In a time with AI and the 15. iPhone on the market something as recognizable as a calendar seems rather banal. But don’t be fooled: you need it. The effectiveness behind your SoMe activity depends on how you time your communication – and whether it’s consistent. It requires planning. And planning requires a calendar.
Social medias come and go, but the game rules seem to be the same: it’s about creating value and keep on giving it. It’s on social media that your target groups are gathered, so this is where you must hit the spot. You do that with strategy.
And a part of that strategy is planning.
Good content gives a good image on social media, but only few people have time to think about and invent this every single day. A well-thought-out SoMe calendar can help you keep track of your activities and save resources in the long run. A real win-win situation.
Why is a calendar a good idea?
The red thread
If you have given your SoMe activities for the year some thought, the content will probably also be more coherent. t is the recognition of your content – and thus your brand – that makes your presence on social platforms strong.
You get an overview of the entire year
Imagine you run a B2C business that sells decorations to private homes – and you first remember Halloween when you are halfway through October. It’s easy to forget seasons and holidays in your marketing when you also have your everyday work. The calendar helps you to remember.
It’s simply easier
It will always make marketing easier to think strategically and plan ahead. It gives you more time to get things done in a proper way, so you get a little more space in your daily work. As Dale Carnegie once said: “an hour of planning can save ten hours of work”.
How do you make it?
We have collected observations and tips from our experts to help you design and build your SoMe calendar.
The SoMe calendar as part of the marketing strategy
The company’s vision, strategy and business goals serve as guidelines for communication and marketing. The content for social media should not be an exception: all communication should have a purpose and goal.
The goals influence the choices of who, what kind, on what channel and how often content is published, whether it is paid marketing, communication to current customers or organic content on social media.
Remember to “translate” your primary goals so they fit into the SoMe universe. If you e.g., strive to strengthen brand loyalty, the goal of your Facebook posts can easily be “to entertain” – it also builds loyalty.
The appropriate procedure
Good craftsmanship comes from good tools. A long way down the road, anyway.
There is a large selection of different templates, applications, and tools for SoMe calendars online, and a large part of them are free. In theory, it is not important which of those you choose to use. The most important thing is that the calendar exists, gives you the necessary overview and that it is used actively – with an extra thick line under “is used actively”.
It is also important that the calendar is easily accessible for those who need to use it regularly. The SoMe calendar can and should be a separate document so that it remains easy to use and stands out for content creators.
Choose channels according to your target group
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: there are plenty of social media platforms for your business to be present on. Which channels your company should be present on depends on your target group, their way of using digital channels and their expectations of companies. There is no golden rule for how many social media sites are needed. Instead, we recommend that you determine your presence based on your target group’s expectations – and prioritize.
In addition, you must also have in mind that not all media offer the same form of communication. It is rarely possible to publish content in the same form on all your chosen media. The content must be modified to suit the channel and audience in question.
In the calendar, you note the release dates, channels, content, and other things that have relevance in a way that makes sense to you. At the same time, you should always try to think about how you assess the success of content and channel in the long term.
What about the content?
When planning the content, you can make the process more manageable by dividing it into themes.
1.
Tactical – e.g., cases and sales supporting content that deals with new products, services or alike.
2.
Branding – content focused on your brand, your employees, your culture and more.
3.
Professional – blog posts, infographics and other content that strengthens your company as thought leaders.
It can be an advantage if you color code your themes. In this way, you can remedy that your SoMe communication does not become too monotonous. If, for example, two weeks in the calendar are colored blue, you can quickly spot that maybe a little pink or another color should be inserted in between.
You can take inspiration from the following for building your SoMe calendar:
- Promotions related to the season
- Holidays and themed days
- Content that helps customers, such as expert articles, blogs, and guides
- Customer meetings, webinars, and other events
- Presentations of the work you do and customer experiences
- Leveraging previously published content – don’t be afraid to reuse your most read articles
- Fun and genuine content about your company’s everyday life and your people
- Create a series of themed posts – feel free to repeat if, for example, photos of furry office friends seem to be a hit
- Your company’s vision, mission, and values – these are not only of interest to your own team, but also to your customers. What would you like to be known for?
Extra tip: keep a cool head when it comes to trends
Trends come and go. This is the case in almost all areas – including on social media. Of course, it’s a good idea to stay up to date on what’s happening in the SoMe scene and jump on the bandwagon if the latest trend fits naturally into the essence of your brand. However, there is no reason to chase everything new or get nervous if the budget does not have room for you to do all of it. Prioritize the things that fit into your corporate image. Otherwise, it can be a waste of both time and resources.
One trend that is clearly seen is that the luxury influencer is a falling star. Instead, the relatable influencer – the small as well as the large – who shares his/her everyday life and experience with products is favored. The more casual, the better. Perhaps it is also a trend that resonates with your target group?
You must constantly make these kinds of assessments when new trends arise. Together with the use of your new SoMe calendar, you can prioritize energy and resources correctly.