Devising a Content Schedule for Blogs and Social Networks
In the digital age, a well-organised content calendar is essential for any marketing strategy. Here are some of the top content calendar tools that cater to various team sizes, workflows, and marketing needs.
SocialBee
SocialBee is a popular choice for those seeking an AI-driven social media content planning tool. Its key features include AI Copilot, category-based scheduling, unified content calendar, and engagement analytics. SocialBee is ideal for marketers aiming for efficiency and AI-assisted strategy building.
ClickUp
ClickUp is an all-in-one project and content management tool that offers highly customizable, collaborative content calendar templates and multiple view options (calendar, list, Kanban). This tool is great for integrating content planning with task management.
Google Sheets
Google Sheets is a cost-effective and flexible option for startups or small teams. With easy collaboration and integration with Google Drive and Calendar, it is a reliable choice, although it may be limited in advanced social media features and visualization.
Trello and Asana
Trello and Asana are both project management tools that can be adapted for content calendars. Trello offers a visual board system, while Asana provides multiple view task lists. Both tools are useful for teams needing simple, visual content management with assignment and deadline tracking.
Airtable
Airtable is a versatile tool that offers multiple views suitable for teams managing many external contributors. It combines spreadsheet functionality with database features, making it powerful for complex or large-scale content planning.
Publer
Publer is a strong scheduling tool with features such as drag-and-drop calendar, bulk and auto scheduling, content recycling, AI-assisted captioning, and multi-workspace support. It is ideal for agencies managing multiple brands.
Other Tools
Other tools worth considering include Google Calendar, Notion, Statusbrew, and Canva. Each offers varying degrees of customization, collaboration, and scheduling ability.
| Tool | Best For | Key Features | Pricing Highlights | |-------------|-------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|------------------------------------| | SocialBee | AI-driven social media strategy | AI Copilot, category scheduling, analytics, engagement inbox | Starts at $29/mo with free trial | | ClickUp | Integrated project & content management | Customizable templates, multi-view, task integration | Free plan available; paid unlocks advanced features | | Google Sheets| Simple, cost-effective starter | Collaboration, integration with Google Suite | Free | | Trello | Visual content workflow | Boards/cards, labels, team assignments | Free with paid upgrades | | Asana | Task & deadline management | Lists, boards, calendar views | Free & paid plans | | Airtable | Complex content & contributor management| Multiple views, database/spreadsheet hybrid | Free with limits, paid plans | | Publer | Bulk scheduling, agencies | Drag-drop calendar, content recycling, AI Assist | Various paid plans |
Each tool suits different team sizes, workflows, and marketing needs, with SocialBee and ClickUp standing out for advanced automation and integration features, while Google Sheets and Trello cover more straightforward needs.
Creating Your Content Calendar
Creating a content calendar involves defining your content goals, choosing content types and platforms, researching content ideas, inputting content into a schedule that makes sense, and creating and publishing your content. This process ensures that your content is well-coordinated across blogs, social media, and other channels.
By planning a month or so ahead of time, you can keep big holidays and events in mind and dedicate marketing campaigns to certain events. It's also important to remember that a content calendar is a fluid document, which is why digital versions have become popular – allowing you to move around your posts in case anything comes up.
For individual content creators and small teams, Google Calendar can be a useful free tool for managing and tracking content schedules. For more advanced needs, tools like Notion, CoSchedule, Loomly, Trello, Asana, Basecamp, and our platform can provide additional features and integrations.
Planning your content one batch at a time makes sure that it makes sense together and helps you put together strategies surrounding a specific product or feature. This approach also allows you to optimize your content calendar by knowing your audience, planning content in batches, following the 80-20 rule (80% value, 20% promotion), and regularly tracking performance metrics to optimize your strategy.
Social-media marketers can utilize SocialBee, an AI-driven social media content planning tool, to streamline their workflows with features like AI Copilot, category-based scheduling, and engagement analytics. For teams seeking an all-in-one solution that combines content planning with project management, ClickUp is an ideal choice due to its customizable templates and task management integration.
Visuals play a crucial role in content creation, and platforms like Canva offer tools to help create visually appealing content for various channels, making it a valuable addition to a content marketing strategy.
