# Content Calendar — Planning & Templates

## Calendar Template Structure

| Field | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| **Date** | Publish date |
| **Channel** | Blog, LinkedIn, Instagram, Email, etc. |
| **Content type** | Blog post, social post, email, video, etc. |
| **Pillar** | Which content pillar (see framework below) |
| **Topic/Title** | Working title |
| **Target keyword** | For SEO content (primary keyword) |
| **Funnel stage** | Awareness, Consideration, Decision, Retention |
| **Target persona** | Which persona this content serves |
| **Owner** | Person responsible for creation |
| **Status** | Ideation → Draft → Review → Approved → Scheduled → Published |
| **Distribution** | Where this content will be promoted (channels) |
| **Repurpose plan** | How this content will be adapted for other channels |

---

## Content Pillar Framework

Choose 3-5 pillars that represent your brand's core expertise areas.

### Example: B2B SaaS Marketing Tool
1. **Marketing Strategy** — Campaign planning, budget allocation, team management
2. **Analytics & Data** — Reporting, metrics, attribution, insights
3. **Content Marketing** — SEO, content creation, distribution, optimization
4. **Industry Trends** — Market updates, predictions, benchmarks
5. **Customer Stories** — Case studies, success stories, use cases

### Rules
- Every piece of content maps to one pillar
- Aim for balanced distribution across pillars (within ±10%)
- Each pillar has a defined pillar page that cluster content links to
- Review pillar balance monthly and adjust if lopsided

---

## Publishing Cadence Recommendations

### By Channel

| Channel | Minimum | Recommended | Maximum |
|---------|---------|-------------|---------|
| Blog | 2/month | 4-8/month | 12/month |
| LinkedIn | 3/week | 5/week | 1-2/day |
| Twitter/X | 1/day | 3-5/day | 10/day |
| Instagram Feed | 3/week | 4-5/week | 1-2/day |
| Instagram Reels | 2/week | 4-5/week | 1/day |
| TikTok | 3/week | 5-7/week | 2-3/day |
| YouTube | 1/month | 1-2/week | 3/week |
| Email newsletter | 1/month | 1/week | 2/week |
| Podcast | 2/month | 1/week | 2/week |

### By Team Size
| Team Size | Blog | Social | Email | Video |
|-----------|------|--------|-------|-------|
| Solo marketer | 2/month | 3-5/week total | 2/month | 1/month |
| Small team (2-3) | 4/month | 1/day/platform | 1/week | 2/month |
| Mid team (4-8) | 8/month | 1-2/day/platform | 1-2/week | 1/week |
| Large team (8+) | 12+/month | 2+/day/platform | 2-3/week | 2-3/week |

---

## Seasonal & Event Calendar

### Q1 (January - March)
- Jan 1: New Year's (resolutions, fresh start content)
- Jan: Chinese New Year / Lunar New Year (varies)
- Feb 14: Valentine's Day
- Feb: Ramadan begins (varies — check Islamic calendar)
- Mar 8: International Women's Day
- Mar 17: St. Patrick's Day
- Late Mar: Holi (India)

### Q2 (April - June)
- Apr 22: Earth Day
- Apr/May: Eid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan — varies)
- May: Mental Health Awareness Month
- May (2nd Sun): Mother's Day (US)
- Jun: Pride Month
- Jun (3rd Sun): Father's Day (US)

### Q3 (July - September)
- Jul 4: US Independence Day
- Aug 15: Indian Independence Day
- Aug/Sep: Back to school (education, productivity)
- Sep (1st Mon): Labor Day (US)
- Sep: Oktoberfest begins (Germany)

### Q4 (October - December)
- Oct 31: Halloween
- Oct/Nov: Diwali (India — varies)
- Nov 11: Singles' Day (China — massive eCommerce event)
- Nov 11: Veterans Day (US)
- Nov (4th Thu): Thanksgiving (US)
- Nov (4th Fri): Black Friday
- Nov (Mon after): Cyber Monday
- Dec 25: Christmas
- Dec 26: Boxing Day (UK, Canada, AU)
- Dec 31: New Year's Eve

### Industry Events
- CES (January)
- SXSW (March)
- Industry-specific conferences (map per brand)
- Product launch cycles
- Fiscal year boundaries (triggers B2B budget cycles)

---

## Content Batch Production

### Batch Process
1. **Planning session** (2 hours): Map next month's topics, assign pillars, keywords
2. **Research batch** (1 day): Pull data, sources, competitor analysis for all pieces
3. **Writing batch** (2-3 days): Write all blog posts / long-form in one focused period
4. **Design batch** (1-2 days): Create all visuals, thumbnails, social graphics
5. **Editing batch** (1 day): Review all content, SEO check, brand voice check
6. **Scheduling batch** (half day): Schedule everything in CMS, social tools, ESP

### Benefits
- Faster than creating one piece at a time
- Ensures consistent voice and messaging
- Allows for better internal linking between related pieces
- Reduces context-switching
