How to Build an Instagram Content Calendar: The Ultimate Guide & Free Calendar Template
Are You Making Up Your Instagram Content As You Go?
Listen, I get it. As a small business owner life is BUSY. Finding time to plan and create social media content for your business can feel like too much.
Too much time. Too much energy. Too much stress. 🤯
But, what if I told you that you would actually SAVE yourself time, energy and stress by planning ahead instead of flying by the seat of your pants?
It’s the truth!
And there’s even a tool to help you make it happen.
🎺 Introducing the Weekly Content Calendar Template.
Once you learn what a content calendar is, how it will help your business thrive on Instagram and how easy it is to use, you’ll be as pumped as I am when a new Taylor Swift single drops!
Ready to level up your Instagram posting game? Let’s go!
ACCESS YOUR FREE WEEKLY CONTENT CALENDAR TEMPLATE HERE!
Your Free Weekly Content Calendar Template is ready and waiting for you in Canva! Click the button above to access. Then, get to work!
(Don’t worry, I’ll wait for you!)
The Content Calendar: What It Is + Why It’s An Important Tool
A social media content calendar helps you plan, organize and schedule the content you’ll post on your business’s social media platforms.
Everything is in one place, ready to use for content creation.
A content calendar is a valuable tool for any small business owner who wants to get the most out of social media. It helps you plan and execute your strategy, which in turn can help reduce the stress many small biz owners feel when it comes to dreaming up fresh content ideas on the fly throughout the month. It also helps manage multiple social media accounts, as well as stay organized and focused on what matters most: driving sales through engagement
Using a content calendar helps you 👇🏻
✅ Post consistently to Instagram (and any other social media platforms) to grow brand awareness and authority
✅ Create strategic, quality content that keeps you moving toward your business goals
✅ Save time by making batch content creation easier
✅ Have more fun and feel less stressed about dreaming up fresh content ideas on the fly
✅ Stay on top of important dates for your business, your audience and your community
Your content calendar can help you manage multiple social media accounts at once and stay focused on growing your business (and making sales) through engagement.
ACCESS THE WEEKLY CONTENT CALENDAR TEMPLATE HERE
A Content Calendar Pairs Best With A Strong Social Media Content Strategy
Fine wine and cheese. Peanut Butter and jelly. A content calendar and a kick-ass social media strategy.
Some things just go together. 😉
Before you can create an effective content calendar, you’re going to need a solid social media content strategy. (If growing your business is like a road trip, your social strategy is the map that helps get your business where it needs to go!)
If you’ve already got a strategy in place, well done! You can jump right into the guide and start building your first weekly content calendar using your brand-spankin’ new template!
If your strategy is still a work in progress, here are 5 questions I recommend asking yourself to clear things up.
Why do you do what you do?
Think about why you started your work and how it makes you feel when your services or products help people.
Who is your content for?
The more you know about your target audience, the easier it will be to write content that connects with them.
What value can you provide?
When I say value I mean the benefits of your products or services AND the vibe you’re putting out, the knowledge and expertise you can share and your unique perspective.
What type of content will you post?
Not every post needs to sell, sell, sell! Some examples of different types of content for your social strategy include education, inspiration, humour, connection and marketing (sales). Decide which ones make sense for your brand and mix it up!
How will you share these strategic content ideas?
There are lots of different types of posts you can create for Instagram. Posts, Stories, Carousels, Reels, Videos, Lives, Guides… Who knows what they’ll come up with next! Focus on the types of posts that you enjoy making and that your audience engages with the most.
Remember, your Instagram strategy will change as your business goals change. So don’t be afraid to go back in and switch things up periodically. Once your strategy is in place, you’ll be ready to brainstorm hundreds of fresh content ideas and use your content calendar to plan and organize your posts.
P.S. If you want even more tips on creating a social media strategy for your business, check out my blog Your Instagram Strategy Fundamentals: Get Back To Basics & Create A Roadmap For A Successful Social Media Strategy Today!
How To Use Your Weekly Content Calendar Template: The Guide
If you haven’t grabbed your template yet, access the Weekly Content Calendar Template here in Canva. Make a copy and get ready to create!
Step 1: Schedule time every week to get strategic, use your template and create some content.
The best time to think creatively is when you are the least stressed. So, take a minute and think about when that is for you. Is it first thing Monday morning before you dive into your inbox? Is it Friday afternoon, after you’ve dotted your Is and crossed your Ts? Or, is it somewhere in between? Figure it out, then schedule a recurring meeting for “me, myself and I” every week for a few months to try it out.
Step 2: Set a goal for the week’s Instagram content.
Setting a goal before you start creating content is a must. (I’ve even included a spot right at the tippy top of the calendar template so you’ve got your goal front and centre when you start planning!) A goal keeps you focused and makes it easier to think clearly and strategically. If your content calendar is a map, then a goal is your destination! You’ve got to know where you’re going before you decide how to get there. Right?
Your goals can change week to week depending on what’s going on in your business. Here are some examples of goals a small business might have for their social media content:
➡️ Promote a sale
➡️ Connect with new accounts and grow your audience
➡️ Nurture your existing audience/segment of your audience
➡️ Build a personal connection by storytelling
➡️ Introduce new products and services
Without a clear goal, you may end up feeling lost and creating content that isn’t inspiring people to engage with your business in the way you want.
Step 3: Decide how many times you will post for the week and use your Weekly Content Calendar Template to clearly map your content.
Your Weekly Content Calendar is set up to make planning your content simple and efficient. It’s more than a calendar. Under each day of the week, you’ll see six spots for you to jot down notes. Each one of these content boxes represents one of the six elements of a strategic, well-planned piece of social media content. Let’s take a closer look. 👇🏻
Content Goal: The purpose of the post.
You have a goal for the week’s content and each post should help you reach that goal. Let’s imagine your business is a bakery and your week’s goal is to promote a sale happening on the weekend. Your posts for the week can help you reach the goal of promoting your sale by highlighting the products that will be on sale (promotion), telling people about the ingredients you use (education), sharing the origins of the recipes (connection) or making people laugh with a hilarious gif about stuffing your face with scrumptious baked goods (humour). I call these sub-goals “content buckets” and they help you meet your goals and provide value to your audience.
Post Idea: A few words describing the topic of the post.
Keep it simple and concise. Something like “3 unexpected bubble gum flavours” or “FAQs about workshop.” You’ll get more specific later.
Visual Prompt: Describe (briefly) what type of visual element your post will include.
Whether you’re planning to use a photo, graphic, carousel or to make a Reel, having a prompt in your content calendar will save you time when you go to create the visual. Having your prompts laid out in a calendar also helps you keep the look of your IG feed varied and interesting
Casual Prompt: Sum up what the post will talk about in a few short phrases.
You don’t have to write your whole caption here. Include just enough detail so that when you’re ready to dig in you have a clear idea of where your caption should be headed.
CTA & KPI: Inspiring action and measuring success.
The CTA (Call to Action) is how you tell your audience what action you want them to take after reading the post. Here are a few fun examples:
➡️ Drop a 💛 in the comments if you agree!
➡️ Save this post to use the next time you’re looking for inspiration.
➡️ Tag a friend who needs to hear this.
➡️ Get on my calendar now!
➡️ Vote for your favourite in the caption.
The KPI (Key Performance Indicator) is how you measure the success of this post.
Your KPI should align with the goals of your post and your overall social media strategy. Your KPI may be shares, saves, website taps, comments, etc — the key is to pick the specific form of engagement you want to see on your post. In other words, how many people engaged with your content in the way you wanted them to.
That means if your CTA tells people to “Drop a ❤️ in the comments” then your KPI will be comments.
At the bottom of the calendar template, you’ll also see a spot for Stories Ideas. Showing up in your stories is a great way to create content that helps you build real-time connections with your audience. You can always pop into your stories on the fly but mapping out a few ideas ahead of time can help you stay consistent and take the edge off of any “on camera” jitters you may have.
LEARN HOW TO BOOST ENGAGEMENT IN STORIES WITH STICKERS!
Don’t Forget To Reflect!
Part of being strategic is looking at what works and what doesn’t. (Hello, analytics! 👋)
Social media should be something you enjoy doing! So, in addition to looking at the numbers, it’s also important to reflect on these two questions.
- What content did you have the most fun creating this week?
- What content made you most proud?
You are an important part of your business. (I would argue the MOST important part.) And if you LIKE creating content you are more likely to do it– and to do it well.
I included these reflection questions on the second page of the content cal template. Don’t skip them!
Putting It All Together.
Once you’ve filled out your Weekly Content Calendar, you’re ready to create!
✅ Use the strategic prompts you’ve created to write engaging captions.
✅ Choose eye-catching photos, design branded graphics, experiment with continuous carousels, or play with Reels guided by your visual prompts and content goals.
✅ Boost engagement with your carefully crafted CTAs and track your KPIs to see if your content is hitting its mark.
Most importantly, have some fun knowing that the content you’re creating is working to bring your business closer to your goals and your customers.
Using A Weekly Content Calendar To Plan Your Instagram Social Content Will Help Your Business Thrive!
Creating content for social media doesn’t have to be stressful. In fact, it can be a lot of fun–when you have a plan. 🤓
A content calendar helps you consistently create strategic, intentional content for your audience without the stress of dreaming up new ideas as you go. Once you’ve hammered out your social media strategy, you can use your new power tool (aka. the Weekly Content Calendar Template) to map out content week by week and keep your business moving toward your goals! Here’s a post idea for you to kick things off. Snap a behind-the-scenes photo of you planning your next week’s content with your Weekly Content Calendar. Share it on Instagram and tag @socialkatmedia! 😉 See you on social!
