BONUS: Read the social media content calendar how-to guide.

Social Media Content Calendar Template

Used 1674 times | Updated October 24, 2023

The social media calendar is a necessary tool to streamline your team’s content creation process. It helps you plan when and which content will be shared, manage campaigns, and track deadlines.

Create a plan to consistently share social media content your target audience wants to see.
Eliminate confusion across departments and streamline content creation.
Easily analyze your past posts to track high-level KPIs related to larger marketing initiatives.

Use This Template

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Use This Template

Xtensio is your team space for beautiful living documents.
Create, manage and share business collateral, easily.
Join the 192,582 changemakers.

The social media calendar is a necessary tool to streamline your team’s content creation process. It helps you plan when and which content will be shared, manage campaigns, and track deadlines.

Create a plan to consistently share social media content your target audience wants to see.
Eliminate confusion across departments and streamline content creation.
Easily analyze your past posts to track high-level KPIs related to larger marketing initiatives.

BONUS: Read the social media content calendar how-to guide.

Social Media Marketing

Click and start editing, no account or credit card required.
Follow along with the instructional social media calendar details. Add charts, graphs, images, and videos to customize the social media content calendar template and make it your own. Drag & drop. Resize. It’s the easiest editor ever.

Customize everything in the social media calendar template to match your brand.
Define your style guide. Add your (or your client’s) brand fonts and colors. You can even pull colors directly from a website to easily brand your social media content calendar and more.

Work on the social media calendar together on the cloud.
Add colleagues (or clients) to collaborate on the social media calendar template. Changes automatically save and sync across all devices, in real-time.

Share a link. Present a slideshow. Embed. Download a PDF/PNG.
The social media calendar template seamlessly adapts to your workflow. No more jumping from tool-to-tool to design different types of deliverables.

Reuse and repurpose.
Save your own content calendar templates. Or copy and reuse in other documents.

Follow along step-by-step with the social media content calendar how-to guide.

An ongoing social content calendar will help streamline your digital marketing efforts across the entire organization and help build a strong brand for your company. The goal of this exercise is to create an ongoing weekly calendar to maximize your social media marketing efforts by consistently creating high-quality content.

Whether you’re just getting started building your organization’s social media strategy or you’re refining what’s already in place, it can be an overwhelming task to come up with ideas to fill your social content calendar. But it’s a necessary task in order to help you set realistic goals for your social strategy.

Here are some steps you can take to determine the type of content that will resonate with your audience:

Conduct a social media audit.
Decide on topics and keywords.
Choose a mix of content types.
Determine how often and when to post.
Create a social media content repository.
Define a collaborative content creation and review process.
Schedule and publish your social media content.
Track and measure your success.

Explore our content marketing process essentials for other instructional templates beautifully designed and ready to present.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Social Media Content Calendar?

A social media content calendar is a planning tool that helps you organize, schedule, and manage your social media posts across various platforms. It serves as a roadmap for your social media marketing strategy, ensuring consistency and effectiveness.

Why Do I Need a Social Media Content Calendar?

A social media content calendar streamlines your social media activities by allowing you to plan ahead. It helps in maintaining a consistent posting schedule, ensures that your content aligns with your brand’s goals, and makes it easier to collaborate with team members.

What Should a Social Media Content Calendar Include?

A social media content calendar should include the following elements: posting dates, platforms, post descriptions, content types (e.g., video, image, link), hashtags, and any team member responsible for the post. This comprehensive approach ensures that you’re well-prepared for effective social media management.

How Do I Create a Social Media Content Schedule?

To create a social media content schedule, start by identifying your target audience and marketing goals. Next, decide on the frequency and timing of your posts for each platform. Populate your calendar on Xtensio with content ideas, and assign responsibilities to team members. Finally, use scheduling tools to automate the posting process.

What Tools Can I Use to Manage My Social Media Calendar?

Popular tools for managing a social media calendar include Hootsuite, Buffer, and Sprout Social. These platforms offer features like bulk scheduling, analytics, and collaboration capabilities to make social media management more efficient.

How Far in Advance Should I Plan My Social Media Content?

It’s advisable to plan your social media content at least one month in advance. This allows you ample time to create high-quality content, make adjustments as needed, and align your posts with any upcoming events or holidays.

How Do I Track the Performance of My Social Media Calendar?

To track the performance of your social media calendar, use analytics tools that measure key performance indicators (KPIs) like engagement rate, reach, and conversion. Regularly review these metrics to adjust your strategy as needed.

Can I Use a Social Media Content Calendar for Multiple Platforms?

Yes, a well-designed social media content calendar can accommodate multiple platforms. You can either create separate calendars for each platform or use a single, comprehensive calendar that includes columns or sections for each platform.

How Do I Handle Real-Time Posts and Trends in My Calendar?

Allocate slots in your social media calendar for real-time posts and trending topics. This ensures that you remain agile and can capitalize on opportunities as they arise, without disrupting your planned content.

What Are Some Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using a Social Media Content Calendar?

Common mistakes include inconsistent posting, failure to align posts with brand goals, and neglecting to review analytics. Avoid these pitfalls by regularly updating and reviewing your social media content calendar.

Social Media Marketing