A content material calendar is an effective way to visualise your publishing schedule. From weblog posts and social media content material to e mail campaigns and YouTube movies, retaining observe with out one is a ache to say the least.

It will get much more difficult while you’re publishing throughout a number of platforms and managing a staff of creators, editors, and producers.

These are a few of my favourite content material calendar templates for staying organized.

Multi-purpose content material calendar templates for monday.com

In search of a versatile and highly effective solution to handle content material and different sorts of work in a single place? monday.com is without doubt one of the high undertaking administration options I’ve used.

The free plan is nice for as much as two customers and is greater than sufficient to attempt monday.com’s free content material calendar template. Nonetheless, paid plans include much more performance and are higher suited to groups needing automation, formulation, integrations, and dashboards.

Study extra about monday.com: monday.com assessment | monday.com’s latest options.

Template 1: Finest for inbuilt job monitoring

This content material calendar template is nice for groups that want a solution to plan and execute content material alongside different sorts of tasks.

It’s nice for high-level or short-term planning, however it actually shines while you use it as a solution to assign duties and get work finished. With tons of inbuilt undertaking administration performance, you may simply set due dates, set off notifications, and observe progress too.

It really works simply as nicely for any sort of content material, from social media and movies to long-form weblog posts.

You may view the entire work as a easy desk, Kanban view, calendar, timeline, or interactive dashboard (relying in your plan).

Though the template itself is comparatively easy, the extensibility of monday.com as a device means you may add on or mix it with different templates to create a complete enterprise operations system that runs your total division or firm.

Template 2: Finest for aligning with high-level advertising and marketing objectives

A content material calendar is de facto simply half of a bigger advertising and marketing plan. So slightly than utilizing two separate templates or undertaking areas to handle every little thing, monday.com allows you to do each below one roof.

It’s a completely customized advertising and marketing template that features every little thing from content material calendars to social media scheduling, quarterly advertising and marketing plans, and extra.

Determination-makers can create customized dashboards to shortly see high-level planning on a single display screen. So you may see what’s scheduled to be revealed, what’s in progress, and even maintain observe of your finances.

One other standout function of this template is the flexibility to create a dynamic content material approvals course of. Paired with monday.com’s highly effective automation options, you may supercharge this workflow to finally scale your content material technique.

Total, I simply love how seamless this template is for managing so many interconnected parts in a single place. The template makes it simple to align your content material calendar with big-picture advertising and marketing objectives and retains your total staff on the identical web page.

The one downside is that you simply’ll possible must improve to a paid monday.com plan to actually get probably the most out of this template’s capabilities. Whereas it’s nonetheless out there to make use of on the free plan, you’ll possible discover it to be a bit limiting if you wish to accomplish every little thing I’ve described above.

ClickUp content material calendar templates

ClickUp isn’t as versatile as monday.com or Notion, however it has extra inbuilt performance. As an alternative of constructing what you want, it already exists and can be utilized proper out of the field.

On high of that, the free plan is much extra beneficiant. You may have a limiteless variety of customers plus you get limitless duties, collaborative docs, staff chat, customized fields, and a number of undertaking views.

Superior options, like automations, Gantt view, calculations, time monitoring, objectives, workload administration, and superior permissions are all out there on paid plans while you’re prepared.

Study extra about ClickUp: ClickUp assessment | ClickUp vs monday.com | ClickUp vs Notion. 

Template 1: A complicated all-purpose content material administration template

ClickUp’s advertising and marketing content material calendar template is without doubt one of the most fully-featured and versatile choices on my listing. It’s versatile sufficient for solo entrepreneurs and mid-sized groups alike, Plus, you don’t need to do a lot to get began.

It comes with eight distinctive statuses, ten customized fields, and staff collaboration instruments so you may assign duties and observe the progress of all of your content material.

Relying in your plan, the template contains eight views, giving everybody in your staff the chance to see their work in a manner that works finest for them. Customers can simply change between calendar, board, listing, timeline, and Gantt chart views with out impacting anybody else.

On the calendar view, color-coded content material sorts make it simple to remain organized and see what’s happening throughout completely different platforms at a look.

As a bonus, ClickUp’s collaborative doc creator additionally makes it simple to create an organization wiki, doc your processes, plan campaigns, and take notes as a staff.

Template 2: A easy editorial calendar template

This editorial calendar template is ideal for bloggers and editors. It comes with 4 completely different views — calendar, board, listing, and timeline — making it simple for the complete staff to view big-picture planning whereas additionally specializing in their particular duties and to-do lists.

The template contains seven inbuilt statuses, together with in assessment, scheduled, and revealed. As a result of it’s arrange for running a blog, you received’t need to customise it to match your wants.

All the inbuilt statuses are coloration coded, so it’s apparent the place every little thing stands, even from a excessive degree.

You may take issues a step additional by categorizing your content material and importing the entire digital belongings you want for publishing. As soon as a put up is reside, there’s additionally a customized area for the URL so you may shortly entry it sooner or later.

Between the 2 templates, this one is much easier and simpler to start out utilizing on day one. Nonetheless, it will possibly really feel cluttered and overwhelming when you’re utilizing it for extra than simply weblog posts.

Notion content material calendar templates

Though Notion has undertaking administration options, it will possibly do an entire lot greater than that. It’s primarily a clean slate with the flexibility to create any sort of system or workspace you want. It really works significantly nicely for issues you’ll want to maintain observe of.

In our context, it really works nice for content material. However it’s additionally glorious for notes, budgeting, HR, finance, and extra.

For those who’re a solo consumer, the free plan will get you by for a very long time. Groups can attempt Notion with the free plan, however you’ll need to improve to a paid plan to proceed utilizing it.

Study extra about Notion: Notion assessment | Notion vs monday.com | Notion vs Confluence.

Template 1: A primary content material calendar template and Kanban board

Notion’s primary content material calendar template is a superb place to start out as a result of it requires zero effort to arrange. Out of the field, you’ll get pre configured calendar and Kanban views you may add content material to straight away.

The calendar is nice for guaranteeing a constant publishing schedule whereas the Kanban board makes it simple to maintain observe of manufacturing alongside the way in which.

You may brainstorm concepts utilizing the inbuilt “thought” standing and transfer gadgets to “in progress” while you’re able to get to work. Don’t like an thought? All it’s important to do is delete it. Every merchandise allows you to connect media information so you may collect every little thing you’ll want to publish in a single place.

This template works simply as nicely whether or not you’re working by your self or with a small staff.

Template 2: An alternate particularly for social media content material

Notion’s easy social media content material calendar works very well when you repurpose current content material throughout a number of channels. Somewhat than creating 4 gadgets for a single video, you may create it as soon as and tag the merchandise for YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.

Like different Notion templates, you may simply arrange a variety of views, one in every of which is a calendar that makes it simple to see each bit of content material and the platforms it’s going to go on.

As quickly as an merchandise has a date, it exhibits up in your calendar. That is true even when it’s nonetheless within the strategy of being created.

However coloration coding on the calendar view is predicated on every merchandise’s standing, supplying you with an instantaneous visible of what’s on observe or operating behind.

As a result of Notion is so versatile, you may simply replace both template or develop on them to make them be just right for you and your staff.

Airtable editorial calendar template

Airtable is by far probably the most highly effective device on this listing, particularly when you’ve got numerous knowledge you’ll want to join collectively. My staff makes use of it for all types of issues, together with income, content material manufacturing, service supply, and extra.

Like Notion, it requires a major quantity of labor up entrance. However you’ll find yourself with a customized setup designed round the way in which you’re employed when you’re prepared to place within the time.

If in case you have fewer than 5 collaborators, you can begin utilizing Airtable free of charge. You’ll get limitless bases, 1,000 information per base, 1 GB of storage per base, and 100 month-to-month automation runs.

Study extra about Airtable: Airtable assessment | Airtable vs monday.com | Airtable vs Notion. 

Airtable works very well when you’ve got numerous knowledge. It’s an incredible resolution for reporting, analytics, content material administration, workload administration, and anything that accumulates numerous knowledge factors. This template presents a superb place to start out in case your present focus is on planning, organizing, and managing high-volume manufacturing.

Like different templates, you’ll get a number of views — grid view, calendar view, and creator workload come pre configured.

You’ll additionally get particular person tables for managing content material, planning content material, and retaining observe of your staff (together with their roles, capability, and availability).

Though this template is easy, you received’t have to fret about deleting a bunch of stuff you’ll by no means use. As an alternative, it’s a place to begin you may construct on as you get snug and your wants change.

Airtable’s greatest downside can be its greatest benefit.

The software program’s flexibility means there are dozens of how to perform the identical factor and it will possibly take numerous time to determine what works finest for you.

However when you want one thing that’ll by no means impede your progress, it’s price studying the fundamentals.

Asana social calendar template

All the instruments we’ve lined to date are extremely versatile. If you need one thing that requires much less setup and has far much less room for error, Asana’s a more sensible choice.

Though it’s extra inflexible, there’s normally one finest solution to set issues up so that you don’t have to fret about doing it unsuitable, doing it unsuitable once more, after which doing it unsuitable yet another time earlier than determining the perfect resolution.

Its free plan can be very beneficiant, permitting for limitless tasks, duties, messages, and storage. It’s an incredible choice for small groups or bigger groups who wish to attempt earlier than they purchase.

Study extra about Asana: Asana assessment | Asana vs monday.com | Airtable vs Asana. 

Technically, this template is for managing social media content material. However you should use it for any sort of content material from movies and podcast episodes to free downloads and case research.

It contains every little thing you’ll must ideate, strategize, prioritize, and assign work throughout each channel you utilize. Plus, you may add new tasks and tie them to high-level milestones or objectives to remain aligned.

With each bit of content material, there’s a spot for the content material itself, key phrases, and information so you may simply collect every little thing in a single place.

The template even contains built-in approval workflows to manage high quality at each degree and job dependencies if you wish to use the crucial path methodology.

Regardless of being extremely feature-rich, it’s comparatively simple to get began. All it’s important to do is add the entire channels you put up on, add a chunk of content material, fill out all of its data, and set a date. From there, you recognize every little thing you’ll want to know to make use of it.

You may simply flip your calendar into completely different undertaking views, together with listing, Kanban view, Gantt chart, customized dashboards, and extra.

In contrast to different content material calendar templates, Asana’s calendar view is clear and aesthetically pleasing, whilst you add a number of gadgets per day. It’s additionally coloration coded by no matter area you select, making it simple to visualise progress at a look.

A content material calendar you should use with Google Sheets, Excel, or Phrase

In case your wants are easy otherwise you need one thing acquainted, you should use a spreadsheet to maintain observe of your manufacturing schedule as a substitute. When arrange nicely, you’ll have the ability to keep organized and on schedule with out having to make use of undertaking administration software program.

There are tons of of free content material calendar spreadsheets, however this one from Smartsheet is one in every of my favorites as a result of it presents a streamlined solution to handle content material on a number of platforms.

Smartsheet’s easy content material calendar template is free to obtain for Excel, Google Sheets, Phrase, PowerPoint, and PDF.

It has house to plan for the following week, so it’s much more restricted than different choices on the listing. However it’s a really clear solution to maintain observe of content material throughout a number of platforms with out getting overwhelmed. Plus, you can also make a replica to plan forward.

The setup could be very easy. Days of the week are throughout the highest and completely different advertising and marketing channels are down the left.

Say you’ve an thought and wish to put up it on Fb. Simply choose a day of the week and add your thought within the applicable row. You may add a number of concepts when you’re undecided.

That is about so simple as it will get. Nonetheless, it doesn’t seem like a standard calendar and it’s difficult to plan forward. You’ll have to start out with a brand new sheet each week and there’s no solution to maintain observe of the content material creation course of.

That mentioned, it’s a straightforward solution to plan forward at low quantity.

Do I really want a content material calendar?

For those who’re publishing one or two items of content material per day or week, you don’t want something fancy.

A easy calendar that permits you to drag and drop, alter dates on the fly, and collect belongings in a single place is greater than sufficient. My staff used a easy Kanban board for years with no issues.

We did ultimately improve to one thing else however elegant and easy can get you a large number additional than you suppose.

That mentioned, you in all probability don’t want a content material calendar (or can get by with a easy spreadsheet) when you don’t want to stay to a constant schedule or solely publish just a few instances per thirty days.

Something past that and also you’ll possible begin to really feel overwhelmed with out a centralized place to visualise dates, statuses, belongings, and technique in a single place.

How to decide on the perfect content material calendar template for you

Though most templates are simply customizable, selecting the best one means you’re that a lot nearer to a system you should use. Listed below are just a few situations and what I like to recommend for every.

You’re publishing combined content material throughout a number of channels

monday.com’s content material calendar and ClickUp’s advertising and marketing content material calendar are each good.

They’re filled with options, a number of board views past a primary calendar, and include built-in staff collaboration options. You should utilize both of those to jot down blogs, create movies, produce podcasts, or any content material mixture that can get distributed throughout your web site, social channels, and past.

For those who’re on the fence, you may attempt each templates free of charge to see which one’s a greater match.

You’re working with a small staff

I like to recommend ClickUp. Each ClickUp templates are tremendous simple to make use of and you may get the entire staff on board shortly with out a steep studying curve or losing an excessive amount of time on non-content-related duties. Everybody can clearly perceive their function and what duties they should knock out — all whereas watching their work progress on the month-to-month calendar.

monday.com’s templates work, too, when you don’t thoughts getting your palms soiled and need some extra superior options.

You’re a sophisticated content material strategist

Go along with Airtable. It’s probably the most versatile and superior choice for groups producing content material at scale. I personally use it to trace income from completely different sources. Though it took us a very long time to get every little thing dialed in.

monday.com is a stable selection, too. Whereas it’s not as superior as Airtable, it’s good for skilled customers who need one thing a bit easier.

You’re a solo content material content material creator

Begin with Notion or one in every of Smartsheet’s Excel/Google Sheets templates.

Notion’s collaboration options aren’t fairly nearly as good as among the different platforms on the market. However it is a moot level when you’re working alone. You should utilize this for years with out having to think about anything, even when you begin working with one or two different folks down the street.

An Excel or Google Sheets template is so simple as it will get, making them nice for solo use.

You’re strictly specializing in social media

Use Asana’s social media calendar.

When you can customise any template to suit your social media plans, this one is optimized for social scheduling from the second you begin.

I actually like how one can color-code every social channel, which is nice for visualizing how gentle or heavy your content material is all through the month. It’s additionally one of many few calendars that doesn’t look too cramped when you’ve a number of gadgets scheduled on the identical day.

Notion additionally works nicely, particularly when you’re pushing out the identical put up throughout a number of social channels directly.

How you can create your personal content material and editorial calendar

You may create your personal content material calendar template utilizing spreadsheet software program, relational database instruments, undertaking administration options, and even pen and paper. If nothing above works for you, you may get inventive and use one thing you have already got.

Excel and Google Sheets, for instance, have built-in calendars you can begin with. Or you may draw one on a whiteboard, use a bodily calendar, or construct one in Google Docs.

When you determine, it’s only a matter of including content material and selecting dates.

Whereas which will work for quite simple wants, a extra superior content material calendar ought to have a spot to maintain observe of:

• Content material sort.
• Publish date.
• Channel.
• Standing.
• Recordsdata and pictures.
• Notes.
• Proprietor.
• Assigned to.

If the thought of including all of that sounds intimidating, you may at all times begin with one of many templates from this listing and customise it to match your wants.

What can I observe with a content material calendar?

Content material calendar templates are actually versatile instruments. They will work nicely for particular person use and high-level planning to monitoring total manufacturing schedules and full-scale content material groups with editors, strategists, writers, and extra.

You should utilize a content material calendar to:

• Set up and plan content material advertising and marketing actions.
• Construct out quick or long-term campaigns.
• Produce and publish social media content material.
• Write, edit, and publish weblog posts.
• Replace or repurpose current content material.
• Guarantee constant publishing for various audiences.

That is actually simply scratching the floor with what you are able to do with a content material calendar, particularly when you’re planning to leverage the built-in undertaking administration options.