| name | planning-content-calendars |
| description | Creates strategic content schedules with themes, dates, and publishing cadence. Use when the user asks about content calendars, publishing schedules, content planning, editorial calendars, or content strategy timelines. |
Content Calendar Planner
When to use this skill
- User asks to create a content calendar
- User needs a publishing schedule
- User wants to plan content themes
- User mentions editorial planning
- User needs content batching strategy
Workflow
Instructions
Step 1: Define Planning Parameters
Required inputs:
| Field | Purpose |
|---|
| Time period | Month, quarter, year |
| Platforms | Blog, social, email, video |
| Goals | Traffic, leads, engagement, sales |
| Audience | Who you're creating for |
| Resources | Team size, creation capacity |
| Key dates | Launches, events, holidays |
Step 2: Establish Content Pillars
Content pillar framework:
A content pillar is a core topic that:
- Aligns with your expertise
- Matters to your audience
- Supports business goals
- Can generate 10+ pieces of content
Pillar template:
| Pillar | Description | Audience Need | Content Ratio |
|---|
| [Pillar 1] | [Core topic area] | [What problem it solves] | [X%] |
| [Pillar 2] | [Core topic area] | [What problem it solves] | [X%] |
| [Pillar 3] | [Core topic area] | [What problem it solves] | [X%] |
| [Pillar 4] | [Core topic area] | [What problem it solves] | [X%] |
Example (for a web dev agency):
| Pillar | Description | Audience Need | Ratio |
|---|
| Performance | Page speed, Core Web Vitals | Sites are too slow | 30% |
| Modern Stack | Next.js, headless CMS, APIs | Tech choices | 25% |
| Conversion | UX, landing pages, A/B testing | Sites don't convert | 25% |
| Case Studies | Client wins, results | Social proof | 20% |
Step 3: Set Publishing Cadence
Cadence by platform:
| Platform | Minimum | Recommended | Aggressive |
|---|
| Blog | 2/month | 4/month | 8/month |
| LinkedIn | 3/week | 5/week | Daily |
| Twitter/X | Daily | 2-3/day | 5+/day |
| Instagram | 3/week | Daily | 2/day |
| YouTube | 2/month | Weekly | 2/week |
| Newsletter | 2/month | Weekly | 2/week |
| Podcast | 2/month | Weekly | 2/week |
| TikTok | 3/week | Daily | 2-3/day |
Capacity planning:
## Weekly Content Capacity
**Team size:** [X] creators
**Time available:** [X] hours/week for content
**Estimate per content type:**
- Blog post (1,500 words): 4-6 hours
- Social post: 15-30 minutes
- Newsletter: 2-3 hours
- Video (5-10 min): 8-12 hours
- Podcast episode: 4-6 hours
**Sustainable weekly output:**
- [x] blog posts
- [x] social posts
- [x] newsletters
- [x] videos
Step 4: Content Types Mix
Content type categories:
| Category | Purpose | Examples |
|---|
| Educational | Build authority, SEO | Tutorials, guides, how-tos |
| Inspirational | Engagement, shares | Stories, quotes, wins |
| Promotional | Conversions, sales | Product features, offers |
| Entertaining | Reach, virality | Memes, trends, humor |
| Community | Loyalty, UGC | Q&As, polls, reposts |
| Behind-scenes | Trust, relatability | Process, team, culture |
Recommended mix:
## Content Mix Formula
- 40% Educational (value-first)
- 20% Inspirational (engagement)
- 15% Promotional (conversions)
- 15% Entertaining (reach)
- 10% Community (loyalty)
Step 5: Theme Mapping
Monthly theme structure:
## [Month] Theme: [Theme Name]
**Focus area:** [Which pillar this supports]
**Key message:** [One sentence theme summary]
**Content ideas:**
- Blog: [Topic 1], [Topic 2]
- Social: [Angle 1], [Angle 2], [Angle 3]
- Email: [Newsletter theme]
- Video: [Video topic]
**Tie-in dates:**
- [Relevant holiday or event]
- [Industry date or awareness day]
- [Product launch or promotion]
Theme ideas by quarter:
| Q1 (Jan-Mar) | Q2 (Apr-Jun) | Q3 (Jul-Sep) | Q4 (Oct-Dec) |
|---|
| New year goals | Spring refresh | Back to business | Holiday prep |
| Planning | Growth focus | Mid-year review | Year in review |
| Fresh starts | Launch season | Summer content | Black Friday |
| Skill building | Outdoor/active | Back to school | Gratitude |
Step 6: Key Dates Calendar
Important dates to consider:
| Category | Examples |
|---|
| Holidays | New Year, Easter, Christmas, local holidays |
| Shopping | Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Prime Day, Boxing Day |
| Awareness | Mental Health Month, Earth Day, Pride Month |
| Industry | Conferences, product launches, annual events |
| Company | Anniversaries, launches, milestones |
| Seasonal | Summer, back-to-school, spring cleaning |
Date mapping template:
## Key Dates: [Month]
| Date | Event | Content Opportunity |
| ------ | ------- | ------------------- |
| [Date] | [Event] | [Content idea] |
| [Date] | [Event] | [Content idea] |
| [Date] | [Event] | [Content idea] |
Step 7: Weekly Calendar Template
Weekly content schedule:
## Week of [Date]
| Day | Platform | Content Type | Topic | Status |
| --- | ---------- | ------------- | --------- | --------- |
| Mon | Blog | Tutorial | [Topic] | Draft |
| Mon | LinkedIn | Text post | [Topic] | Scheduled |
| Tue | Instagram | Carousel | [Topic] | Idea |
| Tue | Twitter | Thread | [Topic] | Idea |
| Wed | Newsletter | Weekly digest | [Topic] | Draft |
| Thu | LinkedIn | Article | [Topic] | Idea |
| Thu | YouTube | Video | [Topic] | Filming |
| Fri | All social | Engagement | Community | — |
Step 8: Monthly Calendar Template
## [Month] Content Calendar
### Week 1: [Theme/Focus]
| Date | Platform | Type | Topic | Pillar | Owner | Status |
| ---- | -------- | ---- | ----- | ------ | ----- | ------ |
| 1 | | | | | | |
| 2 | | | | | | |
| 3 | | | | | | |
| 4 | | | | | | |
| 5 | | | | | | |
| 6 | | | | | | |
| 7 | | | | | | |
### Week 2: [Theme/Focus]
[Same structure]
### Week 3: [Theme/Focus]
[Same structure]
### Week 4: [Theme/Focus]
[Same structure]
---
### Monthly Summary
- Total blog posts: [X]
- Total social posts: [X]
- Total newsletters: [X]
- Total videos: [X]
- Primary pillar focus: [Pillar]
- Key campaign: [Campaign name]
Step 9: Content Batching Strategy
Batching framework:
| Batch Type | When | What |
|---|
| Monthly planning | 1st of month | Map all content for the month |
| Weekly writing | Monday | Draft week's blog/newsletter |
| Daily social | Morning | Schedule day's social posts |
| Visual creation | Thursday | Design week's graphics |
| Video filming | Bi-weekly | Film 2-4 videos at once |
Batching schedule example:
## Batching Days
**Monday:** Writing day
- Draft blog posts
- Write newsletter copy
- Create social captions
**Tuesday:** Visual day
- Design social graphics
- Create thumbnails
- Edit images
**Wednesday:** Video day
- Film content
- Record podcasts
- Edit videos
**Thursday:** Planning day
- Review analytics
- Adjust strategy
- Plan next week
**Friday:** Engagement day
- Respond to comments
- Community interaction
- Repurpose top content
Step 10: Repurposing Matrix
One piece → multiple formats:
## Repurposing: [Original Content Title]
**Source:** [Blog post / Video / Podcast]
| Platform | Format | Angle | Status |
| ------------- | ----------- | ---------------------- | ------ |
| LinkedIn | Text post | Key takeaway | |
| Twitter | Thread | Step-by-step breakdown | |
| Instagram | Carousel | Visual summary | |
| TikTok | Short video | Quick tip version | |
| Newsletter | Feature | Deep dive + extras | |
| Pinterest | Infographic | Visual guide | |
| YouTube Short | Clip | Best 60 seconds | |
Repurposing timeline:
Day 0: Publish original blog post
Day 1: LinkedIn post (key insight)
Day 2: Twitter thread (main points)
Day 3: Instagram carousel (visual breakdown)
Day 5: Newsletter feature
Day 7: YouTube video (expanded version)
Day 14: Pinterest infographic
Day 30: Update and reshare
Step 11: Status Tracking
Content status stages:
| Status | Definition |
|---|
| 💡 Idea | Topic identified, not started |
| 📝 Outline | Structure planned |
| ✍️ Draft | Writing in progress |
| 👀 Review | Ready for editing |
| ✅ Ready | Approved, awaiting schedule |
| 📅 Scheduled | Queued for publishing |
| ✓ Published | Live |
| 📊 Analyzed | Performance reviewed |
Tracking template:
## Content Pipeline
### Ideas Backlog
| Topic | Pillar | Type | Priority |
| ----- | ------ | ---- | -------- |
| | | | |
### In Progress
| Topic | Type | Owner | Status | Due |
| ----- | ---- | ----- | ------ | --- |
| | | | | |
### Scheduled
| Topic | Platform | Publish Date | Status |
| ----- | -------- | ------------ | ------ |
| | | | |
### Published (This Month)
| Topic | Platform | Date | Performance |
| ----- | -------- | ---- | ----------- |
| | | | |
Output Format
## Content Calendar: [Time Period]
**Period:** [Start date] - [End date]
**Platforms:** [List platforms]
**Goals:** [Primary objectives]
---
### Content Pillars
| Pillar | Description | Ratio |
| ------ | ----------- | ----- |
| | | |
### Publishing Cadence
| Platform | Frequency |
| -------- | --------- |
| | |
---
### Monthly Overview
#### [Month 1]
**Theme:** [Monthly theme]
**Key dates:** [Important dates]
[Weekly calendar tables]
#### [Month 2]
[Same structure]
---
### Repurposing Plan
[Repurposing matrix for key content]
### Batching Schedule
[Weekly batching workflow]
Validation
Before completing:
Error Handling
- No clear goals: Ask for top 3 content marketing objectives (traffic, leads, engagement).
- Too many platforms: Recommend focusing on 2-3 platforms initially until capacity grows.
- Unsustainable cadence: Reduce frequency or suggest batching and repurposing.
- No team capacity info: Ask how many hours per week available for content creation.
- Missing key dates: Prompt for product launches, company events, and industry dates.
Resources
