Content Calendar - How This Saved My Career and Why You Must Try It Now! Free Printable Outline Included!

I have always been one to "wing it".

"Fake it until you make it", used to be one of my favorite motto's until I decided that this mindset had a holding power that wasn't getting me any further.

I liked to think that the schedule running through my mind was enough. Wow was I wrong! The thought of creating a Content Calendar meant that I would have to actually follow my own schedule if I communicated it to everyone. I envisioned losing accountability if I couldn't stick to it. I feared that this was a set up for my own failure so I pushed it to the back burner, making a note to myself that I would attempt this only as a last resort if my current strategy failed. Fears have a nasty reputation for holding you back, not that I'm going to place the blame on fear alone.

 - This post contains affiliate links. When clicked and a purchase is made I receive a small commission. To read further about this visit my disclaimer and resource pages.

How to create a content calendar

Here is a free printable outline of a Content Calendar with some basic ideas to get you started. I left them very broad so that you can tailor it to your own strategy. 3 tips that I feel are the most important take away when creating this are:

1.) Create a Feature day of the week that will be every week on the same day featuring other bloggers. There are a few ways to go about doing this. You could put the word out there on social media outlets such as Facebook groups, that you are accepting featured bloggers if they would like to be highlighted and ask them for more information that they would like to share. Or you could choose the blogs that will be featured yourself and then notify them each blogger that their blog is featured on your blog.

2.) Create a Series of at least 4-5 parts. These should be longer more in-depth topics that you couldn't possibly fit into just one post.

3.) Choose a day once a week to re-content/Spring clean/re-purpose older blog posts. After you clean everything up then go back through and promote again on social media.

Why you must try this

This could allow you to take time off from blogging without appearing that you are taking time off!
With this free time, you could successfully implement the Pinterest manual strategy and the Quora question strategy!

Wanna know how?

You create all of your posts ahead of time and then use the scheduler feature on your blogging host to post these as well as promoting them through various schedules for Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter (Tailwind). This involves getting the posts done early and far in advance.

How it saved my career

I could barely keep my head above water before I drafted a Content Calendar. It sounds so simple and it really is!  Being a perfectionist I was under the impression that I had to create something that was for the entire year. You can really create a content calendar anyway that you would like because it's yours. I created mine for the rest of the month and will continue with this as I see more positives while utilizing it.

Is it perfect?

Not by any stretch of the imagination!

Can I change parts of it as I go?

Of course! A content calendar is not set in stone, its a tool that should be used and altered when needed.

I'm going to leave this post off as being short and sweet so that you can start creating your own Content Calendar! I will be returning tomorrow with a brand new series so be sure to check back. In the meantime, I am running a 20% off sale on my website. Hurry its only until 3/11/18!