This document provides guidance on creating a social media content calendar to plan and schedule content marketing. It recommends first understanding your target audience and their preferences to focus your social media strategy. It then discusses brainstorming various types of content ideas around your brand stories and personality to include on the calendar. The calendar should be organized by month, week and day and assign responsibilities. Regular review and adjustment of the calendar helps implement a cohesive social media strategy to reach your goals.

1. How To Create Your Social
Media Content Calendar
Reaching Your Food Biz Fans On The Social Web
By Sara Lancaster
of The Condiment Marketing Co.

2. What Is A Content Calendar?
A tool you and your team use to plan content marketing by
date and topic. A calendar is a great way to see how the
pieces of your marketing strategy play together.
The following pages talk about using a content calendar for
social media purposes, but really it should be used for ALL
content.
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3. Why Use A Social Media Content Calendar?
● Saves you time
● Makes social media a priority
● Ensures promotions go out at right
times
● Look alive and big to retailers,
partners, potential customers
● Don’t miss/forget important events
● Implement a cohesive strategy
● Reach goals!
● An easy-to-reference archive
● What else?
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4. Before You Start Writing
Do The Groundwork
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5. Who Is Listening?
What demographic of folks makes
up the largest piece of your
customer pie?
Come up with a sample persona.
When you write content. You are
writing for this person. Give them a
name...like Jane!
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6. Where Do You Find Jane Online?
You know WHO you are talking to,
but you need to know WHERE to
reach her.
● Do a customer survey
● PewSocialTrends.org
● Trial, test, analytics
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7. Choose Your Social Media Site Focus
As a small business owner, you need to
respect your time and budget. Select 3
social media sites to focus on for now:
● Go where Jane goes
● Do what comes easy (Love your
camera phone? Choose Instagram!)
● Set goals and follow through (Want
2 more corporate clients this year?
Pick LinkedIn!)
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8. What Is Your Brand Personality?
Personable and friendly
Spontaneous and high energy
Modern or high tech
Cutting edge
Fun
Accessible to all
VS.
Corporate and professional
Careful thinking and planning
Classic and traditional
Established
Serious
Upscale
Choose terms from either column that apply. Create content that fits.
Source: http://www.bigbrandsystem.com/uncover-your-brand-personality-quiz/
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9. Time To Create Content
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10. What Are Your Brand Stories?
Brand stories are unique to your
business. They promote your
product/service and help fans fall in
LOVE with YOU. Create recurring
content around your stories.
Here’s an example for ABC Sauce Co.:
● Italian heritage in the United States
● Not all sauce is red sauce
● Say “yes” to carbs and bacon!
● The family dog IS family
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11. A Mix Of Social Media Content Types
● Re-shared vs owned
● Links vs embedded
● Promotional vs informational/entertaining
● Scheduled vs real-time
● Broadcast vs conversation
● Photos, videos, branded images, quotes, memes,
questions, trivia, etc.
● What else?
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12. Brainstorm Content Ideas
Collect ideas in a doc so when it’s time to create content, you’ve got lots to
work with.
● What pains and delights your customers?
● What influencers do you want the attention of? Share their content.
● What’s trending?
● Weekly or monthly themes
● Holidays, events
● Recipes, serving ideas
● What else?
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13. Stop. Wait A Minute.
There are hundreds of social media content
possibilities! Be selective. Before you give a
post the green light, ask yourself…
1. Does Jane care?
2. Does it help you reach your goals?
3. Does it match your brand personality?
4. Does it support one of your brand
stories?
5. Do your analytics prove it worked before?
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14. Set-Up Your Calendar
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15. Content Calendar Considerations
● Spreadsheets on Google Drive work great, but do what works
for you
● Organize content by month, week, and day
● Color code to indicate who is responsible for what
● Include social, blog, newsletters, and other content
● Use the calendar to make sense of content -- publishing is the
next step
● Review and re-configure as you go
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16. Sample Content Calendar
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17. Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I post?
Long answer: Depends on the site. Pinterest,
Google+, and Twitter are about high volume.
However, on Facebook, Instagram, and
LinkedIn you could annoy your followers.
Short answer: Try 3 to 5 times a week.
When should I post?
Try a variety of times and see what your
followers respond to best. Your analytics will
tell you what you need to know.
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18. Have Questions? Contact Me.
Sara Lancaster, Chief Communicator
at The Condiment Marketing Co.
CondimentMarketing.com
sara@condimentmarketing.com
@saralancaster
Find this presentation and other social
media resources on my Pinterest board at
http://goo.gl/yqTRIk
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