How to create a social editorial calendar

A sound content marketing strategy involves, in most cases, the use of one or more social networks, the management of which, in recent years, has become increasingly challenging due to the numerous interactions from the public and the numerous changes that the algorithms undergo almost daily.

One tool that proves very useful for keeping track of social management without losing notes along the way is the editorial calendar which, by dictating the rules from planning to comment management, allows even the highest workflows to be handled with less effort and, most importantly, without losing quality.

What is a social editorial calendar

Its name is explanatory enough, but to make it clearer, the social editorial calendar is nothing more than a calendar containing within it all the various posts that will be published on the social channels used for corporate communication.

Such a tool is very useful especially when managing several accounts on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and TikTok, as it allows you to use the same tone of voice and keep track of what has already been posted.

6 tips for making and managing a social editorial calendar

Bringing to life an orderly and efficient social editorial calendar may seem trivial, but it is not: attention must be paid to several aspects, all the more so if it is to be used by several people and it will, therefore, be necessary to find a way to make it usable and understandable for everyone.

To make sure you don’t go wrong, here are 6 tips to consider:

1. Select social channels

This first step might seem trivial but, strange but true, in many cases it is completely overlooked and underestimated. Before starting any business, it is essential to carefully select the social media you want to use to get your company talked about.

How does one choose? By asking yourself a series of questions: which platforms does your target audience frequent? What news does the social world offer? Which platform best suits your product/service? The answers certainly help to skim and lay the groundwork for a focused and thoughtful strategy.

2. Conduct a preliminary analysis of the social platforms in use

The editorial calendar also serves to monitor the progress of the activity, thus progress and snags; consequently, it is always useful to make an initial check with which to make comparisons as we go along. Specifically, here is what needs to be taken into account:

  • most popular posts for each channel used;
    posts that create more engagement;
  • days and times during which the public is most active;
  • results of various types of posts (e.g., images and/or videos);
  • comparison of evergreen and trendy posts;
  • demographic data of the audiences of the different platforms;
  • current situation of each channel.

In the end, the situation will certainly appear clearer and it will be easier to make any changes and modifications to improve performance.

3. Choose content for the editorial calendar

Once the channels to be used have been selected, the social editorial calendar can be implemented. Generally, this is a document in Excel, Numbers or Fogli di Google that allows the content to be organized into well-defined columns. Each column corresponds to a specific detail, such as publication channel, time of day, target audience, post type and more.

In addition, the advice is to always include a deadline (useful for the professional who will have to do the graphic design or copy writing) and any hashtags to be implemented.

4. Plan the cadence of publication of posts

After defining the content, one must also decide how often it will be published and how far in advance it will need to be implemented. Having a clear frequency at all times will help the whole team to avoid overloading, meet deadlines, and have time in case changes are required.

5. Revise

Before proceeding with scheduling/publishing posts it is always very helpful to take time to review the work you have just completed. Important question: who should review? And when should this be done? The suggestion is to have someone who has never participated in the activity review what has been done and who, being freed from any influence, can more easily detect any typos and give a more objective opinion.

6. Monitor and create reports

Finally, the social editorial calendar is perfect for monitoring the progress of posts and activity in general. It is, therefore, quite automatically a source of useful and interesting data and information that can give rise to reports that can be kept, consulted at any time and, if necessary, reviewed by the client.

By paying attention to your company’s needs, perfectly analyzing your target audience, and following these 6 tips, making a good social editorial calendar will prove not only useful, but also fun and creative!