A content material calendar is an effective way to visualise your publishing schedule. From weblog posts and social media content material to e mail campaigns and YouTube movies, retaining observe with out one is a ache to say the least.
It will get much more difficult once you’re publishing throughout a number of platforms and managing a crew of creators, editors, and producers.
These are a few of my favourite content material calendar templates for staying organized.
Multi-purpose content material calendar templates for monday.com
Searching for a versatile and highly effective option to handle content material and different kinds of work in a single place? monday.com is among the high venture administration options I’ve used.
The free plan is nice for as much as two customers and is greater than sufficient to strive monday.com’s free content material calendar template. Nevertheless, paid plans include much more performance and are higher suited to groups needing automation, formulation, integrations, and dashboards.
Study extra about monday.com: monday.com evaluate | monday.com’s latest options.
Template 1: Finest for in-built activity monitoring
This content material calendar template is nice for groups that want a option to plan and execute content material alongside different kinds of tasks.
It’s nice for high-level or short-term planning, nevertheless it actually shines once you use it as a option to assign duties and get work performed. With tons of in-built venture administration performance, you possibly can simply set due dates, set off notifications, and observe progress too.
It really works simply as nicely for any kind of content material, from social media and movies to long-form weblog posts.
You may view all the work as a easy desk, Kanban view, calendar, timeline, or interactive dashboard (relying in your plan).
Though the template itself is comparatively easy, the extensibility of monday.com as a software means you possibly can add on or mix it with different templates to create a whole enterprise operations system that runs your whole division or firm.
Template 2: Finest for aligning with high-level advertising targets
A content material calendar is absolutely simply half of a bigger advertising plan. So moderately than utilizing two separate templates or venture areas to handle every part, monday.com permits you to do each underneath one roof.
It’s a completely customized advertising template that features every part from content material calendars to social media scheduling, quarterly advertising plans, and extra.
Determination-makers can create customized dashboards to rapidly see high-level planning on a single display screen. So you possibly can see what’s scheduled to be revealed, what’s in progress, and even preserve observe of your funds.
One other standout function of this template is the flexibility to create a dynamic content material approvals course of. Paired with monday.com’s highly effective automation options, you possibly can supercharge this workflow to in the end scale your content material technique.
General, I simply love how seamless this template is for managing so many interconnected parts in a single place. The template makes it straightforward to align your content material calendar with big-picture advertising targets and retains your whole crew on the identical web page.
The one disadvantage is that you just’ll doubtless have to improve to a paid monday.com plan to actually get essentially the most out of this template’s capabilities. Whereas it’s nonetheless accessible to make use of on the free plan, you’ll doubtless discover it to be a bit limiting if you wish to accomplish every part I’ve described above.
ClickUp content material calendar templates
ClickUp isn’t as versatile as monday.com or Notion, nevertheless it has extra in-built performance. As an alternative of constructing what you want, it already exists and can be utilized proper out of the field.
On high of that, the free plan is way extra beneficiant. You may have a limiteless variety of customers plus you get limitless duties, collaborative docs, crew chat, customized fields, and a number of venture views.
Superior options, like automations, Gantt view, calculations, time monitoring, targets, workload administration, and superior permissions are all accessible on paid plans once you’re prepared.
Study extra about ClickUp: ClickUp evaluate | ClickUp vs monday.com | ClickUp vs Notion.
Template 1: A complicated all-purpose content material administration template
ClickUp’s advertising content material calendar template is among the most fully-featured and versatile choices on my listing. It’s versatile sufficient for solo entrepreneurs and mid-sized groups alike, Plus, you don’t need to do a lot to get began.
It comes with eight distinctive statuses, ten customized fields, and crew collaboration instruments so you possibly can assign duties and observe the progress of all of your content material.
Relying in your plan, the template contains eight views, giving everybody in your crew the chance to see their work in a method that works finest for them. Customers can simply change between calendar, board, listing, timeline, and Gantt chart views with out impacting anybody else.
On the calendar view, color-coded content material varieties make it straightforward to remain organized and see what’s happening throughout totally different platforms at a look.
As a bonus, ClickUp’s collaborative doc creator additionally makes it straightforward to create an organization wiki, doc your processes, plan campaigns, and take notes as a crew.
Template 2: A easy editorial calendar template
This editorial calendar template is ideal for bloggers and editors. It comes with 4 totally different views — calendar, board, listing, and timeline — making it straightforward for your complete crew to view big-picture planning whereas additionally specializing in their particular duties and to-do lists.
The template contains seven in-built statuses, together with in evaluate, scheduled, and revealed. As a result of it’s arrange for running a blog, you gained’t need to customise it to match your wants.
All the in-built statuses are shade coded, so it’s apparent the place every part stands, even from a excessive stage.
You may take issues a step additional by categorizing your content material and importing all the digital belongings you want for publishing. As soon as a submit is dwell, there’s additionally a customized subject for the URL so you possibly can rapidly entry it sooner or later.
Between the 2 templates, this one is way easier and simpler to start out utilizing on day one. Nevertheless, it might probably really feel cluttered and overwhelming when you’re utilizing it for extra than simply weblog posts.
Notion content material calendar templates
Though Notion has venture administration options, it might probably do an entire lot greater than that. It’s primarily a clean slate with the flexibility to create any kind of system or workspace you want. It really works significantly nicely for issues it’s worthwhile to preserve observe of.
In our context, it really works nice for content material. However it’s additionally wonderful for notes, budgeting, HR, finance, and extra.
In case you’re a solo consumer, the free plan will get you by for a very long time. Groups can strive Notion with the free plan, however you’ll need to improve to a paid plan to proceed utilizing it.
Study extra about Notion: Notion evaluate | Notion vs monday.com | Notion vs Confluence.
Template 1: A primary content material calendar template and Kanban board
Notion’s primary content material calendar template is a superb place to start out as a result of it requires zero effort to arrange. Out of the field, you’ll get pre configured calendar and Kanban views you possibly can add content material to immediately.
The calendar is nice for making certain a constant publishing schedule whereas the Kanban board makes it straightforward to maintain observe of manufacturing alongside the way in which.
You may brainstorm concepts utilizing the in-built “thought” standing and transfer gadgets to “in progress” once you’re able to get to work. Don’t like an thought? All it’s a must to do is delete it. Every merchandise permits you to connect media recordsdata so you possibly can collect every part it’s worthwhile to publish in a single place.
This template works simply as nicely whether or not you’re working by your self or with a small crew.
Template 2: Another particularly for social media content material
Notion’s easy social media content material calendar works rather well when you repurpose current content material throughout a number of channels. Slightly than creating 4 gadgets for a single video, you possibly can create it as soon as and tag the merchandise for YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.
Like different Notion templates, you possibly can simply arrange a variety of views, one in every of which is a calendar that makes it straightforward to see each bit of content material and the platforms it is going to go on.
As quickly as an merchandise has a date, it reveals up in your calendar. That is true even when it’s nonetheless within the strategy of being created.
However shade coding on the calendar view relies on every merchandise’s standing, supplying you with a right away visible of what’s on observe or operating behind.
As a result of Notion is so versatile, you possibly can simply replace both template or increase on them to make them give you the results you want and your crew.
Airtable editorial calendar template
Airtable is by far essentially the most highly effective software on this listing, particularly if in case you have loads of knowledge it’s worthwhile to join collectively. My crew makes use of it for all types of issues, together with income, content material manufacturing, service supply, and extra.
Like Notion, it requires a big quantity of labor up entrance. However you’ll find yourself with a customized setup designed round the way in which you’re employed when you’re keen to place within the time.
When you have fewer than 5 collaborators, you can begin utilizing Airtable totally free. You’ll get limitless bases, 1,000 data per base, 1 GB of storage per base, and 100 month-to-month automation runs.
Study extra about Airtable: Airtable evaluate | Airtable vs monday.com | Airtable vs Notion.
Airtable works rather well if in case you have loads of knowledge. It’s an excellent resolution for reporting, analytics, content material administration, workload administration, and anything that accumulates loads of knowledge factors. This template affords place to start out in case your present focus is on planning, organizing, and managing high-volume manufacturing.
Like different templates, you’ll get a number of views — grid view, calendar view, and writer workload come pre configured.
You’ll additionally get particular person tables for managing content material, planning content material, and retaining observe of your crew (together with their roles, capability, and availability).
Though this template is straightforward, you gained’t have to fret about deleting a bunch of belongings you’ll by no means use. As an alternative, it’s a place to begin you possibly can construct on as you get snug and your wants change.
Airtable’s greatest disadvantage can be its greatest benefit.
The software program’s flexibility means there are dozens of the way to perform the identical factor and it might probably take loads of time to determine what works finest for you.
However when you want one thing that’ll by no means impede your progress, it’s price studying the fundamentals.
Asana social calendar template
All the instruments we’ve coated up to now are extremely versatile. If you’d like one thing that requires much less setup and has far much less room for error, Asana’s a more sensible choice.
Though it’s extra inflexible, there’s normally one finest option to set issues up so that you don’t have to fret about doing it improper, doing it improper once more, after which doing it improper yet another time earlier than determining the most effective resolution.
Its free plan can be very beneficiant, permitting for limitless tasks, duties, messages, and storage. It’s an excellent choice for small groups or bigger groups who wish to strive earlier than they purchase.
Study extra about Asana: Asana evaluate | Asana vs monday.com | Airtable vs Asana.
Technically, this template is for managing social media content material. However you should use it for any kind of content material from movies and podcast episodes to free downloads and case research.
It contains every part you’ll have to ideate, strategize, prioritize, and assign work throughout each channel you employ. Plus, you possibly can add new tasks and tie them to high-level milestones or targets to remain aligned.
With each bit of content material, there’s a spot for the content material itself, key phrases, and recordsdata so you possibly can simply collect every part in a single place.
The template even contains built-in approval workflows to regulate high quality at each stage and activity dependencies if you wish to use the crucial path technique.
Regardless of being extremely feature-rich, it’s comparatively straightforward to get began. All it’s a must to do is add all the channels you submit on, add a chunk of content material, fill out all of its data, and set a date. From there, you understand every part it’s worthwhile to know to make use of it.
You may simply flip your calendar into totally different venture views, together with listing, Kanban view, Gantt chart, customized dashboards, and extra.
In contrast to different content material calendar templates, Asana’s calendar view is clear and aesthetically pleasing, at the same time as you add a number of gadgets per day. It’s additionally shade coded by no matter subject you select, making it straightforward to visualise progress at a look.
A content material calendar you should use with Google Sheets, Excel, or Phrase
In case your wants are easy otherwise you need one thing acquainted, you should use a spreadsheet to maintain observe of your manufacturing schedule as an alternative. When arrange nicely, you’ll be capable to keep organized and on schedule with out having to make use of venture administration software program.
There are tons of of free content material calendar spreadsheets, however this one from Smartsheet is one in every of my favorites as a result of it affords a streamlined option to handle content material on a number of platforms.
Smartsheet’s easy content material calendar template is free to obtain for Excel, Google Sheets, Phrase, PowerPoint, and PDF.
It has house to plan for the subsequent week, so it’s much more restricted than different choices on the listing. However it’s a really clear option to preserve observe of content material throughout a number of platforms with out getting overwhelmed. Plus, you may make a replica to plan forward.
The setup may be very easy. Days of the week are throughout the highest and totally different advertising channels are down the left.
Say you could have an thought and wish to submit it on Fb. Simply choose a day of the week and add your thought within the acceptable row. You may add a number of concepts when you’re undecided.
That is about so simple as it will get. Nevertheless, it doesn’t appear like a standard calendar and it’s difficult to plan forward. You’ll have to start out with a brand new sheet each week and there’s no option to preserve observe of the content material creation course of.
That mentioned, it’s a straightforward option to plan forward at low quantity.
Do I really want a content material calendar?
In case you’re publishing one or two items of content material per day or week, you don’t want something fancy.
A easy calendar that permits you to drag and drop, regulate dates on the fly, and collect belongings in a single place is greater than sufficient. My crew used a easy Kanban board for years with no issues.
We did finally improve to one thing else however elegant and easy can get you a large number additional than you suppose.
That mentioned, you most likely don’t want a content material calendar (or can get by with a easy spreadsheet) when you don’t want to stay to a constant schedule or solely publish just a few occasions per 30 days.
Something past that and also you’ll doubtless begin to really feel overwhelmed with out a centralized place to visualise dates, statuses, belongings, and technique in a single place.
How to decide on the most effective content material calendar template for you
Though most templates are simply customizable, choosing the proper one means you’re that a lot nearer to a system you should use. Listed below are just a few eventualities and what I like to recommend for every.
You’re publishing combined content material throughout a number of channels
monday.com’s content material calendar and ClickUp’s advertising content material calendar are each good.
They’re full of options, a number of board views past a primary calendar, and include built-in crew collaboration options. You should utilize both of those to write down blogs, create movies, produce podcasts, or any content material mixture that can get distributed throughout your web site, social channels, and past.
In case you’re on the fence, you possibly can strive each templates totally free to see which one’s a greater match.
You’re working with a small crew
I like to recommend ClickUp. Each ClickUp templates are tremendous straightforward to make use of and you will get the entire crew on board rapidly with out a steep studying curve or losing an excessive amount of time on non-content-related duties. Everybody can clearly perceive their function and what duties they should knock out — all whereas watching their work progress on the month-to-month calendar.
monday.com’s templates work, too, when you don’t thoughts getting your palms soiled and wish some extra superior options.
You’re a complicated content material strategist
Go together with Airtable. It’s essentially the most versatile and superior choice for groups producing content material at scale. I personally use it to trace income from totally different sources. Though it took us a very long time to get every part dialed in.
monday.com is a strong selection, too. Whereas it’s not as superior as Airtable, it’s good for skilled customers who need one thing a bit easier.
You’re a solo content material content material creator
Begin with Notion or one in every of Smartsheet’s Excel/Google Sheets templates.
Notion’s collaboration options aren’t fairly pretty much as good as among the different platforms on the market. However this can be a moot level when you’re working alone. You should utilize this for years with out having to think about anything, even when you begin working with one or two different folks down the street.
An Excel or Google Sheets template is so simple as it will get, making them nice for solo use.
You’re strictly specializing in social media
Use Asana’s social media calendar.
Whilst you can customise any template to suit your social media plans, this one is optimized for social scheduling from the second you begin.
I actually like how one can color-code every social channel, which is nice for visualizing how mild or heavy your content material is all through the month. It’s additionally one of many few calendars that doesn’t look too cramped when you could have a number of gadgets scheduled on the identical day.
Notion additionally works nicely, particularly when you’re pushing out the identical submit throughout a number of social channels directly.
create your individual content material and editorial calendar
You may create your individual content material calendar template utilizing spreadsheet software program, relational database instruments, venture administration options, and even pen and paper. If nothing above works for you, you will get inventive and use one thing you have already got.
Excel and Google Sheets, for instance, have built-in calendars you can begin with. Or you possibly can draw one on a whiteboard, use a bodily calendar, or construct one in Google Docs.
When you determine, it’s only a matter of including content material and selecting dates.
Whereas which will work for quite simple wants, a extra superior content material calendar ought to have a spot to maintain observe of:
- Content material kind.
- Publish date.
- Channel.
- Standing.
- Recordsdata and pictures.
- Notes.
- Proprietor.
- Assigned to.
If the concept of including all of that sounds intimidating, you possibly can at all times begin with one of many templates from this listing and customise it to match your wants.
What can I observe with a content material calendar?
Content material calendar templates are actually versatile instruments. They’ll work nicely for particular person use and high-level planning to monitoring whole manufacturing schedules and full-scale content material groups with editors, strategists, writers, and extra.
You should utilize a content material calendar to:
- Set up and plan content material advertising actions.
- Construct out brief or long-term campaigns.
- Produce and publish social media content material.
- Write, edit, and publish weblog posts.
- Replace or repurpose current content material.
- Guarantee constant publishing for various audiences.
That is actually simply scratching the floor with what you are able to do with a content material calendar, particularly when you’re planning to leverage the built-in venture administration options.