Where has the year gone?! With 2020 just weeks away, that means 12 fresh months of brand new content to create! Does that fill you with joy or fear?
I love a new year refresh. I love the idea that I have 365 days of possibilities ahead of me. But then again, I’m an optimist! It also definitely helps that I plan my content way ahead of time. Creating a marketing and content calendar means having ideas and templates for content no matter how busy I am, or how quiet things are on that particular day or week. It’s a lifesaver, honestly.
If you’re in need of some content calendar inspiration for 2020, look no further. Here are my top tips to help you get your year into shape.
Run an audit on all your 2019 (and 2018) content
You may have noticed from previous blog posts, but I love a good old fashioned audit. It helps me take stock of what I’ve created, and often, it reminds me about posts I forgot I wrote.
As well as making a list of the topics you’ve already covered, make sure you take note of all the metrics alongside them too. Which topics raised the most discussion? Which posts were shared around the most? Which flopped? For every post that soared, I try to think of at least two twists on the same topic so I can renew the content I know people want, keeping it fresh with the minimum of effort.
Find the right content calendar template for you
Not all content calendars are useful. Your business and your individual workflow needs different things, and so if a calendar seems to details for you, or too sparse, that’s fine! Just find one that works for you and change it as you see fit.
Here are some great templates I’ve found to get you started, but feel free to draw one out on paper if that’s how you work. No judgement!
● Quuu’s free content calendar — includes space for overviews, campaign themes, planning, daily content scehdule and an inventory. For the control freaks out there.
● Janet Murray’s 2020 Media Diary — a real life paper diary for anyone out there who prefers writing ideas down in pen. Like me.
● Get Clearvoice’s Excel based calendar by signing up to their newsletter.
● Smartsheet has 9 different content marketing calendar templates to download and use in Excel for free.
Set out your goals
Before you start filling in your shiny new content calendar, make sure your goals for the year are set. Get your marketing team together and ask them to present what they think has been successful over 2019, and what they want to improve on in the coming year.
Talk to your sales managers, and ask them about their projected goals for 2020.
Talk to your line manager, and find out their expectations. (Important — you want to manage their expectations as well as inform your own team about the goals being expected of them!)
Your content, social media ads, posts and emails directly affect sales. Make sure you’re not just sending great content out into the wide world without tethering it to tangible targets. Your content has value — make it work for your business.
Need some support with planning your 2020 content calendar? Is it looking like you might need an extra pair of hands to create the amazing content you’re hoping to put out over the next year? Get in touch and let’s talk about how I can help 2020 be your best year ever.