{"id":819,"date":"2025-01-23T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-23T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/internship.infoskaters.com\/blog\/2025\/01\/23\/social-media-calendar-template-the-10-best-for-marketers-free-templates\/"},"modified":"2025-01-23T12:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-01-23T12:00:00","slug":"social-media-calendar-template-the-10-best-for-marketers-free-templates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/internship.infoskaters.com\/blog\/2025\/01\/23\/social-media-calendar-template-the-10-best-for-marketers-free-templates\/","title":{"rendered":"Social Media Calendar Template: The 10 Best for Marketers [Free Templates]"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ever been on a time crunch to create social media content<\/a>? Most of us have, especially when you’re trying to hop on a trend before it passes. It\u2019s a stressful position \u2014 but a social media calendar template can make it manageable.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Creating content<\/a> last minute leads to overlooked opportunities and mistakes. Your content may have typos or fall short of the audience’s needs \u2014 the horror!<\/p>\n

Don’t worry: you can minimize the risk by using an editorial content calendar. In this article, I\u2019ll share the best social media calendar template <\/strong>options for marketers and lots of tips for getting the most out of them.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Use the Above Template to Plan Out Your Social Media Posts<\/a><\/p>\n

\n<\/a> <\/p>\n

Why do I need a social media calendar template?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Without a calendar, marketers live on a content hamster wheel: wake up, come up with ideas, create, publish content, engage, then wake up tomorrow and do it all over again.<\/p>\n

Following a social media planning calendar offers:<\/p>\n

Better organization.
\n More mindful scalability.
\n Higher quality content. <\/p>\n

Creating a great social media content planner is more than just adding a few Instagram or LinkedIn post ideas to your Google calendar. Let’s explore the benefits of having a social media calendar.<\/p>\n

1. Better Organization<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Staying organized without a system is a herculean (dare I say impossible?) task. A calendar is essential when managing multiple social media channels.<\/p>\n

Rather than coming up with content ideas on the fly, you can plan your content around your organization’s needs. It can also provide more time for creating content about trending topics and upcoming holidays<\/a> and events.<\/p>\n

For instance, if your company has a big event coming up (like HubSpot\u2019s INBOUND), a content calendar will help you strategize how to promote it in advance.<\/p>\n

\n

The #INBOUND24<\/a> agenda is LIVE and it’s time to start planning! \ud83d\udcc5<\/p>\n

Explore the sessions and use the filters to find your perfect fit: https:\/\/t.co\/1EfHK5aZE8<\/a><\/p>\n

Then drop your must-see sessions below and find your #INBOUND24<\/a> crew.\ud83d\udc47 <\/p>\n

See you in Boston! pic.twitter.com\/xtJuPVgIcf<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 INBOUND (@INBOUND)
\n June 12, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Best of all, a social media calendar keeps everyone on your team informed on when content will be published. When you\u2019re transparent about what\u2019s going live, it can help avoid miscommunications and confusion.<\/p>\n

Pro tip: <\/strong>I know good content ideas can\u2019t always come on command \u2014 even if you set time aside specifically for this task. But a topic generator<\/a> might be just enough to kickstart your creative juices. After you create your social media content, reuse these topics to generate blog posts.<\/p>\n

2. More Mindful Scalability<\/strong><\/h4>\n

A social media calendar allows you to scale your content production without overwhelming your marketing team.<\/p>\n

By planning content in advance, you can pace production around your team’s bandwidth and other duties your department is responsible for.<\/p>\n

Pro tip:<\/strong> As you scale, I recommend tracking post analytics to see how your content performs. Keeping an eye on your metrics will help you and your teams determine what content engages your audience the most.<\/p>\n

3. Higher Quality Content<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Quality social media content creation takes time! Using a social media calendar ensures your team has plenty of time to do their best work.<\/p>\n

Planning your posts in advance allows you to check your work for typos or mistakes while ensuring everything is on-brand and optimized. A calendar creates a much more thoughtful, intentional process than a post-on-the-fly approach.<\/p>\n

<\/a> <\/p>\n

Perfecting your social media content calendar shouldn\u2019t feel like a chore.<\/p>\n

Together let’s walk you through the essential components of any social media content calendar. This will give you the foundation to organize your social media strategy at a tactical level.<\/p>\n

1. Key<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A key or legend is a section of a graphic that gives meaning to its symbols or colors. An easy-to-read key helps your stakeholders understand the information<\/strong> in your social media calendar and allows your marketing team to navigate the document with confidence.<\/p>\n\n

With a clear key, anyone in your organization can view your social media content calendar and understand what’s happening across platforms.<\/p>\n

2. URLs and UTM Parameters<\/strong><\/h3>\n

URLs<\/a> and UTM parameters<\/a> are similar, but they’re not the same. URLs are the links you want to share from your website (or another website if you are curating content) on your social media platforms.<\/p>\n\n

A UTM parameter<\/a> is an extension of your URL that is needed for data purposes. It’s a string of tracking code appended to the end of a URL, and it helps social media marketers track how well their posts drive traffic to their websites.<\/p>\n

By tracking and analyzing UTM parameters, you’ll see what content meets your conversion goals <\/strong>and what drives the most engagement on social media platforms. You can use a UTM generator<\/a> to make this process easier.<\/p>\n

3. Date and Time<\/strong><\/h3>\n

No content calendar is complete without the date and time. This will help both the marketing team and stakeholders<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

Your social team can easily see when they should schedule posts (and continue with their workflow), while those outside the team can know when to expect them.<\/p>\n

4. Message<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Transparency and context<\/strong> are essential ingredients for your content calendar.<\/p>\n

Give a brief synopsis of the message, or even share the caption for a post. This will help everyone understand the intent of the post.<\/p>\n\n

Pro tip:<\/strong> If you\u2018re adding content to your social media content calendar that isn\u2019t finished, consider adding a short Loom video<\/a> to give an overview of what the design will look like.<\/p>\n

5. Campaign<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Start tracking your social media campaigns in your content calendar. It’s too late to start tracking metrics once your campaign is over!<\/p>\n

You can make this prescriptive<\/strong> by having a dropdown list of predetermined campaign names. Or, if your campaigns are few and far between, simply copy and paste the names next to the corresponding content.<\/p>\n

Pro tip:<\/strong> Align your campaign name<\/a> with the campaign section of your UTM parameter for seamless tracking.<\/p>\n\n

6. Image<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Without imagery, your social media content calendar will become just another spreadsheet. Add a thumbnail-sized version of each image you’ll include in the published post.<\/p>\n

This simple but comprehensive approach allows stakeholders to understand exactly what content is slotted for which day at a quick glance.<\/p>\n\n

To make editing your images for each platform easier, check out this cheat sheet for ideal image dimensions<\/a> on each platform.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Regardless of which social media calendar template you go with, here are a few steps to follow when using one.<\/p>\n

To expedite the process of creating a social media content calendar, download this free template that\u2019s ready for you to fill out<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1. Complete a social media audit across all platforms.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Before creating a social media content calendar, complete a social media audit<\/a>. Auditing your social media presence will help you decide how to move forward as you create your social media content calendar.<\/p>\n

Ask yourself questions like:<\/p>\n

Which social media platforms<\/strong> are you on?
\n Which platforms are you not on, but your competitors<\/strong> are?
\n Which platforms get the most versus least engagement<\/strong>?
\n Which content formats<\/strong> do you use most often and least often?
\n Which types of posts<\/strong> get the most versus least engagement? <\/p>\n

For example, you may be on TikTok, but maybe it\u2019s the platform with the lowest ROI. That may mean it\u2019s time to de-prioritize TikTok from your lineup and invest more time in a platform that’s getting better results.<\/p>\n

Spend some time perusing your social media analytics<\/a> to answer these questions. It\u2019s essential to back your conclusions with data instead of a gut instinct.<\/p>\n

Pro tip:<\/strong> Our social media report template<\/a> is an excellent way to keep track of your findings. It contains a variety of charts that will make it easy to organize and, in turn, review and analyze the data.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Download Now<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Recommended Reads:<\/strong><\/p>\n

How to Conduct A Social Media Audit<\/a>
\n How to Conduct an X Audit of Your Account<\/a>
\n The Ultimate Guide to Social Media Analytics<\/a> <\/p>\n

2. Pick the top 3-5 social media platforms you\u2019ll use.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Don’t worry \u2014 you don\u2019t need to be on ALL social media platforms to get a high social media ROI<\/a>. Focus on where<\/strong> your target audience is and the platforms with the highest ROI<\/strong>. This will save your team effort and time, resulting in a much more manageable social media content calendar.<\/p>\n

Your task:<\/strong>\u00a0Choose the top three to five platforms that, based on your social media audit, yield the highest ROI for your business. This may include:<\/p>\n

Facebook
\n Instagram
\n YouTube
\n X (previously Twitter)
\n LinkedIn
\n TikTok
\n Pinterest
\n Tumblr <\/p>\n

As you choose your platforms, you should also pay attention to trends and growing channels<\/strong>. Even if you\u2019re a marketer at a small B2B business<\/a>, it won\u2019t hurt to test out a platform before all your competitors do.<\/p>\n

Not sure where to start? <\/strong>Our Social Media Trends Report<\/a> shares insights and benchmarks you can start setting off.<\/p>\n\n

Download Now<\/a><\/p>\n

Recommended Reads:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 5 Types of Social Media and Pros & Cons of Each<\/a>
\n Which Social Media Channels See the Most ROI?<\/a>
\n Social Media Platforms Marketers Should Watch<\/a>
\n The Fastest Growing Social Media Platforms<\/a> <\/p>\n

Pro tip:<\/strong> Remember that every social channel is different. The content you post on each one should appeal to the platform’s unique layout and users. Cross-posting the same video everywhere may be easy, but it\u2019s not necessarily effective.<\/p>\n

3. Choose your social media content formats and post types.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You\u2019re now armed with your social media platforms to pursue, but what social media content types<\/a> will you post? Some content formats are:<\/p>\n

User-generated content
\n Text-based updates
\n Short-form videos<\/a>
\n Horizontal video
\n Infographics
\n Live videos
\n Carousels
\n Images <\/p>\n

Once you have your content format in mind, you need to decide what type of content<\/strong> you’ll share. Will you post informative, relatable, or funny content? Informative carousels perform really well on LinkedIn, but customer-centric content performs better on Instagram.<\/p>\n

Variety gets the best results.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Try a mix of content types to maximize your ROI. It ensures that you\u2019re serving content that serves different segments of your audience<\/a> while increasing your reach<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For example, my mom is addicted to Instagram Reels<\/a>. But the majority of her generation spends the most time engaging with images, photos, and infographics. Most businesses have outliers like my mom, so a diversified content marketing strategy helps you meet varied preferences.<\/p>\n

Pro tip:<\/strong> Account for your team\u2019s resources. If you have dedicated social media managers who can create content in-house, you have more leeway with your choices. If you only have a team of one, consider what is most realistic regarding content creation, or try asking for a budget to hire a freelance content creator.<\/p>\n

Recommended Reads:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Most Effective Types of Content on Social Media<\/a>
\n Social Media Content Ideas to Delight Customers<\/a> <\/p>\n

4. Create social media content templates, lazy hashtags, and lazy copy.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

As you build out your content calendar (hopefully after downloading a free social media content calendar template<\/a>!), remember that the purpose of your calendar is to make posting as easy as possible.<\/p>\n

In pursuit of that, take some time to create:<\/p>\n

Content templates.
\n A list of the hashtags you use most often.
\n \u201cLazy\u201d copy for you or your coworkers to edit. <\/p>\n

I find it helpful to store templates in an online bank, such as Google Drive or a tool like Canva<\/a>, where I can quickly edit a template and adjust it to create a new post. Ideally, you’ll have several customizable image templates to provide variety to your audience.<\/p>\n

\nFeatured Resource:<\/strong> 150+ Content Creation Templates<\/a><\/strong>
\n<\/h4>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Download Now<\/a><\/p>\n

As you draft your templates, always keep your brand voice<\/a> in mind. Whether you\u2019re serious and corporate(dare I say impossible?)(dare I say impossible?) or open and friendly, you want every post to embody your company\u2019s branding.<\/p>\n

Recommended Reads:<\/strong><\/p>\n

150+ Content Creation Templates<\/a>
\n Instagram Templates for Business<\/a>
\n YouTube Templates for Business<\/a>
\n Pinterest Templates for Business<\/a> <\/p>\n

Don’t forget DEIB.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Pro tip: <\/strong>Consider diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB). Consumers care, more than ever, that brands support diversity and inclusion<\/a>. Ensure your content reflects and respects the values and experiences of your audience.<\/p>\n

The faces, voices, and stories you share on social networks should be representative of your audience and the larger community where your business operates. This isn\u2018t something that can happen by accident, so you\u2019ll want to plan for diversity and inclusion as you develop your content calendar.<\/p>\n

If you’d like some guidance on creating diverse and inclusive content, check out our original research on the topic<\/a>.<\/p>\n

5. Fill in your social media holidays, events, and campaigns.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Identify the holidays and events you\u2019ll be participating in. Note any future campaigns you may have planned around the big calendar events.<\/p>\n

Holidays<\/strong>: Consider both national holidays and fun holidays. Create a holiday post or a paid social campaign<\/a> \u2014 the possibilities are endless. <\/p>\n

Events<\/strong>: Attending an event, conference, or webinar? Share it on your social media channels! Let your audience know that you were there and summarize what happened. <\/p>\n

Campaigns<\/strong>: Campaigns can apply to holidays or to launches of your products. For example, if you have a new product coming out in June, then you’ll want to strategically promote that on social media for weeks. <\/p>\n

You should plan for each upcoming event with at least a month\u2019s advance notice.<\/p>\n

Pro tip: <\/strong>You don\u2019t need to create a campaign for every single holiday. Most marketers in the U.S. plan for three main seasons<\/a>: Winter\/end-of-year holidays, Black Friday, and Halloween.<\/p>\n

Recommended Reads:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Social Media Holidays for Your Content Calendar<\/a>
\n Top Marketing Holidays of the Year, According to Marketer Data<\/a>
\n The Ultimate Guide to Social Media Marketing Campaigns<\/a>
\n Social Media Campaign Ideas to Try<\/a> <\/p>\n

6. Determine a social media posting schedule.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s time to get into the most useful part of your content calendar: the posting schedule.<\/p>\n

We recently surveyed 1000+ social media marketers<\/a> to get their take on the best times to post on social media. Here\u2019s a quick overview of the best times to post on each platform based on our findings:<\/p>\n

Pinterest<\/strong>: 12:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m., and 8:00 p.m. <\/p>\n

LinkedIn: <\/strong>9:00 a.m. – 5:00 a.m. <\/p>\n

Facebook: <\/strong>9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. <\/p>\n

Instagram:<\/strong> 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. <\/p>\n

YouTube<\/strong>: 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. <\/p>\n

TikTok: <\/strong>10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. <\/p>\n

X:<\/strong> 9:00 am – 4:00 p.m. <\/p>\n

\nMy opinion? Find <\/strong>your<\/em><\/strong> best time.<\/strong>
\n<\/h4>\n

Despite the ample amount of research on the best posting time, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for posting times. For example, Sprout Social says the best time to post on Instagram is between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.<\/a>, and Hootsuite says 9 a.m.<\/a> is the best time overall.<\/p>\n

These differences don\u2019t mean anyone is wrong; they just serve as a reminder that you must tailor the times you post content to your own business and audience.<\/p>\n

Pro tip: <\/strong>To determine your schedule, take a look at our research<\/a> for each social media platform. This will give you a good sense of the best practices for posting. Then, compare that to the bandwidth on your team and the goals you want to achieve to come up with a schedule you can test.<\/p>\n

The goal of a social media calendar is to create and publish a sustainable stream of content for your audience. It’s a marathon, not a race.<\/p>\n

Recommended Reads:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Best Times to Post on Social Media<\/a>
\n How Often to Publish on Social Media for Business<\/a>
\n When Is the Best Time to Post on Instagram?<\/a>
\n Best Times to Post on YouTube<\/a>
\n Best Time to Post on LinkedIn<\/a>
\n When to Post on TikTok<\/a> <\/p>\n

7. Set up UTM tracking.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

One of the most important parts of a social media calendar is actually the part you don’t see \u2014 tracking. And the easiest way to track how your social media content is performing is to use UTM parameters.<\/p>\n

Yes, this is the second time I\u2019ve mentioned UTM parameters, but for good reason! Can you imagine the nightmare of manually sorting through your campaign traffic to determine where each viewer came from or who engaged with your content?!<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t want to do that, and I imagine you don\u2019t either.<\/p>\n

UTM codes are simple to set up<\/a> and use. Once you’ve implemented them for each link on your social media posts, you can review your social media content metrics.<\/p>\n

Pro tip:<\/strong> Are you a professional or enterprise user of HubSpot Marketing Hub or Content Hub? Take advantage of the UTM builder natively available<\/a> on the platform.<\/p>\n\n

8. Schedule posts using a social media tool.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Manually publishing all of your content would be overwhelming at best and impossible at worst. A scheduler will become your best friend.<\/p>\n

I recommend integrating your social media calendar template with a social media management tool<\/a> (we\u2019ll go through a few options shortly.) This will help you schedule posts well before publication, limiting manual work.<\/p>\n

Pro tip<\/strong>: HubSpot\u2019s social media management software<\/a> allows you to schedule and publish posts to Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Instagram and<\/em> it\u2019s free for everyone. Try it out!<\/p>\n\n

Recommended Reads:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Best Social Media Management Tools<\/a>
\n Top Social Media Tools<\/a> <\/p>\n

9. Monitor your social media posts\u2019 success metrics.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Once your social media posting schedule has matured and you have a backlog of posts to analyze, it\u2019s time to dive into your social media metrics<\/a>. Learn what worked, what didn\u2019t work, and what you should change moving forward.<\/p>\n

Looking at individual platform analytics dashboards is a good place to start. As you scale your marketing efforts, consider investing in social media analytics software<\/a> to compile all of your engagement data for you.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Try HubSpot\u2019s social media analytics software for free<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As you analyze your bops and flops, link it to your company\u2019s bottom line.<\/p>\n

How many leads did you earn? How many of those leads turned into sales? How much money did you spend on paid social media versus how much revenue did you generate?<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a guide on measuring social media marketing ROI to help you answer these questions<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The bottom line: align your content with your goals. If you’re not sure where to start with setting up your social media goals, we cover that here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Tracking your analytics.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Pro tip: <\/strong>Create an analysis tracker in your calendar for stakeholders who want to stay abreast of how well your social media content is performing.<\/p>\n

Add a tab that shows clicks, views, engagements, and other metrics you plan to track to deem your content a success. Tracking analytics can be as simple or detailed as your team prefers.<\/p>\n

For a full list of metrics to track and tools to do it, take a look at this year’s Ultimate Guide to Social Media Analytics<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Recommended Reads:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Ultimate Guide to Social Media Analytics<\/a>
\n Best Social Media Analytics Tools for Marketers<\/a>
\n How to Create a Social Media Report<\/a> <\/p>\n

Now that you know how to use a social media calendar template, here are 10 of the best options for marketers.<\/p>\n

<\/a> <\/p>\n

Social Media Calendar Templates<\/strong><\/h2>\n

1. HubSpot\u2019s Free Social Media Content Calendar Template<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you don\u2018t have time to create your social media content calendar from scratch, start with HubSpot\u2019s free social media content calendar template<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\nFeatured Resource:<\/strong> Social Media Content Calendar Template<\/a><\/strong>
\n<\/h4>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

This calendar has everything you need to plan your social media content, coordinate campaigns, grow reach and engagement, scale posting schedule, and boost productivity.<\/p>\n

Our template includes everything you need to scale your social media marketing efforts. You\u2019ll gain access to:<\/p>\n

Social Media Content Schedule:<\/strong> See each of your individual posts and draft individual messages and images for each one. <\/p>\n

Monthly Planning Calendar: <\/strong>See your upcoming social posts for the month in a user-friendly, big-picture format. <\/p>\n

Content Repository:<\/strong> List out all of the content you\u2019ll be sharing with your followers, from blog posts to offers to website pages. <\/p>\n

Platform-Specific Tabs:<\/strong> Plan out your updates for each specific platform, including X, Facebook, LinkedIn, and more. <\/p>\n

HubSpot Social Media Content Calendar Template Tutorial<\/strong><\/h4>\n

In the following subsections, I’ll show you how to fill out each of the tabs in this template \u2014 X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest.<\/p>\n

Step 1: Review the \u201cMonthly Planning Calendar\u201d tab.<\/strong><\/h5>\n

The \u201cMonthly Planning Calendar\u201d tab is a snapshot of your monthly social media campaigns. It\u2018ll help you coordinate with other stakeholders and keep all the moving parts in order. Here\u2019s what it looks like:<\/p>\n\n

There are three sections to note when you edit this template.<\/p>\n

First, the color-coding key.<\/strong> Each color represents a type of content or campaign you might coordinate, like ebooks, webinars, blog posts, or product launches.<\/p>\n

Though only some of these might be relevant to you, they’re just the beginning of what you may want to include here \u2014 so be sure to add and remove categories that align with your own types of content.<\/p>\n

The other two sections to edit are the \u201cMonth\u201d<\/strong> and \u201cYear\u201d<\/strong> at the top of the calendar and the cells below each day of the week.<\/p>\n

In those cells, you should enter the type of content you\u2018ll be promoting that day and color-code it to align with the campaign it\u2019s supporting.<\/p>\n

Instead of deleting all the content in this spreadsheet each month, I recommend copying this worksheet twelve times over to have a separate sheet for each month.<\/p>\n

If that gets too overwhelming, you can always save those tabs as a separate workbook.<\/p>\n

Step 2: Populate your first social channel in the calendar.<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Now, let\u2018s get to the social media content part of the calendar.<\/p>\n

For the sake of this blog post, we\u2019ll use X as an example, but these steps will work for each social channel tab in the template.<\/p>\n

Let\u2018s say you want to add some tweets to your scheduling template.<\/p>\n

Scroll over to the X Updates tab in the content calendar spreadsheet, where you\u2019ll see this:<\/p>\n\n

Day, Date, & Time<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first three columns, Day, Date, and Time, are there for your convenience.<\/p>\n

If you choose to use a third-party app for pre-scheduling your tweets (like HubSpot’s Social Media Management Software<\/a>), then these columns will be useful.<\/p>\n

Message<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now, let\u2018s move over to the \u201cMessage\u201d column. Here, input the copy you\u2019d like to appear in your tweet. Keep in mind that you should cap it at 217 characters to allow enough room for a link. (Read this blog post for a full character count guide<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

This spreadsheet will auto-calculate the number of characters you’ve entered to keep you on point, turning yellow and eventually red as you approach 240 characters.<\/p>\n

I find this to be one of the most useful parts of the template because it helps you make edits in real-time. Plus,this ensures you\u2019re being as clear and concise as possible in your captions (to the benefit of your audience).<\/p>\n

Link<\/strong><\/p>\n

After you\u2018ve composed your tweet, paste the URL you\u2019d like to include in your tweet in the Link column. Be sure to include UTM parameters<\/a>, so you’ll know whether these tweets are driving traffic and leads.<\/p>\n

This is an important step to remember if you’d like to demonstrate ROI from social media. You can also use the Campaign column to add an associated campaign, which helps with more detailed tracking and reporting.<\/p>\n

Image<\/strong><\/p>\n

Finally, in the Image column, attach the tweet’s image (if you have one). For X, we recommend images that are 1200 x 670 pixels.<\/p>\n

(Click here for a full cheat sheet of social media image sizes.<\/a>)<\/p>\n

If you’re having trouble attaching your image to the spreadsheet, follow these steps:<\/p>\n

Step 1: Click on the cell where you’d like to place your image.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Step 2: Click Insert in the top row, then click the Image button, and finally, click Image in cell to choose your image.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Step 3: In the Insert image window, choose the option your photo will come from. In this example, we uploaded an image from our computer.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Step 4: You’ll now see the image appear in the cell.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Pro tip:<\/strong> This process is just for organizational purposes. If you decide to upload the spreadsheet to your social media publishing software, it will not attach \u2014 you’ll have to do that manually.<\/p>\n

If you’re a HubSpot customer, you can find details on how to bulk upload your X content to the HubSpot Social Publishing Tool<\/a> in the downloaded template.<\/p>\n

2. HootSuite\u2019s Social Media Posting Schedule Template<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Another option is the social media posting schedule template from HootSuite<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

This free template incorporates five popular platforms:<\/p>\n

Facebook
\n Instagram
\n X
\n LinkedIn
\n TikTok <\/p>\n

However, it can be easily edited to add or remove items as needed as a Google Doc.<\/p>\n

What I like: <\/strong>Besides helping you plan your social media publishing, this template includes a helpful \u201cstrategy\u201d tab. This makes your goals and content plan easy to refer to as you work through the rest of the document.<\/p>\n

It also has a tab dedicated to \u201cevergreen content,\u201d where you can house timeless pieces you can plug into your calendar at any time.<\/p>\n

3. Sprout Social\u2019s Social Media Calendar Template<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Sprout Social\u2019s social media calendar template<\/a> is broken down into four weekly tabs and designed to be used per month.<\/p>\n\n

Each tab has columns for key information, including:<\/p>\n

Copy
\n Media
\n Publish Date
\n Network (has a dropdown with Facebook, Instagram, Threads, LinkedIn, TikTik, YouTube, and Pinterest)
\n KPIs <\/p>\n

What I like:<\/strong> Sprout Social\u2019s platform gets granular about details that others ignore, such as collaborators and KPIs. This goes the extra mile to ensure all social media content is well-planned and working toward a goal. As a Google Doc, the template is also fully customizable.<\/p>\n

4. ClickUp\u2019s Social Media Posts Template<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you use ClickUp for your project management, this template<\/a> may be the one for you.<\/p>\n

ClickUp’s social post template lets you plan and organize your content and track its status throughout the creation process.<\/p>\n

It includes fields for the assignee, due date, channel, and URL and can be viewed as a list, board, calendar, doc, or \u201cembed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

What I like: <\/strong>From idea to publishing, the \u201ccard\u201d style of ClickUp makes it easy to host and see everything related to your social media posts.<\/p>\n

You can make comments, attach files, and tag different users, so each card serves as a single source of truth for any questions related to that post.<\/p>\n

5. SocialBee\u2019s Social Media Content Calendar<\/strong><\/h3>\n

SocialBee\u2019s Social Media Content Calendar<\/a> is another fully editable Google Doc on our list, but one of few that covers a full year.<\/p>\n\n

The calendar has a tab for every month and includes dozens of fun and unique post ideas.<\/p>\n

What I like: <\/strong>SocialBee really goes above and beyond with making its social media calendar valuable. In addition to the post ideas in the monthly tabs, it also has a number of extra tabs full of post examples to help get marketers\u2019 creative juices flowing.<\/p>\n

The bonus post example tabs include: fun, educational, inspirational, promotional, and interactive \u2014 just to name a view.<\/p>\n

6. Iconosquare\u2019s Social Media Content Calendar<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Social media analytics tool Iconosquare has created a social media content calendar<\/a> that helps teams plan for an entire quarter.<\/p>\n\n

Unlike the other simple spreadsheets on our list, Iconosquare\u2019s social media content calendar template comes as an actual calendar view. While handy, it can only be used in Notion or Google Calendar, limiting its audience.<\/p>\n

What I like:<\/strong> Iconosquare\u2019s calendar has many global celebrations and \u201cfun\u201d holidays (i.e. World Chocolate Day) pre-populated. This is a unique and effective way to spark and inspire ideas in users as they are planning their content.<\/p>\n

7. Semrush\u2019s Social Media Calendar<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Semrush\u2019s social media calendar is another built as an easy-to-edit spreadsheet.<\/p>\n\n

It provides all the information needed to schedule or publish a post:<\/p>\n

Channel
\n Day, Date, and Time
\n Post Topic\/Type
\n Copy
\n Visual Type
\n Visuals
\n Link to Assets
\n Status <\/p>\n

It also includes color-coding that allows users to get an idea of what content is coming up at a glance.<\/p>\n

What I like: <\/strong>I love that this covers a full calendar year, allowing marketers to jot down ideas or important dates as they come up. And that the first tab shows an example of a great social media content calendar which gives newer marketers something to aim for.<\/p>\n

8. Later Free Social Media Content Calendar Template<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Later\u2019s free social media content calendar template<\/a> is an editable spreadsheet that can be used to plan for a week.<\/p>\n\n

It includes a tab with instructions and resources to teach new users how to use the template successfully and also shares an example of a well-planned day.<\/p>\n

What I like: <\/strong>While every brand on our list has education on social media marketing available on its website, Later makes its users\u2019 lives easy by linking to those someone would need right in its template.<\/p>\n

This is a small but smart move that dramatically improves the user experience.<\/p>\n

9. Monday Social Media Content Template<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Is Monday your digital planning tool of choice? If so, they\u2019ve got a social media calendar template to add to your workflow.<\/p>\n\n

This template is built specifically for use in the Monday software and houses essential information like post copy, date and time of publication, and visual assets.<\/p>\n

It also uses color coding to differentiate content categories, making it easier to see and audit your content mix.<\/p>\n

What I like: <\/strong>I\u2019m a big fan of any tool that lets you see all the conversation surrounding a project in one place. With comments, user tags, and file uploads, Monday makes that possible.<\/p>\n

10. Canva Social Media Calendar Template<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Last but not least, if you don\u2019t like any of the templates we shared, Canva makes it free and easy to create your own.<\/p>\n\n

How do you get started? Try these weekly<\/a> or monthly templates<\/a> created by the team at Buffer, or navigate to Canva\u2019s Calendar templates gallery<\/a> and play around with making your own.<\/p>\n

What I like: <\/strong>Canva is a Godsend when it comes to design and data presentation. I like this option because you get to customize the information included in your editorial calendar as you like and<\/em> give the design a little extra flair.<\/p>\n

<\/a> <\/p>\n

Don’t Forget to Interact With Your Followers<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Whether you use this spreadsheet to plan your content or upload it to a third-party app, you’ll still need to supplement these updates with on-the-fly content.<\/p>\n

Breaking news hits? Whip up a quick update to share it with your network.
\n Did someone in your network post something interesting? Give it a reshare with some commentary.
\n Got a fascinating comment on one of your updates? Respond with a \u201cthank you\u201d for their interaction. <\/p>\n

Coming up with and scheduling your social media content in advance<\/a> is a huge time-saver. But it never takes away the need to monitor and add to your social presence throughout the day.<\/p>\n

Now that you’ve got the ins and outs of a social media content calendar, download the one below for free and start planning your content. Happy planning!<\/p>\n

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in January 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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