2017 Content Calendar Template [Free Download]

Hundreds of people requested our 2016 content calendar template, and have been clamoring for the 2017 version. That’s exactly what I have for you today.

Click the image to request your 2017 Content Calendar template, or text 2017CALENDAR to 44222.

I like simple.

Too many social media content calendars require you to spend hours setting up a spreadsheet, color-coding it, and obsessing over where to put what.

This simple, no-frills Word template includes 5 columns that you can use as is or customize however you’d like. You can change the shading color of the cells, change the font or font size, or add your own “highlighted” holidays, events, and content buckets.

My team uses this template daily for every social media account we manage.

Request your template right now, download it, and open the document. Then read on for how to get the most out of your 2017 Content Calendar.

Yes! I want the 2017 Content Calendar Template

How to use your template

Columns 1 and 2: Day and Date

The first two columns list the day and date. In column 1, I highlighted major U.S. holidays and observances. If you’d like to modify them, here are two good websites with extensive lists of major and minor holidays, as well as those fun, “weird” observance days:

2017 United States Holidays and Observances

2017 Weird Holidays and Observances

Column 3: Social updates

In this column, write your social updates or blog post “teasers” (remember to insert the hyperlink to your blog post).

I draft “evergreen” updates (ones that aren’t time-dated) about a month in advance. At the beginning of each week or each month, I schedule my evergreen updates using Facebook’s native scheduler or Hootsuite, Buffer, Later, Post Planner, or other scheduling tool.

Column 4: Social Channels

In this column, note which social channel you’re scheduling or posting to: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Snapchat, Google+, Pinterest, etc.

Often, I’ll schedule identical content on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+, so in Column 5, I note FB, LI, G+.

I usually write a similar-but-shorter update for Twitter. I compose the tweet in Column 3, and note that it’s for Twitter. Here’s a sample:

If you prefer to keep updates for each social network completely separate, “Save As” and rename the template “2017 Twitter Posts,” or “2017 Facebook Posts.”

Column 5: Content Buckets

In this column, list the content buckets into which you are filing the post. A content bucket is a visual way to thematically organize your posts.

Content buckets remind you to publish a variety of content types (images, videos, links, text-only) on a variety of topics or themes.

I organize my posts into six content buckets.

1. Introduce

These posts help my fans get to know the person behind the brand. They can be fun, goofy, random, reflective, inspirational… whatever you want. But they need to be candid, and to reflect the “real” you. Here’s a spur-of-the-moment thought I posted a couple of days ago:

Writing an article for a client that includes the phrase “blood clots.” I just noticed that I wrote “blog clots.”

I either have blogging on the brain, or I just renamed the medical condition, formerly known as “blogger’s block.” I think I like “blog clots” better.

2. Inform

Help your followers solve a problem or meet a challenge by offering a wealth of niche-related educational content. This is my favorite content bucket; as many as 80% of my updates are informational.

3. Interact

We all know that social media is intended to be relational and interactive. Yet many of us (myself included) forget to ask our followers to participate in the conversation. Ask questions; challenge your followers to do something you’ve taught them.

4. Inspire

Motivate or encourage your fans with graphics, videos, quotes, success stories, and testimonials.

5. Entertain

Make them laugh. Make them cry. Make them go aaaaah.

6. Influence

Be extremely careful about overwhelming your fans with “buy my stuff” posts. Limit promotional content to about 10% of your posts.

Limit promotional content to 10% of your posts.

Click to tweet

Quick Tips

Mix-and-match social media updates into multiple content buckets. Write an update that is both informational and interactive, by sharing a tip and then challenging your followers to put your tip into practice.

Or write an entertaining “influence” post. Promote a product or service you offer, but do it in such an entertaining way that your fans don’t even realize you’re promoting something.

Link to other people’s content. One of the best ways to establish authority in your niche is to serve as a reliable source of information. My personal goal is to link to other people’s articles, blog posts, or social updates 40-60% of the time.

Give yourself permission to move things around. Monitor how your updates are performing on various social channels, and adjust regularly.

Save As. I manage social media accounts for several clients, so before I start filling in the calendar, I first save a blank calendar for each client.

Print once. At the end of the year, I have a complete record of every social update I have posted to every network. At the end of 2017, I will print the entire calendar and store a hard copy.