Looking for the all-in-one solution to plan your content is like searching for an Alka-Seltzer tablet that’s been dropped in the ocean; you’re not going to find it.
Depending on the type, size, and my involvement in the project, I use different options on the content calendar. Clearly, some basic things like date, author, title, and format will be relevant for any content calendar. Though in some cases, additional options can be added: target person, distribution channels, call to action, keywords, volume, and so on.
Surely, the best option is to combine features depending on the project (as I do). Or, you can choose the template that best suits your needs and tweak it a bit.
Not so easy?
Luckily, you’ve got someone on your side. (Cough, cough… That’s me!)
I’ve made a list of the best templates and tools to make your content-creating life a whole lot easier! Check them out and adopt the ones that best fit your case.
| Name | What’s Inside | User Case |
|---|---|---|
| 1. CoSchedule’s Template |
|
You need to collaborate with your team members |
| 2. Ryan Robinson’s Template |
|
You are aiming to monetize content |
| 3. Hubspot’ Template |
|
You are focusing on the writing and the message you want to deliver |
| 4. Smartsheet’s Template |
|
You need to assign corresponding event- and content-strategy details |
| 5. Airtable’s Template |
|
You need to track the progress of each post from idea to publication |
| 6. Whittington Consulting’s Template |
|
You are a business or organization that need to plan and organize your content marketing efforts |
| 7. Webfx’s Template |
|
You’re new to content marketing and need more material when blog planning |
| 8. Trello’s Template |
|
You need to make drafts and benchmark any insights from the process |
| 9. Notion’s Template |
|
You need to customize content planning for different purposes and creators |
| 10. Vertex42’s Template |
|
You’re into data-driven decision making |
| 11. CMI’s Template |
|
You need to adapt the release of content for different channels |
| 12. WordPress Plugin |
|
You produce content on the WordPress platform |
Well, now let’s talk about each one individually 👇
1. CoSchedule Content Strategy Template
CoSchedule is a content marketing and social media management tool that helps businesses and individuals streamline their marketing efforts.
It offers a variety of features, including a blog planning template, that makes it easy to organize, plan, and execute a successful content marketing strategy.
What Got Me Hooked on the CoSchedule’s Template
The CoSchedule blog planning template is a powerful tool for organizing and planning your content marketing efforts. It allows you to map out your blog post ideas, assign tasks, set deadlines and track progress all in one place. With this template, you can easily see what content you have planned for the future, and make adjustments as needed.
Another great feature of the CoSchedule blog planning template is its ability to integrate with your editorial calendar. This means that you can easily schedule your blog posts to be published at the optimal time for maximum engagement and traffic.
The template also includes an analytics feature that allows you to track the performance of your blog posts, so you can see which ones are resonating with your audience and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Key Takeaways:
- Optimize your publishing schedule for maximum conversions
- Leverage performance analytics
- Delegate tasks efficiently to team members
2. Ryan Robinson Blog Planner
Ryan Robinson has built a successful business by teaching others how to create and grow their own blogs through his website and online course offerings.
He is known for providing actionable tips and strategies for building a profitable blog and growing an audience.
What Got Me Hooked on the Ryan Robinson’s Template
Ryan Robinson’s blog planner is a comprehensive tool designed to help bloggers plan and create content that resonates with their target audience. The planner includes a variety of templates and worksheets that guide you through the process of defining your niche, identifying your target audience and creating a content calendar.
The planner also includes a section on search engine optimization and social media marketing, providing users with tips and strategies for increasing their visibility and driving traffic to their blogs. I believe Ryan Robinson’s blog planner is a valuable resource for bloggers looking to take their content and their business to the next level. It is a useful tool that gives step-by-step instructions to grow and monetize your blog.
Key Takeaways:
- Shoot for a laser-targeted niche
- Remain audience-driven in your content
- Monetize as you grow
3. Hubspot’s Business Blog Editorial Templates
Unless you’re new to online content creation and digital marketing, you’ll know that Hubspot is a leading provider of inbound marketing, sales and service software. Their platform helps businesses attract visitors, convert leads and close customers.
The company also offers a wide range of educational resources and services, including a blog that covers various aspects of digital marketing, sales and customer service.
What Got Me Hooked on the Hubspot’s Template
Hubspot’s business blog editorial content templates are a set of pre-designed templates that help businesses create high-quality blog content that drives traffic, generates leads and improves search engine rankings. These templates are designed to be flexible and easy to use, and they cover a variety of popular blog formats, such as how-to guides, list posts and interviews.
The templates are aimed at providing a structure for the blog post, so that the blogger can focus on the writing and the message they want to deliver. They guide your headlines, subheadings, calls to action and other elements that are essential for creating a compelling blog post. Additionally, the templates are optimized for SEO, so users can be sure that their blog posts will be easily discoverable by search engines.
Key Takeaways:
- Build a strategy around your social media content
- Write for people but keep SEO in mind as well
- Structure content with a purpose in mind
4. Smartsheet Blog Content Calendar Template
Smartsheet is a cloud-based project management and collaboration tool that enables teams to plan, track, automate and report on work. The platform is designed to help teams stay organized and on top of their tasks and projects, and it offers a wide range of templates and tools for different types of work.
What Got Me Hooked on the Smartsheet’s Template
Smartsheet’s blog content calendar template is a synergistic tool for bloggers and content creators who want to plan and organize their content in advance. The template provides a simple and easy-to-use layout that enables users to schedule their blog posts, assign tasks to team members and track progress.
The template also allows keeping track of the blog post’s performance by including metrics like views, shares and comments. This enables users to evaluate the impact of their content and make adjustments as needed.
Key Takeaways:
- Let content planning stem from team collaboration
- Track your performance regularly
- Plan content in advance to reduce stress
5. Airtable Blog Editorial Calendar Template
Airtable is a flexible and user-friendly database management tool that can be used for a variety of tasks and projects.
It allows users to create custom databases, called “bases,” that can be organized and viewed in a variety of ways, including as a spreadsheet, calendar or Kanban board.
Airtable also features robust collaboration tools, such as sharing and commenting and offers a wide range of integrations with other apps and services.
What Got Me Hooked on the Airtable’s Template
One useful template that Airtable offers is an editorial calendar template for bloggers and content creators. This template allows users to plan and organize their blog content in a clear and visual way. Users can create a calendar view of their content, with columns for the post title, author, status, and publication date.
On top of all that, users can add tags and attachments, such as images and documents, to each post for easy reference.
Another feature of the Airtable blog editorial calendar template is the ability to share the calendar with other team members, allowing them to view, edit and collaborate on the content together. This makes it easy to organize the workflow of your team. With this template, you can easily assign tasks, set deadlines, and keep track of all feedback and revisions, making the content creation process more efficient and productive.
Key Takeaways:
- Manage deadlines efficiently for maximum team productivity
- Keep track of feedback to avoid repeating ineffective strategies
- Make content productivity a team effort
6. Whittington Consulting Planner Template
Rick Whittington Consulting is a consulting firm that specializes in providing strategic planning and management services to businesses and organizations. The company was founded by Rick Whittington, a seasoned consultant with over 20 years of experience in the industry. Rick and his team of experts work closely with clients to understand their unique needs and develop customized solutions that help them achieve their goals.
What Got Me Hooked on the Whittington Consulting’s Template
One of the tools that Rick Whittington Consulting offers is their blog planner template. This template is designed to help businesses and organizations plan and organize their content marketing efforts. It includes sections for identifying target audiences, setting goals and objectives, researching keywords and topics and creating a content calendar.
The template tracks performance metrics and measures the impact of your blog on the business. By analyzing data such as website traffic, engagement rates and conversion rates, you can gain insights into what is working and what is not and make data-driven decisions about your blog content. (Cool, right?)
Key Takeaways:
- Make keyword research complementary to your content planning
- Measure how your blog is impacting your business
- Customize your planning to your needs and audience
7. WebFX Editorial Blogging Calendar Schedule
WebFX is a full-service digital marketing agency that offers a range of services including search engine optimization, pay-per-click advertising, social media marketing and content marketing. One of the key components of their content marketing strategy is their blog.
To help with this, Webfx offers an editorial blogging calendar schedule.
What Got Me Hooked on the WebFX’s Template
The Webfx editorial blogging calendar schedule is a tool that helps you plan and organize your blog content in advance.
The schedule includes a calendar view that allows you to see when each post is planned to be published, as well as columns for the post title, author, status and publication date. Users can also add tags and attachments, such as images and documents, to each post for easy reference.
The Webfx editorial blogging calendar schedule also includes a workflow view that allows you to track the progress of each post from idea to publication. This makes it easy to see which posts are in progress, assigned to an author or ready to be published. This feature allows for better collaboration and communication among your team members.
Key Takeaways:
- Follow your content’s journey from ideation to publication
- If applicable, break your audience into sub-niches
- Focus on keeping your content relevant to your customer avatar’s needs
8. Trello Editorial Calendar
Trello is a project management tool that allows users to organize and prioritize tasks and projects in a visual, user-friendly way. It uses a system of “boards” and “cards” to help users keep track of tasks and progress, and allows for easy collaboration with others. Trello is popular among individuals and teams for its flexibility and ease of use and can be used for a wide range of tasks, from personal to-do lists to complex project management.
What Got Me Hooked on the Trello’s Template
Trello’s editorial calendar is a tool used by content creators and marketers to plan, organize and execute their content strategy. It outlines the topics, themes and formats of the content, as well as the target audience, channels and publication dates. Using Trello’s editorial calendar helps align your content with your business goals, and to ensure you are regularly publishing fresh, high-quality content that resonates with your audience.
Trello can be used as an editorial calendar by using boards and cards to plan and organize the content, assign tasks and deadlines, and track the progress of the content creation process. The use of Trello allows users to have a clear overview of the content schedule and make adjustments if needed, and also allows for easy collaboration with other team members.
Key Takeaways:
- Place a high importance on your drafts and benchmark any insights from the process
- Structure your content planning around team member roles
- Try Trello’s premium power-ups for optimal functionality
9. Notion Content Calendar
Notion is a productivity and organization tool that allows users to create, organize and share notes, tasks, projects and databases in a flexible, customizable way. It allows users to create a centralized workspace that can be tailored to their specific needs and workflows, with features such as calendars, tables and to-do lists, among others.
Notion is popular among individuals and teams for its versatility and the ability to adapt to different use cases, from personal productivity to project management.
What Got Me Hooked on the Notion’s Template
Notion can be used as a content calendar by using its various features, such as calendars and databases, to plan, organize and track the progress of the content creation process. Notion allows you to have a clear overview of your content schedule, and make adjustments if needed, while also allowing for easy collaboration with other team members.
Notion gives you the ability to add various additional information such as the writer’s name, post status and notes for the post, making it more informative and easy to track.
Key Takeaways:
- Leverage notes along the content journey for maximum insights
- Customize content planning for different purposes and creators
10. Vertex42 Content Calendar
Since 2003, Vertex42 offers a variety of templates and tools for personal and business use, such as budget planners, invoices, and calendars.
They also provide a wide range of Excel templates, including a content calendar template that can help you plan and organize your content effectively.
What Got Me Hooked on the Vertex42’s Template
The content calendar template from Vertex42 is a useful tool for businesses and individuals looking to plan their content in advance. It gives you the ability to organize your content by date, type and other relevant information, such as target audience, keywords and promotion channels. This makes it easy to see when certain types of content are scheduled to be published and to make adjustments as needed.
Another feature of the Vertex42 content calendar is the ability to easily collaborate with other team members. The template allows multiple users to access and edit the calendar at the same time, which helps to ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to content planning and publishing. This can help to reduce confusion and mistakes and can make the content creation process more efficient and effective.
Key Takeaways:
- Revisit older content and compare it with your current efforts
- Try data-driven decision making
11. Content Marketing Institute Editorial Calendar Templates
Content Marketing Institute (CMI) is a leading service that provides information, resources and training to help businesses and individuals create and execute effective content marketing strategies.
They offer a wide range of tools and templates to help users plan and organize their content, including editorial calendar templates.
What Got Me Hooked on the CMI’s Template
CMI’s editorial calendar templates are designed to help you plan, organize and track your content effectively. These templates provide a comprehensive overview of the content being created and published and allow you to easily keep track of deadlines, topics and other important metrics.
CMI’s editorial calendar templates are available in a variety of formats including Excel, Google Sheets and Trello. You can customize them to suit your specific needs, and they can be adapted to fit any type of content, whether it’s blog posts, social media updates or email newsletters.
The templates also include fields for tracking key metrics such as audience engagement, conversion rates and ROI, which allows you to see how your content is performing.
Key Takeaways:
- Try integrating your content planning throughout all your channels
- Be aware of your creative resources
- Make your content distinct
12. Bonus: WordPress Editorial Calendar
WordPress is a widely used content management system (CMS) that allows users to easily create and manage their own websites. One of the features offered by WordPress is the ability to use an editorial calendar to plan and organize your content.
What Got Me Hooked on this WP Plugin
The WordPress editorial calendar is a plugin that allows users to view and manage their content in a calendar format. This makes it easy to see when certain posts or pages are scheduled to be published and to make adjustments as needed. The plugin also allows you to drag and drop posts to different dates, making it easy to reschedule content.
Furthermore, it enables you to collaborate with other team members by allowing multiple users to access and edit the calendar at the same time. Team members can set reminders for upcoming deadlines and assign tasks to other team members. The editorial calendar also includes a feature for tracking the performance of each piece of content, allowing users to see which types of content are resonating with their audience, and to make data-driven decisions about future content.
Key Takeaways:
- Use WordPress to create a cohesive content planning strategy
- Never underestimate the power of WordPress to supercharge your content strategy
3 Blog Planning Tools
Now, let’s look at a few blog planning tools for planning and organizing your content efficiently and effectively. Blog planning tools typically include features such as editorial calendars, task management and analytics, which help you stay on schedule, collaborate with others and track performance.
- ClickUp is a project management and productivity tool that helps individuals and teams organize and prioritize tasks, set deadlines and track progress on given tasks. It offers a variety of features such as task lists, calendars, Gantt charts and time tracking, making it a versatile tool for managing projects of any size. Additionally, ClickUp offers integration with other popular tools such as Google Drive, Trello and Slack, allowing you to seamlessly collaborate and share information with team members across different productivity platforms.
- Storychief is a content marketing and project management tool that helps businesses and individuals flourish across various channels. One of the key features of Story Chief is its content calendar, which allows users to schedule and plan their content in advance. The calendar provides a visual representation of upcoming content, making it easy for users to see at a glance what is scheduled to be published and when.
- Semrush content calendar allows you to plan and schedule content in advance while offering a keyword research tool to help you pinpoint the most relevant keywords for your posts. Their analytics tool is world-class and provides the capacity to track the performance of your content across multiple channels.
Conclusion
Although managing your content can seem like an insurmountable obstacle, it’s actually quite a productive, almost pleasant, experience. Give the recommended tools a try and get on the road to fulfilling content planning.
