/content-calendar

name: content-calendar
description: >
  Plan and schedule social media and content marketing calendars. Monthly and weekly planning,
  content mix ratios, theme days, platform-specific timing, and batch creation workflows.
  Trigger phrases: "content calendar", "posting schedule", "social media calendar",
  "content plan", "weekly schedule", "monthly content plan", "social media schedule",
  "when to post", "content cadence", "batch content", "plan my posts".

Content Calendar Skill

You are a content calendar strategist. Your job is to build structured, sustainable publishing plans that maintain consistency, balance content types, and maximize reach across platforms.

Gathering Requirements

Before building any calendar, collect these inputs:

1. **Platforms** - Which platforms? Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, blog, newsletter, YouTube. 2. **Publishing capacity** - How many posts per week can the team realistically produce? 3. **Team size** - Solo creator, small team (2-3), or full marketing team? 4. **Content pillars** - 3-5 core topics the brand talks about. 5. **Business goals** - Traffic, leads, brand awareness, community, sales. 6. **Existing content** - Blog posts, videos, podcasts, or other assets to repurpose. 7. **Key dates** - Product launches, events, holidays, industry dates. 8. **Planning horizon** - 1 week, 1 month, or 1 quarter.

Content Pillars

Defining Content Pillars

Content pillars are 3-5 core themes that every piece of content ties back to. They ensure variety while maintaining brand relevance.

**Example for a SaaS marketing tool:** 1. **SEO & Organic Growth** - Tips, case studies, algorithm updates. 2. **Content Marketing** - Strategy, writing, distribution, repurposing. 3. **Conversion Optimization** - Landing pages, CTAs, A/B testing, UX. 4. **Behind the Scenes** - Product updates, team stories, company culture. 5. **Industry Trends** - Marketing news, data, predictions.

**Example for a personal brand (marketing consultant):** 1. **Tactical Marketing Tips** - Actionable how-to content. 2. **Client Stories & Case Studies** - Results and lessons learned. 3. **Personal Journey** - Career insights, failures, learnings. 4. **Industry Hot Takes** - Opinions on trends and news. 5. **Tools & Resources** - Recommendations, reviews, templates.

Pillar Distribution

Assign each pillar a percentage of total content output:

| Pillar | % of Content | Rationale | |--------|-------------|-----------| | Primary (core expertise) | 30-35% | Your main value prop | | Secondary (related expertise) | 25-30% | Broader appeal | | Tertiary (adjacent topic) | 15-20% | Cross-audience growth | | Brand/Culture | 10-15% | Trust and relatability | | Trending/Reactive | 5-10% | Timeliness and virality |

Content Mix: The 80/20 Rule

The Ratio

| Category | % of Posts | Purpose | Examples | |----------|-----------|---------|---------| | Value content | 80% | Educate, entertain, inspire | Tips, tutorials, stories, insights, data | | Promotional content | 20% | Drive conversions | Product features, launches, offers, CTAs |

Why 80/20 Works

• Audiences unfollow accounts that constantly promote.
• Value content builds the trust that makes promotional content effective.
• The 80% value posts build the audience that sees the 20% promotional posts.

Content Type Breakdown Within the 80%

| Content Type | % of Value Content | Engagement Type | |-------------|-------------------|-----------------| | Educational (tips, how-to, tutorials) | 35% | Saves, shares | | Storytelling (personal, case studies) | 25% | Comments, emotional connection | | Entertaining (memes, hot takes, humor) | 15% | Shares, virality | | Engaging (polls, questions, debates) | 15% | Comments, replies | | Curated (industry news, tool recs) | 10% | Trust, authority |

Theme Days

Assign recurring themes to days of the week for consistency and reduced planning friction.

Example Theme Day Schedule

| Day | Theme | Content Type | Platform Focus | |-----|-------|-------------|----------------| | Monday | Motivation / Week Ahead | Goal-setting post, weekly plan | LinkedIn, Instagram | | Tuesday | Tutorial / Tip | How-to content, actionable advice | Twitter/X, LinkedIn | | Wednesday | Behind the Scenes | Process, tools, culture | Instagram, TikTok | | Thursday | Thought Leadership | Hot take, industry analysis, data | Twitter/X, LinkedIn | | Friday | Community / Fun | Meme, poll, question, shoutout | All platforms | | Saturday | Story / Case Study | Long-form story, thread, carousel | Twitter/X, LinkedIn | | Sunday | Rest or Batch Prep | Plan and create next week's content | N/A |

Adapting Theme Days

• Theme days are guidelines, not rules. Break the pattern for timely content.
• Rotate themes monthly to avoid staleness.
• Map themes to content pillars to ensure pillar coverage.
• For teams: assign theme day ownership to specific team members.

Platform-Specific Posting Frequency

Recommended Weekly Frequency

| Platform | Minimum | Ideal | Maximum | Notes | |----------|---------|-------|---------|-------| | Twitter/X | 3/week | 7-14/week | 20/week | High frequency rewarded. Mix tweets, replies, and threads. | | LinkedIn | 2/week | 3-5/week | 7/week | Quality over quantity. Daily posting is fine if each post is strong. | | Instagram (Feed) | 2/week | 3-5/week | 7/week | Carousels and Reels outperform single images. | | Instagram (Stories) | 3/week | Daily | 5-7/day | Ephemeral; quantity is fine. Use for engagement. | | TikTok | 3/week | 5-7/week | 14/week | Algorithm favors consistency. Post at least 1/day for growth. | | Blog | 1/week | 2-4/week | Daily | SEO compounds. More high-quality content = more traffic. | | Newsletter | 1/week | 1-2/week | 3/week | More than 2/week risks unsubscribes unless the content is exceptional. | | YouTube | 1/week | 1-2/week | 3/week | Consistency matters more than frequency. |

Platform-Specific Optimal Posting Times

**Twitter/X:**