content-calendar-planner

name	content-calendar-planner
description	Plan editorial calendar and cadence.
metadata	{"author":"Alfonso Sainz de Baranda (Growth4U)","version":"1.0","system":"SanchoCMO","phase":"Decide","pillar":"content-calendar-planner","layer":"Decide","depends_on":"channel-prioritization, positioning-messaging, keyword-research","chains_to":"seo-content, content-atomizer, newsletter"}
context_required	["brand/{slug}/go-to-market/channel-plan.md","brand/{slug}/go-to-market/positioning/*/*.current.md","brand/{slug}/go-to-market/keyword-plan.md","brand/{slug}/brand-voice/brand-voice.current.md","brand/{slug}/content-playbook/writing-guide.md","brand/{slug}/content-playbook/pillars.md","brand/{slug}/go-to-market/ecps/ecps.current.md"]
context_writes	["brand/content-calendar.md","brand/{slug}/operational/learnings.md","brand/{slug}/operational/assets.md"]

Content Calendar Planner — What to Publish, Where, When

"A content strategy without a calendar is just a list of ideas. The calendar turns intention into execution."

This skill transforms positioning, keywords, and channel decisions into a publishable editorial plan. It sits after channel-prioritization (which channels) and before execution skills (seo-content, content-atomizer, newsletter). Without a calendar, content creation is reactive. With one, it's strategic.

Read ./brand/ per _system/brand-memory.md (if using SanchoCMO framework)

Follow _system/output-format.md (if using SanchoCMO framework)

---

Prerequisites

Required (will not run without these):

• ./brand/{slug}/go-to-market/channel-plan.md — Active channels + frequency (from channel-prioritization)
• ./brand/{slug}/go-to-market/positioning/*/*.current.md — Differentiation angles for pillar derivation (from positioning-messaging)
• ./brand/{slug}/go-to-market/ecps/ecps.current.md — Target personas for audience segmentation (from niche-discovery-100x)

Recommended (better output with these):

• ./brand/{slug}/go-to-market/keyword-plan.md — SEO topics + clusters (from keyword-research)
• ./brand/{slug}/brand-voice/brand-voice.current.md — Tone for content notes (from brand-voice)
• brand/{slug}/content-playbook/writing-guide.md
• brand/{slug}/content-playbook/pillars.md
• Content ideas from intelligence pipeline:
  • brand/{slug}/operational/transitory/daily-pulse/ — Content ideas from daily-pulse
  • ./campaigns/content-plan/ — Content briefs from insight-to-content-mapper

---

Workflow: 8 Steps

Step 1: Load Context (~2 min)

Read all available Context Lake files. Extract:

From channel-plan.md:
  - Selected channels + frequency per channel
  - Budget allocation per channel
  - Hormozi quadrant coverage

From positioning.md:
  - Core differentiation angles
  - Per-ECP messaging

From ecps.md:
  - ECP names and characteristics
  - Pain points and language patterns

From keyword-plan.md (if exists):
  - Topic clusters + primary keywords
  - Search volume + difficulty scores
  - Content gap opportunities

From brand-voice/brand-voice.current.md (if exists):
- brand/{slug}/content-playbook/writing-guide.md
- brand/{slug}/content-playbook/pillars.md
  - Tone and style guidelines
  - Platform-specific voice adaptations

If channel-plan.md is missing, inform the user and offer to run channel-prioritization first.

---

Step 2: Define Content Pillars (3-5) (~5 min)

Derive content pillars from positioning + ECPs. Each pillar maps to a category of topics the brand owns.

Pillar derivation rules:

1. Each ECP's top pain point suggests a pillar
2. Each differentiation angle from positioning.md suggests a pillar
3. Merge overlapping pillars (max 5 total)
4. Each pillar must serve at least 1 ECP

Present as:

PILLAR 1: [Name]
├── Description: [1 sentence]
├── ECP alignment: [which ECPs this serves]
├── Primary funnel stage: [TOFU/MOFU/BOFU]
├── Example topics: [3-5 topic ideas]
└── % of total content: [XX%]

Use references/content-mix-templates.md as a starting point for the business type. Adapt to the specific client.

---

Step 3: Map Pillars to Funnel Stages (~3 min)

Distribute content across the marketing funnel:

TOFU (Awareness)       — 50-60% of content
├── Educational content that attracts
├── Industry insights that position
└── Broad topics with search volume

MOFU (Consideration)   — 20-30% of content
├── Product comparisons
├── How-to guides with product tie-in
└── Webinars and deep-dives

BOFU (Decision)        — 15-20% of content
├── Case studies with named companies
├── Testimonials and social proof
└── Demo/trial CTAs

Adjustment factors:

• New brand (unknown) → heavier TOFU (60%+)
• Established brand → more MOFU/BOFU
• High-intent keyword opportunities → shift toward MOFU
• Strong case studies available → boost BOFU

Present the distribution as a simple table with rationale for the balance.

---

Step 4: Assign Format Distribution per Channel (~5 min)

Based on channel-plan.md channels, define format types and frequency per channel.

Channel          Format              Frequency    Pillar         Funnel
──────────────── ─────────────────── ──────────── ────────────── ──────
Blog             Long-form article   2x/month     Education      TOFU/MOFU
LinkedIn         Text post           3x/week      Authority      TOFU
LinkedIn         Carousel            1x/week      Education      MOFU
Email            Newsletter          1x/week      Mixed          All
Instagram        Reel                2x/week      Social Proof   BOFU

Rules:

• Each channel gets 1-3 format types max (focus > variety)
• Frequency must match team capacity from budget.md
• At least 1 format per active pillar per month
• Flag any format requiring skills the team lacks (video editing, design)

---

Step 5: Populate Content Ideas (~5 min)

Pull topic ideas from all available sources:

1. keyword-plan.md: SEO topics (highest priority for blog/content)
2. Content ideas from intelligence pipeline: daily-pulse, insight-to-content-mapper, insight-to-content-mapper
3. Positioning angles: Each angle × each ECP = topic variant
4. Competitor gaps: Topics competitors miss (from competitors.md)

Score each idea:

Topic                    Pillar    Funnel   Keyword   Priority
──────────────────────── ───────── ──────── ───────── ────────
"Como elegir [product]"  Education TOFU     720 vol   HIGH
"[Competitor] vs us"     Product   MOFU     320 vol   HIGH
"Case study: [Client]"   Proof     BOFU     —         MEDIUM

Select enough ideas to fill 4-6 weeks. Prioritize by: keyword opportunity > pillar coverage > funnel balance.

---

Step 6: Generate Monthly Overview (~3 min)

Create a 4-week view with themes per week:

MONTH: [Month Year]

Week 1 (Mar 3-7):   Theme: [Pillar 1 focus]
  Key piece: [Blog article on X]
  Supporting: [3 LinkedIn posts, 1 newsletter]

Week 2 (Mar 10-14): Theme: [Pillar 2 focus]
  Key piece: [Case study on Y]
  Supporting: [3 LinkedIn posts, 2 Reels]

Week 3 (Mar 17-21): Theme: [Pillar 3 focus]
  Key piece: [SEO article on Z]
  Supporting: [3 LinkedIn posts, 1 newsletter]

Week 4 (Mar 24-28): Theme: [Mixed / Experimental]
  Key piece: [Experiment: new format or topic]
  Supporting: [Regular cadence]

Include seasonal events, industry dates, or company milestones if known.

---

Step 7: Generate Weekly View (Week 1 detail) (~3 min)

Show detailed view for the first week:

WEEK 1: [Theme]

Day   Time    Channel    Format         Topic              Pillar   Funnel  Status
───── ─────── ────────── ────────────── ────────────────── ──────── ─────── ──────
Mon   09:00   LinkedIn   Text post      [Topic]            Auth     TOFU    Draft
Tue   10:00   Blog       Article        [Topic + keyword]  Edu      MOFU    Plan
Wed   09:00   LinkedIn   Carousel       [Topic]            Edu      MOFU    Draft
Thu   09:00   LinkedIn   Text post      [Topic]            Proof    BOFU    Draft
Thu   15:00   Email      Newsletter     [Curated + CTA]    Mixed    All     Plan
Fri   09:00   Instagram  Reel           [Topic]            Social   BOFU    Idea

Status options: Idea → Plan → Draft → Review → Scheduled → Published

---

Step 8: Present for Approval (~1 min)

Content calendar ready:

  [1] Accept (writes to brand/{slug}/go-to-market/content-calendar.md)
  [2] Modify pillars or distribution
  [3] Change frequency (need to adjust for team capacity)
  [4] Add/remove specific topics
  [5] Show me content-mix template for [business type]

Wait for user input before writing.

---

Output

File: brand/{slug}/go-to-market/content-calendar.md

# Content Calendar — [Company Name]

Generated: [date]
Period: [Month Year]
Channels: [list from channel-plan.md]

## Content Pillars

### 1. [Pillar Name] — [XX]% of content
- Description: [1 sentence]
- ECPs served: [list]
- Primary funnel stage: [TOFU/MOFU/BOFU]

[Repeat for each pillar]

## Funnel Distribution
- TOFU: [XX]%
- MOFU: [XX]%
- BOFU: [XX]%

## Channel Cadence

| Channel | Format | Frequency | Primary Pillar |
|---------|--------|-----------|---------------|
[table rows]

## Monthly Overview

### Week 1: [Theme]
[Key piece + supporting content]

### Week 2: [Theme]
[Key piece + supporting content]

### Week 3: [Theme]
[Key piece + supporting content]

### Week 4: [Theme]
[Key piece + supporting content]

## Week 1 Detailed View

| Day | Time | Channel | Format | Topic | Pillar | Funnel | Status |
[table rows]

## Content Ideas Backlog
[Prioritized list of remaining ideas for future weeks]

## Review Cadence
- Monthly: Regenerate full calendar
- Weekly: Review + adjust specific items
- Ad-hoc: When new pillar, channel, or positioning change

Append summary to ./brand/{slug}/operational/assets.md:

[date] content-calendar.md — [N] pillars, [N] channels, [X] pieces/month planned.

---

Context Lake Integration

Action	File	Description
READ	./brand/{slug}/go-to-market/channel-plan.md	Active channels + frequency
READ	./brand/{slug}/go-to-market/positioning/*/*.current.md	Differentiation angles for pillar derivation
READ	./brand/{slug}/go-to-market/keyword-plan.md	SEO topics + clusters
READ	./brand/{slug}/brand-voice/brand-voice.current.md	Tone for content notes

• brand/{slug}/content-playbook/writing-guide.md
• brand/{slug}/content-playbook/pillars.md | READ | ./brand/{slug}/go-to-market/ecps/ecps.current.md | Audience segments for pillar mapping | | READ | brand/{slug}/operational/transitory/daily-pulse/ | Content ideas from intelligence | | READ | ./campaigns/content-plan/ | Content briefs from mapper | | WRITE (owns) | brand/{slug}/go-to-market/content-calendar.md | Editorial calendar | | APPEND | ./brand/{slug}/operational/assets.md | Calendar summary |

---

Frequency

• Monthly: Regenerate full calendar for next month
• Weekly: Review and adjust upcoming week
• Ad-hoc: When new pillar added, channel changed, or major positioning shift

---

Feedback Collection

After generating the calendar, ask:

"Hay algun tema que quieras priorizar o evitar este mes? Algun evento o fecha importante que deba incluir?"

Log feedback to ./brand/{slug}/operational/learnings.md:

[date] content-calendar-planner: [feedback summary]

---

Content Engine Integration (added 2026-04-25)

Editorial Dispatch Mode (daily cron 8:30am)

When called by the Content Engine cron, use this specific workflow:

1. Read brand/{slug}/content/idea-queue.json
2. Read brand/{slug}/content/configs/cadence-config.yml

Selection criteria (recency-aware):

WHERE status = 'New'
  AND age(created_at) <= 14 days
  AND content_type matches slot for today's channel(s)
ORDER BY recency_score DESC, pov_confidence DESC
LIMIT 3-5

Where recency_score = exp(-age_in_days / 5) — rapid decay favoring fresh ideas.

Stale policy: Ideas older than 14 days → status = 'Deferred', parked for later. Can be re-promoted manually if still relevant.

Dispatch to Discord (Idea Approval Loop):

For each selected idea, send to Discord following _system/idea-approval-protocol.md:

📰 Esto paso: {signal.summary}
   📅 {signal.date} · 🔗 {signal.source}
✍️ Tu posible angulo: {angle_draft}
🎯 Pillar: {pillar_id} · Canal: {channel} · Tipo: {type}

[✅ Si] [⏰ Mas tarde] [❌ No]

After approval (canonical pipeline — see content-engine/ideas.ts):

• ✅ → update status = 'Approved' in idea-queue.json, respond with link to MC UI thread
• ⏰ → update status = 'Deferred' + set deferred_at / deferred_by
• ❌ → update status = 'Discarded'