--- name: planning-content-calendars description: Creates strategic content schedules with themes, dates, and publishing cadence. Use when the user asks about content calendars, publishing schedules, content planning, editorial calendars, or content strategy timelines. --- # Content Calendar Planner ## When to use this skill - User asks to create a content calendar - User needs a publishing schedule - User wants to plan content themes - User mentions editorial planning - User needs content batching strategy ## Workflow - [ ] Define goals and audience - [ ] Establish content pillars - [ ] Set publishing cadence - [ ] Map themes to dates - [ ] Assign content types - [ ] Create the calendar ## Instructions ### Step 1: Define Planning Parameters **Required inputs:** | Field | Purpose | | ----------- | --------------------------------- | | Time period | Month, quarter, year | | Platforms | Blog, social, email, video | | Goals | Traffic, leads, engagement, sales | | Audience | Who you're creating for | | Resources | Team size, creation capacity | | Key dates | Launches, events, holidays | ### Step 2: Establish Content Pillars **Content pillar framework:** ```markdown A content pillar is a core topic that: - Aligns with your expertise - Matters to your audience - Supports business goals - Can generate 10+ pieces of content ``` **Pillar template:** | Pillar | Description | Audience Need | Content Ratio | | ---------- | ----------------- | ------------------------ | ------------- | | [Pillar 1] | [Core topic area] | [What problem it solves] | [X%] | | [Pillar 2] | [Core topic area] | [What problem it solves] | [X%] | | [Pillar 3] | [Core topic area] | [What problem it solves] | [X%] | | [Pillar 4] | [Core topic area] | [What problem it solves] | [X%] | **Example (for a web dev agency):** | Pillar | Description | Audience Need | Ratio | | ------------ | ------------------------------ | ------------------- | ----- | | Performance | Page speed, Core Web Vitals | Sites are too slow | 30% | | Modern Stack | Next.js, headless CMS, APIs | Tech choices | 25% | | Conversion | UX, landing pages, A/B testing | Sites don't convert | 25% | | Case Studies | Client wins, results | Social proof | 20% | ### Step 3: Set Publishing Cadence **Cadence by platform:** | Platform | Minimum | Recommended | Aggressive | | ---------- | ------- | ----------- | ---------- | | Blog | 2/month | 4/month | 8/month | | LinkedIn | 3/week | 5/week | Daily | | Twitter/X | Daily | 2-3/day | 5+/day | | Instagram | 3/week | Daily | 2/day | | YouTube | 2/month | Weekly | 2/week | | Newsletter | 2/month | Weekly | 2/week | | Podcast | 2/month | Weekly | 2/week | | TikTok | 3/week | Daily | 2-3/day | **Capacity planning:** ```markdown ## Weekly Content Capacity **Team size:** [X] creators **Time available:** [X] hours/week for content **Estimate per content type:** - Blog post (1,500 words): 4-6 hours - Social post: 15-30 minutes - Newsletter: 2-3 hours - Video (5-10 min): 8-12 hours - Podcast episode: 4-6 hours **Sustainable weekly output:** - [x] blog posts - [x] social posts - [x] newsletters - [x] videos ``` ### Step 4: Content Types Mix **Content type categories:** | Category | Purpose | Examples | | ------------- | -------------------- | -------------------------- | | Educational | Build authority, SEO | Tutorials, guides, how-tos | | Inspirational | Engagement, shares | Stories, quotes, wins | | Promotional | Conversions, sales | Product features, offers | | Entertaining | Reach, virality | Memes, trends, humor | | Community | Loyalty, UGC | Q&As, polls, reposts | | Behind-scenes | Trust, relatability | Process, team, culture | **Recommended mix:** ```markdown ## Content Mix Formula - 40% Educational (value-first) - 20% Inspirational (engagement) - 15% Promotional (conversions) - 15% Entertaining (reach) - 10% Community (loyalty) ``` ### Step 5: Theme Mapping **Monthly theme structure:** ```markdown ## [Month] Theme: [Theme Name] **Focus area:** [Which pillar this supports] **Key message:** [One sentence theme summary] **Content ideas:** - Blog: [Topic 1], [Topic 2] - Social: [Angle 1], [Angle 2], [Angle 3] - Email: [Newsletter theme] - Video: [Video topic] **Tie-in dates:** - [Relevant holiday or event] - [Industry date or awareness day] - [Product launch or promotion] ``` **Theme ideas by quarter:** | Q1 (Jan-Mar) | Q2 (Apr-Jun) | Q3 (Jul-Sep) | Q4 (Oct-Dec) | | -------------- | -------------- | ---------------- | -------------- | | New year goals | Spring refresh | Back to business | Holiday prep | | Planning | Growth focus | Mid-year review | Year in review | | Fresh starts | Launch season | Summer content | Black Friday | | Skill building | Outdoor/active | Back to school | Gratitude | ### Step 6: Key Dates Calendar **Important dates to consider:** | Category | Examples | | --------- | ------------------------------------------------- | | Holidays | New Year, Easter, Christmas, local holidays | | Shopping | Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Prime Day, Boxing Day | | Awareness | Mental Health Month, Earth Day, Pride Month | | Industry | Conferences, product launches, annual events | | Company | Anniversaries, launches, milestones | | Seasonal | Summer, back-to-school, spring cleaning | **Date mapping template:** ```markdown ## Key Dates: [Month] | Date | Event | Content Opportunity | | ------ | ------- | ------------------- | | [Date] | [Event] | [Content idea] | | [Date] | [Event] | [Content idea] | | [Date] | [Event] | [Content idea] | ``` ### Step 7: Weekly Calendar Template **Weekly content schedule:** ```markdown ## Week of [Date] | Day | Platform | Content Type | Topic | Status | | --- | ---------- | ------------- | --------- | --------- | | Mon | Blog | Tutorial | [Topic] | Draft | | Mon | LinkedIn | Text post | [Topic] | Scheduled | | Tue | Instagram | Carousel | [Topic] | Idea | | Tue | Twitter | Thread | [Topic] | Idea | | Wed | Newsletter | Weekly digest | [Topic] | Draft | | Thu | LinkedIn | Article | [Topic] | Idea | | Thu | YouTube | Video | [Topic] | Filming | | Fri | All social | Engagement | Community | — | ``` ### Step 8: Monthly Calendar Template ```markdown ## [Month] Content Calendar ### Week 1: [Theme/Focus] | Date | Platform | Type | Topic | Pillar | Owner | Status | | ---- | -------- | ---- | ----- | ------ | ----- | ------ | | 1 | | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | | | 4 | | | | | | | | 5 | | | | | | | | 6 | | | | | | | | 7 | | | | | | | ### Week 2: [Theme/Focus] [Same structure] ### Week 3: [Theme/Focus] [Same structure] ### Week 4: [Theme/Focus] [Same structure] --- ### Monthly Summary - Total blog posts: [X] - Total social posts: [X] - Total newsletters: [X] - Total videos: [X] - Primary pillar focus: [Pillar] - Key campaign: [Campaign name] ``` ### Step 9: Content Batching Strategy **Batching framework:** | Batch Type | When | What | | ---------------- | ------------ | ----------------------------- | | Monthly planning | 1st of month | Map all content for the month | | Weekly writing | Monday | Draft week's blog/newsletter | | Daily social | Morning | Schedule day's social posts | | Visual creation | Thursday | Design week's graphics | | Video filming | Bi-weekly | Film 2-4 videos at once | **Batching schedule example:** ```markdown ## Batching Days **Monday:** Writing day - Draft blog posts - Write newsletter copy - Create social captions **Tuesday:** Visual day - Design social graphics - Create thumbnails - Edit images **Wednesday:** Video day - Film content - Record podcasts - Edit videos **Thursday:** Planning day - Review analytics - Adjust strategy - Plan next week **Friday:** Engagement day - Respond to comments - Community interaction - Repurpose top content ``` ### Step 10: Repurposing Matrix **One piece → multiple formats:** ```markdown ## Repurposing: [Original Content Title] **Source:** [Blog post / Video / Podcast] | Platform | Format | Angle | Status | | ------------- | ----------- | ---------------------- | ------ | | LinkedIn | Text post | Key takeaway | | | Twitter | Thread | Step-by-step breakdown | | | Instagram | Carousel | Visual summary | | | TikTok | Short video | Quick tip version | | | Newsletter | Feature | Deep dive + extras | | | Pinterest | Infographic | Visual guide | | | YouTube Short | Clip | Best 60 seconds | | ``` **Repurposing timeline:** ```markdown Day 0: Publish original blog post Day 1: LinkedIn post (key insight) Day 2: Twitter thread (main points) Day 3: Instagram carousel (visual breakdown) Day 5: Newsletter feature Day 7: YouTube video (expanded version) Day 14: Pinterest infographic Day 30: Update and reshare ``` ### Step 11: Status Tracking **Content status stages:** | Status | Definition | | ------------ | ----------------------------- | | 💡 Idea | Topic identified, not started | | 📝 Outline | Structure planned | | ✍️ Draft | Writing in progress | | 👀 Review | Ready for editing | | ✅ Ready | Approved, awaiting schedule | | 📅 Scheduled | Queued for publishing | | ✓ Published | Live | | 📊 Analyzed | Performance reviewed | **Tracking template:** ```markdown ## Content Pipeline ### Ideas Backlog | Topic | Pillar | Type | Priority | | ----- | ------ | ---- | -------- | | | | | | ### In Progress | Topic | Type | Owner | Status | Due | | ----- | ---- | ----- | ------ | --- | | | | | | | ### Scheduled | Topic | Platform | Publish Date | Status | | ----- | -------- | ------------ | ------ | | | | | | ### Published (This Month) | Topic | Platform | Date | Performance | | ----- | -------- | ---- | ----------- | | | | | | ``` ## Output Format ```markdown ## Content Calendar: [Time Period] **Period:** [Start date] - [End date] **Platforms:** [List platforms] **Goals:** [Primary objectives] --- ### Content Pillars | Pillar | Description | Ratio | | ------ | ----------- | ----- | | | | | ### Publishing Cadence | Platform | Frequency | | -------- | --------- | | | | --- ### Monthly Overview #### [Month 1] **Theme:** [Monthly theme] **Key dates:** [Important dates] [Weekly calendar tables] #### [Month 2] [Same structure] --- ### Repurposing Plan [Repurposing matrix for key content] ### Batching Schedule [Weekly batching workflow] ``` ## Validation Before completing: - [ ] Content pillars defined (3-5 pillars) - [ ] Publishing cadence is sustainable - [ ] All platforms accounted for - [ ] Key dates mapped - [ ] Monthly themes assigned - [ ] Content types balanced - [ ] Repurposing opportunities identified - [ ] Status tracking system included ## Error Handling - **No clear goals**: Ask for top 3 content marketing objectives (traffic, leads, engagement). - **Too many platforms**: Recommend focusing on 2-3 platforms initially until capacity grows. - **Unsustainable cadence**: Reduce frequency or suggest batching and repurposing. - **No team capacity info**: Ask how many hours per week available for content creation. - **Missing key dates**: Prompt for product launches, company events, and industry dates. ## Resources - [CoSchedule](https://coschedule.com/) - Editorial calendar tool - [Notion Templates](https://www.notion.so/templates) - Calendar templates - [Airtable Content Calendar](https://airtable.com/) - Database templates - [Google Sheets Calendar Template](https://sheets.google.com/) - Free spreadsheet option - [Days of the Year](https://www.daysoftheyear.com/) - Awareness days database