How to Actually Use a Content Calendar for Your Small Business
- Rachel Meyer
- Apr 8
- 5 min read
I've said it before, and I'll say it again- if you want your business blog to actually see results, you need a content calendar.
But how do you actually use one?
There are loads of posts online about creating a content calendar. But very few of them tell you how to integrate it into your content planning process. Setting one up is great, but if you don't use it, it's worthless.
If that's your quandary, have no fear. I'm here to show you how to use a content calendar, based on my own experience with them as a professional content writer. I'm also sharing a few tips and tricks I've learned along the way to make your content calendar a seamless part of your marketing process.
What is a content calendar?
A content calendar (or editorial calendar) is a list of content you plan to publish, along with relevant information like the date, keyword, and more. You can use them for blogs, email marketing, and social media, but in this post, we’re focusing on using them as a blogging tool.
How to use a content calendar
Make your template
The first thing you need to do is make your personalized content calendar template. I have a couple of posts on this topic, so check those out if you don't already have your template set up.
Decide how often to plan
How often you decide to plan content plays a big part in your business. If you schedule too far in advance, your content may get outdated before you post it. But if you plan too frequently, you’ll burn out.
After a lot of trial and error, I've found the best way to plan is to focus on quarterly and monthly segments.
Each quarter, you want to do big picture planning for the next three months. Start by writing down any launches, sales, or holidays you want to align your content with. Then, start loosely filling in your calendar with post ideas, keeping in mind those important dates.
On the monthly level, look at your calendar again and plan your content out more closely. Which days and times do you plan to post? Have there been any changes since you made the original plan that need tweaking? What's the specific keyword you're targeting?
I've found that this system is best because it offers a good mix of far and close planning. You can stay flexible while still knowing what's coming up next month.
But, of course, how often you choose to plan is up to you and your business. You may want to create a rough plan up to 6-12 months in advance. Or maybe you find planning monthly is all you need. But this is something you need to decide.
Fill your content calendar in
There's nothing more satisfying than filling in all the little boxes on your content calendar. (Or is that just a me thing?)
You’ll have to start, of course, by actually planning the content. This means brainstorming content, doing keyword research, and all that other fun stuff.
Then, once you have all that decided, it’s time to fill in the calendar. This is why you need your template made first. But believe me, once you’ve got all those boxes filled in, you’ll feel so accomplished, especially if you’re planning the next 3-6 months.
Make the content
Once you fill your calendar in, all that’s left is creating the content. When possible, this is another thing I recommend working ahead on. Maybe not six months in advance, but prepping content anywhere between 1-3 months in advance can be super handy.
Refer to your calendar often
A content calendar is not something you make and then just forget about until it’s time to plan content again. I refer to my content calendars weekly (something my Google Drive loves to remind me 🙈).
Why? Because I want all my marketing work together, and my blog posts are part of that. For example, if I’m publishing a new post on, say, content calendars, I’ll also want to prepare social media posts and email newsletters to promote it. Or if I'm releasing a new product or service, I go back and make sure the content I’ve planned is aligned with that.
You’ll also find yourself referring to your calendar a lot if you have a marketing team. One of the benefits of a content calendar is keeping everyone on track, but you can’t do that if you don’t make sure to check the calendar to ensure everyone's doing their part.
Tips for using a content calendar
Remain flexible
I hate to say it, but things will crop up, and you’ll have to adjust your carefully laid plans to accommodate them. That’s why I don’t recommend making solid plans more than a few months in advance, because you never know what will happen.
There might be a big trend that you want to write a post on. Your business might have big news it needs to share. You might have to take unexpected time off or just not feel like writing that post you originally planned. These things happen.
So, make your plan and follow it as best you can. But give yourself grace so you don’t feel trapped by your calendar. It’s supposed to serve you, not the other way around.
Have a mix of content
Another way to stay flexible and actually use your content calendar is to make sure you have a mix of different kinds of content planned. For blogs, these will be evergreen and trendy topics.
Evergreen posts are topics with long-lasting value, such as writing about using a content calendar or how to paint a room. These posts often take more time to write, but are worth it because they continue to bring visitors to your website for years.
Trendier posts align with what’s currently happening in the world. For example, last month the whole 2016 trend was big on social media, so maybe you decided to write about styling 2016 fashion. This content won’t be relevant for long, but it can attract visitors interested in the trendier topic.
Only evergreen content takes too much time and effort to sustain. Only trendy content makes your brand seem unoriginal. You need both to help your blog grow and reach people.
Batch create content
The beauty of planning ahead is that you can create your content ahead of time, too. I like to batch-create content whenever I can to reduce work and mental stress. All it takes is a few hours at the start or end of the month.
You may not be able to batch everything, and that’s okay. Sometimes you’ll have to leave things, especially trendier topics or content related to big sales or launches, until later. But getting done what you can ahead of time is a huge help.
It might seem like writing all your posts for the month is a big time commitment. But working on them all at the same time allows you to truly focus on the task and save time in the long run.
Content calendars are a valuable tool in your small business kit. And now that you know how to use them properly, you’ll be conquering the content marketing game like a boss.
Feel like all this content marketing stuff is more than you can handle? I would love to help you! Click the button below to learn more about my services and set up your discovery call today.
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