A lot of you reading this probably have your very own blog or social media pages that you’ve been maintaining. Or maybe, you want to create one of those.
Either way, it’s not always easy to make a plan and post often. And of course, all of us are trying to increase the reach our pages have, find more people who like our content, and get more followers and likes for all that effort we put into each post.
I’ve been using a lot of the time I had over the holiday season trying to learn more and get a little bit more efficient. One of the concepts I came across a couple of months back that has worked for me is a Content Calendar.
All of us make plans the minute we create that blog or Instagram page. We tell ourselves that we want to post a certain kind of content, that we want to post maybe once a well, and maybe even think about what we want to invest time on when creating each of those content pieces. But has that worked for you so far? Because for me, it’s always worked a couple of weeks and then either work happens or something else becomes a priority.
So when I came across the idea for a Content Calendar, I decided to give it a shot.
I tried a lot of Google Searches and websites trying to find a template that would work for me. Unfortunately, that didn’t work. So after almost a week, I ended up creating one for myself. I looked at a bunch of templates I had found and picked the format and content that would work for me as a writer.
I kept my format very simple and straightforward. I planned one month at a time. I did my research on traffic to my site, thought about the kind of content I wanted to write, did a little research on topics, and gave myself deadlines. I wanted to pay a little attention to keywords as well, so I put that in. And there it was, my very own plan for an entire month that included Blog topics, keywords, and deadlines.
So why?
For me, a Content Calendar allowed me to plan in advance for the coming month. I sat for a half-hour, decided on my topics, and did my keyword research. And since that was done, I had to just wait for inspiration to strike and get writing. No time spent on trying to figure a topic out and get it written and find keywords all last minute before when I had wanted to post.
So What is a Content Calendar?
A Content Calendar is essentially a schedule that we can leverage to control publishing content on our social media outlets. There are several formats, ideas and, recommendations on what to include, what not to include, and more.
And now that you’ve heard all about it, how do you get started?
It’s very simple. If you’re unsure about what exactly you’re looking for, don’t worry. You can just google it and you’ll be able to find at least a few examples and templates to start you off. But if you really want it to work out for you, you’ll need to invest some time in personalizing it to your needs. And I’d recommend keeping it simple, especially at the start.
So there you are, my what, how and, why go for a Content Calendar?
Still feeling a little lost? I’ve gone ahead and attached the template I created for myself below. Go ahead, download it, personalize it, and hopefully, it’ll work as well for you as it has for me.
Have you used Content Calendars? Share your experiences, ideas, and templates! Happy Writing!
A Different Take 
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