- March 24, 2016
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How to Plan a Social Media Content Calendar
We all want to promote links to our own content. But social media is not a one-way broadcast medium. It’s designed for interaction.
With that principle in mind, here are some practical tips for integrated marketers seeking to plan a balanced social editorial calendar, as adapted from Socialnomics.
Share Links+
Plan to alternate links to your own content with links from other sites. Share links to timely, relevant posts.
Stuck for something to say? Share inspirational quotes or your view on news events. Repost helpful articles from other websites. Comment or share something trending.
The recommended ratio of links to original vs. shared posts is at least 1:3.
Recycle and Repost
Re-post older content on Twitter, while varying the actual wording of your Tweets (to avoid looking like a spammy robot). Most people aren’t likely to notice your post the first time unless they happen to be “tuned in” right then.
Make Time for One-to-One Engagement
Engagement doesn’t have to be planned or scripted. It can be spontaneous and natural in response to whatever shows up in your newsfeed when you happen to check. Dedicate time for engaging current followers and for finding new ones. Search for relevant hashtags and keywords, and remember to reply or comment to your followers. Follow new people, and re-share interesting posts from others.
Get Visual
Regardless of the type of visual you use (photos, memes, infographics, videos, GIFs), you have a better chance of getting noticed with an image.
Note: Unless you purchase stock images, be careful to use only images that are either your own or public domain, in order to avoid copyright infringement and possible fines.
Include All Networks with Separate Schedules
Each social network has its own particular community and culture, along with its own preferences for type and frequency of posts. For instance, marketers typically post much less often on Facebook than Twitter.
Your content calendar should include each platform you use, with its own individual schedule. Note how many times per day you plan to post for each one. Try color-coding each platform to help identify them more quickly.
Plan Weekly, Not Monthly
Not all marketers will agree with taking a weekly approach. But a monthly calendar is just not as helpful as it sounds. Since you can’t predict emerging news or trends, or what type of content will be popular next month, you don’t want to share something that looks old or irrelevant, just because it’s on the calendar.
