How to build an effective comms content calendar

The best comms content doesn’t just appear out of thin air. Hours of meetings, interviews and research go into nearly every piece of content a communicator posts. Behind all that work, a proper content calendar is a comms pro’s guiding light on when and to whom said content should be released.

However, creating a well-designed content calendar involves much more than just arbitrarily deciding a series of dates and platforms on which to share your content. There’s an involved, collaborative process that the best communicators undertake to ensure the material they’ve worked so hard to create resonates with the right audiences at the right times.

Pinning down the planning process

Even before an item goes on the calendar, it’s helpful to draft up a description of what you’re trying to accomplish with a given content initiative. Allison Mason, communications manager at The Hershey Company, told Ragan that her team begins the calendar construction process by identifying large organizational goals.

“We build an editorial plan two business quarters at a time,” Mason said. “This provides a short and long-term view of the stories we plan to tell and the best times to tell them.”

She added that the team then uses a virtual tool to keep track of progress at all points of the content journey for added visibility.

“This helps streamline what we’re posting, pitching or drafting and assigns responsibilities in addition to scheduling posting times,” Mason said.

But while the content calendar should serve as a north star for communicators, according to Mason it needn’t be so rigid that spontaneous content initiatives don’t have a spot.

“Exceptional stories should be told even when you don’t have a scheduled spot for them,” she said. “Keep the content calendar agile to accommodate spontaneous, compelling content or trending topics.”

Additional content calendar considerations

One of the biggest content calendar questions centers on the frequency with which your content goes out to your audience. The biggest rule of thumb to know is that there isn’t a specific rule — it all depends on your audience’s needs and desires.

For some that could mean multiple times a week — whereas for others, monthly or quarterly might be more suitable,” Assaf Kedem, head of content and internal communications, global banking and financial institution coverage at BNP Paribas, told Ragan. “Always ask yourself — is there something your audience should know that you haven’t already told them?”

Mason shared that one of the keys to her team’s calendar is repurposing content to be used in different channels and formats.

“Stretch your content,” she said. “Can a long-form video also be a quick teaser for social? Can you use AI to condense a leader’s presentation into a top-ten takeaway article? It’s very rare that we only use content in a single form.”

The importance of cross-functional calendars

Just like the content they organize, calendars are at their best when they’re worked on by pros from across an organization’s many functions. Kedem said that ongoing dialogues between communicators and members of other departments like HR and marketing can help give the calendar construction process a more holistic perspective.

“One option is to periodically convene a content council with representatives from each practice area,” Kedem said. “Another is to hold bilateral conversations with each practice area separately — but make sure to do so at regularly scheduled intervals to stay on top of each area’s needs.”

Mason added that at Hershey, her team uses a form to invite partners in other departments to submit content ideas for consideration within the calendar. This way, they’re not just consulted in the process, but actively participating in what the comms team ultimately produces.

“This approach helps us maintain a high standard and focus on our goals,” Mason said. “We also help partners think through the best way to tell their stories.”

Mason shared that the comms team advises collaborative partners not only on content types but channels as well. For instance, a partner in marketing may come to the comms team with a press release, but the comms team may suggest that a blog post is a more suitable method of distribution. This idea of cross-collaboration extends to the execution phase of content calendar building.

“We don’t just work with partners when it’s time to build the calendar,” she said “They are crucial to execution too. Often, our best engagement comes when our cross-functional partners follow through with amplifying the content on their channels.”

Sean Devlin is an editor at Ragan Communications. In his spare time he enjoys Philly sports and hosting trivia.