How to Create A Content Strategy You Can Maintain
How to Create A Content Strategy You Can Maintain
How to Create A Content Strategy You Can Maintain
You've probably tried this before.
You sit down, fired up about finally getting consistent with your content strategy. You open a spreadsheet or grab a fancy tool someone recommended. You start filling in dates and topics, planning out the next three months like you're mapping a road trip.
Two weeks later, you've posted maybe three times. The calendar sits there, mocking you with all those empty boxes and ambitious plans you never got to.
Here's the thing... most content calendars fail not because you're lazy or uncommitted, but because they're built on fantasy instead of reality.
You've probably tried this before.
You sit down, fired up about finally getting consistent with your content strategy. You open a spreadsheet or grab a fancy tool someone recommended. You start filling in dates and topics, planning out the next three months like you're mapping a road trip.
Two weeks later, you've posted maybe three times. The calendar sits there, mocking you with all those empty boxes and ambitious plans you never got to.
Here's the thing... most content calendars fail not because you're lazy or uncommitted, but because they're built on fantasy instead of reality.
Create Content According To What You Can Actually Do
Create Content According To What You Can Actually Do
Create Content According To What You Can Actually Do
Before you plan a single post, you need to get honest about your time and capacity.
Not the time you wish you had. Not the energy you think you should have. The actual hours in your week where you can sit down and build content without burning out or dropping other priorities.
If you're running a business, you're already juggling client work, admin tasks, maybe some personal stuff that doesn't care about your content schedule. So when someone tells you to post daily across four platforms, that advice might work for them... but does it work for you?
Start smaller than feels comfortable. If you think you can handle five posts a week, plan for three. That gap between what you plan and what you can sustain is where most people fall off.
Before you plan a single post, you need to get honest about your time and capacity.
Not the time you wish you had. Not the energy you think you should have. The actual hours in your week where you can sit down and build content without burning out or dropping other priorities.
If you're running a business, you're already juggling client work, admin tasks, maybe some personal stuff that doesn't care about your content schedule. So when someone tells you to post daily across four platforms, that advice might work for them... but does it work for you?
Start smaller than feels comfortable. If you think you can handle five posts a week, plan for three. That gap between what you plan and what you can sustain is where most people fall off.
Ready to start planning? Get our free social media content planning worksheet and build your strategy today. [Download now →]
Ready to start planning? Get our free social media content planning worksheet and build your strategy today. [Download now →]
How Far Ahead Should You Plan Your Content
How Far Ahead Should You Plan Your Content
How Far Ahead Should You Plan Your Content
Monthly planning sounds organized. Quarterly planning sounds professional.
But if you've ever planned three months of content and then had your business shift, launched something new, or just realized halfway through that your topics weren't landing... you know that far-ahead planning can trap you more than it helps you.
Try this instead. Plan about four weeks out, but review and adjust every week. This gives you enough structure to batch your work and stay consistent, but leaves room to pivot when something's not working or when an opportunity shows up.
And here's what nobody tells you... leave about 20 to 30 percent of your calendar open. Blank spaces aren't failure, they're breathing room for the things you can't predict. That industry news you'll want to weigh in on. That question a client asks that would make a great post. That day when you're just not feeling the topic you planned and need to talk about something else.
Monthly planning sounds organized. Quarterly planning sounds professional.
But if you've ever planned three months of content and then had your business shift, launched something new, or just realized halfway through that your topics weren't landing... you know that far-ahead planning can trap you more than it helps you.
Try this instead. Plan about four weeks out, but review and adjust every week. This gives you enough structure to batch your work and stay consistent, but leaves room to pivot when something's not working or when an opportunity shows up.
And here's what nobody tells you... leave about 20 to 30 percent of your calendar open. Blank spaces aren't failure, they're breathing room for the things you can't predict. That industry news you'll want to weigh in on. That question a client asks that would make a great post. That day when you're just not feeling the topic you planned and need to talk about something else.
Make Content Around What You Know
Make Content Around What You Know
Make Content Around What You Know
You can't fill a calendar if you don't know what you're trying to say.
This is where building a content strategy actually matters. Pick three to five core themes that connect to what you do and what your audience needs. These become your guardrails.
Maybe you're a photographer... your pillars might be gear and technical tips, client experience and posing, behind the scenes of your process, business and pricing, and personal projects that inspire you.
With those pillars, you're not scrambling every week wondering what to post. You're just rotating through themes you already know matter.
And you don't have to split them evenly. If 40 percent of your content is educational how-tos, 30 percent is engagement stuff that starts conversations, 20 percent promotes your services, and 10 percent is personal... that's a mix that keeps things interesting without feeling like a sales pitch every other post.
You can't fill a calendar if you don't know what you're trying to say.
This is where building a content strategy actually matters. Pick three to five core themes that connect to what you do and what your audience needs. These become your guardrails.
Maybe you're a photographer... your pillars might be gear and technical tips, client experience and posing, behind the scenes of your process, business and pricing, and personal projects that inspire you.
With those pillars, you're not scrambling every week wondering what to post. You're just rotating through themes you already know matter.
And you don't have to split them evenly. If 40 percent of your content is educational how-tos, 30 percent is engagement stuff that starts conversations, 20 percent promotes your services, and 10 percent is personal... that's a mix that keeps things interesting without feeling like a sales pitch every other post.
Make Sure People Align With The Content
Make Sure People Align With The Content
Make Sure People Align With The Content
Not every piece of content needs to sell something.
Some of your audience just found you. They're trying to figure out if you know what you're talking about. Some have been following you for months and they're weighing whether to work with you. Some are already clients or past clients who might refer you or come back.
Your calendar needs content for all of them.
Awareness content answers the questions people are searching for. It gets found, it builds trust, it brings new people in. Consideration content helps people compare options and see why your approach works. Decision content gives that final nudge... testimonials, case studies, clear offers.
If all your content lives in one zone, you're missing people. And if you're only creating top-of-funnel stuff that attracts but never converts... you're working harder than you need to.
Not every piece of content needs to sell something.
Some of your audience just found you. They're trying to figure out if you know what you're talking about. Some have been following you for months and they're weighing whether to work with you. Some are already clients or past clients who might refer you or come back.
Your calendar needs content for all of them.
Awareness content answers the questions people are searching for. It gets found, it builds trust, it brings new people in. Consideration content helps people compare options and see why your approach works. Decision content gives that final nudge... testimonials, case studies, clear offers.
If all your content lives in one zone, you're missing people. And if you're only creating top-of-funnel stuff that attracts but never converts... you're working harder than you need to.
Pick a Tool That Doesn't Overwhelm You
Pick a Tool That Doesn't Overwhelm You
Pick a Tool That Doesn't Overwhelm You
You don't need the fanciest system.
A Google Sheet works. Notion works. Trello works. Even a simple content strategy worksheet can help you map things out without overcomplicating it. If you want something built for content scheduling, tools like Later or Buffer make sense when you're ready, but don't let the tool become the project.
Your calendar just needs to track a few things. The date, the platform, what you're posting about, what format it is, and maybe a status column so you know what's drafted, what's scheduled, what's live.
That's it. Don't overcomplicate it trying to track 15 different metrics before you've even posted consistently for a month.
You don't need the fanciest system.
A Google Sheet works. Notion works. Trello works. Even a simple content strategy worksheet can help you map things out without overcomplicating it. If you want something built for content scheduling, tools like Later or Buffer make sense when you're ready, but don't let the tool become the project.
Your calendar just needs to track a few things. The date, the platform, what you're posting about, what format it is, and maybe a status column so you know what's drafted, what's scheduled, what's live.
That's it. Don't overcomplicate it trying to track 15 different metrics before you've even posted consistently for a month.
Batch Your Content So You're Not Starting From Scratch Every Day
Batch Your Content So You're Not Starting From Scratch Every Day
Batch Your Content So You're Not Starting From Scratch Every Day
Building content one piece at a time, every single day, is exhausting.
Batching saves you. Set aside a few hours once a month to brainstorm topics. Then each week, pick a day to create several pieces at once. You're already in the mode, the ideas are flowing, and you knock out three or four posts in the time it would've taken to start and stop across different days.
If you've got evergreen content... stuff that's always relevant... build yourself a content bank. When you're in a groove, create extra. Save it. Pull from it when you need a breather or when life gets heavy and you don't have the energy to create something new.
Building content one piece at a time, every single day, is exhausting.
Batching saves you. Set aside a few hours once a month to brainstorm topics. Then each week, pick a day to create several pieces at once. You're already in the mode, the ideas are flowing, and you knock out three or four posts in the time it would've taken to start and stop across different days.
If you've got evergreen content... stuff that's always relevant... build yourself a content bank. When you're in a groove, create extra. Save it. Pull from it when you need a breather or when life gets heavy and you don't have the energy to create something new.
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Want help implementing this? Our SEO Foundation program handles all of this for you — audit, strategy, content, and ongoing optimization. [Learn more →]
Leave Space for What You Can't Plan
Leave Space for What You Can't Plan
Leave Space for What You Can't Plan
Here's where rigid calendars break.
You plan everything perfectly, and then something happens. A trend hits your industry. A client asks a question that's too good not to share. You try a post format and it flops so hard you need to shift directions.
If your calendar is locked in, you can't move. And that's when people either force posts that don't feel right, or they skip posting altogether and the whole system falls apart.
Build flexibility in. The 80/20 split works... 80 percent of your content is planned and strategic, 20 percent is reactive and spontaneous. That 20 percent keeps your content feeling current and real, not like you're just running through a script.
Here's where rigid calendars break.
You plan everything perfectly, and then something happens. A trend hits your industry. A client asks a question that's too good not to share. You try a post format and it flops so hard you need to shift directions.
If your calendar is locked in, you can't move. And that's when people either force posts that don't feel right, or they skip posting altogether and the whole system falls apart.
Build flexibility in. The 80/20 split works... 80 percent of your content is planned and strategic, 20 percent is reactive and spontaneous. That 20 percent keeps your content feeling current and real, not like you're just running through a script.
Check In With Yourself, Not Just Your Analytics
Check In With Yourself, Not Just Your Analytics
Check In With Yourself, Not Just Your Analytics
Every week, look at what you posted. Not just the numbers, though those matter. But ask yourself... did this feel sustainable? Did I enjoy any of it, or was I just grinding? What got responses? What felt like shouting into the void?
Once a month, zoom out. What patterns are you seeing? What types of content are people actually engaging with? Are you showing up where your audience is, or are you spending time on platforms that don't move the needle?
Every quarter, adjust. Maybe one of your content pillars isn't resonating. Maybe your audience has shifted and you need to talk about different things. Maybe you're burning out on video and need to lean into writing for a while.
Your calendar should change with you, not lock you in.
Every week, look at what you posted. Not just the numbers, though those matter. But ask yourself... did this feel sustainable? Did I enjoy any of it, or was I just grinding? What got responses? What felt like shouting into the void?
Once a month, zoom out. What patterns are you seeing? What types of content are people actually engaging with? Are you showing up where your audience is, or are you spending time on platforms that don't move the needle?
Every quarter, adjust. Maybe one of your content pillars isn't resonating. Maybe your audience has shifted and you need to talk about different things. Maybe you're burning out on video and need to lean into writing for a while.
Your calendar should change with you, not lock you in.
Where to Start With Building Content Right Now
Where to Start With Building Content Right Now
Where to Start With Building Content Right Now
Don't plan three months.
Plan two weeks. Pick three to five posts. Decide what you're saying and when you're saying it. Create them, schedule them, and see what happens.
If two weeks feels good, plan two more. If it doesn't, adjust before you pile on more.
A content calendar that works isn't the one that looks impressive in a screenshot. It's the one you actually use. The one that helps you stay consistent without making you dread sitting down to create.
Done beats perfect every time.
If you've tried calendars before and they didn't stick, maybe it wasn't the calendar... maybe it was just built for someone else's life, not yours.
Don't plan three months.
Plan two weeks. Pick three to five posts. Decide what you're saying and when you're saying it. Create them, schedule them, and see what happens.
If two weeks feels good, plan two more. If it doesn't, adjust before you pile on more.
A content calendar that works isn't the one that looks impressive in a screenshot. It's the one you actually use. The one that helps you stay consistent without making you dread sitting down to create.
Done beats perfect every time.
If you've tried calendars before and they didn't stick, maybe it wasn't the calendar... maybe it was just built for someone else's life, not yours.
