use of it.
You may simply flip your calendar into completely different undertaking views, together with listing, Kanban view, Gantt chart, customized dashboards, and extra.
In contrast to different content material calendar templates, Asana’s calendar view is clear and aesthetically pleasing, at the same time as you add a number of gadgets per day. It’s additionally shade coded by no matter area you select, making it simple to visualise progress at a look.
A content material calendar you need to use with Google Sheets, Excel, or Phrase
In case your wants are easy otherwise you need one thing acquainted, you need to use a spreadsheet to maintain monitor of your manufacturing schedule as an alternative. When arrange properly, you’ll be capable of keep organized and on schedule with out having to make use of undertaking administration software program.
There are a whole lot of free content material calendar spreadsheets, however this one from Smartsheet is considered one of my favorites as a result of it presents a streamlined technique to handle content material on a number of platforms.
Smartsheet’s easy content material calendar template is free to obtain for Excel, Google Sheets, Phrase, PowerPoint, and PDF.
It has house to plan for the subsequent week, so it’s way more restricted than different choices on the listing. Nevertheless it’s a really clear technique to hold monitor of content material throughout a number of platforms with out getting overwhelmed. Plus, you can also make a duplicate to plan forward.
The setup could be very easy. Days of the week are throughout the highest and completely different advertising and marketing channels are down the left.
Say you will have an concept and need to submit it on Fb. Simply choose a day of the week and add your concept within the acceptable row. You may add a number of concepts in the event you’re undecided.
That is about so simple as it will get. Nevertheless, it doesn’t seem like a standard calendar and it’s difficult to plan forward. You’ll have to begin with a brand new sheet each week and there’s no technique to hold monitor of the content material creation course of.
That stated, it’s a straightforward technique to plan forward at low quantity.
Easy methods to create your individual content material and editorial calendar
You may create your individual content material calendar template utilizing spreadsheet software program, relational database instruments, undertaking administration options, and even pen and paper. If nothing above works for you, you will get artistic and use one thing you have already got.
Excel and Google Sheets, for instance, have built-in calendars you can begin with. Or you may draw one on a whiteboard, use a bodily calendar, or construct one in Google Docs.
When you determine, it’s only a matter of including content material and selecting dates.
Whereas which will work for quite simple wants, a extra superior content material calendar ought to have a spot to maintain monitor of:
- Content material kind.
- Publish date.
- Channel.
- Standing.
- Information and pictures.
- Notes.
- Proprietor.
- Assigned to.
If the concept of including all of that sounds intimidating, you may all the time begin with one of many templates from this listing and customise it to match your wants.
What can I monitor with a content material calendar?
Content material calendar templates are actually versatile instruments. They will work properly for particular person use and high-level planning to monitoring total manufacturing schedules and full-scale content material groups with editors, strategists, writers, and extra.
You should utilize a content material calendar to:
- Manage and plan content material advertising and marketing actions.
- Construct out quick or long-term campaigns.
- Produce and publish social media content material.
- Write, edit, and publish weblog posts.
- Replace or repurpose current content material.
- Guarantee constant publishing for various audiences.
That is actually simply scratching the floor with what you are able to do with a content material calendar, particularly in the event you’re planning to leverage the built-in undertaking administration options.
Do I really want a content material calendar?
For those who’re publishing one or two items of content material per day or week, you don’t want something fancy.
A easy calendar that allows you to drag and drop, modify dates on the fly, and collect property in a single place is greater than sufficient. My workforce used a easy Kanban board for years with no issues.
We did ultimately improve to one thing else however elegant and easy can get you a large number additional than you assume.
That stated, you in all probability don’t want a content material calendar (or can get by with a easy spreadsheet) in the event you don’t want to stay to a constant schedule or solely publish just a few instances per 30 days.
Something past that and also you’ll possible begin to really feel overwhelmed and not using a centralized place to visualise dates, statuses, property, and technique in a single place.
