Marketing Calendar: What It Is & How to Make One
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Marketing Calendar: What It Is and How to Make One

Walter Akolo
Walter Akolo
Hosting Expert 12 min read
Edited by
Sonja Vitas Content Editor
Edited by Sonja Vitas

A marketing calendar is a strategic planning tool that outlines and schedules marketing activities, campaigns, and events over a specific timeframe.

It helps organizations coordinate and optimize their promotional efforts to achieve business objectives.

In this article, we help you understand what a marketing calendar is and what role it plays in the overall marketing strategy.

Takeaways
  • Marketing calendars enable strategic planning by outlining campaigns, promotions, and content schedules, and aligning them with business goals
  • Define clear marketing goals and objectives to ensure the marketing calendar aligns with the overall business strategy
  • Create a comprehensive plan that includes various marketing channels, campaigns, and activities over a specified period
  • Use tools that allow real-time editing, comments, and updates to foster collaboration and communication among team members
  • Regularly review the performance of past campaigns, identify areas for improvement, and optimize future marketing plans

What Is a Marketing Calendar?

A marketing calendar is a comprehensive planning tool used by businesses and organizations to systematically schedule and coordinate their marketing activities over a specific period.

It facilitates communication and collaboration among various departments within an organization, ensuring a cohesive and well-coordinated approach to marketing efforts.

A marketing calendar includes details such as campaign themes, target audiences, distribution channels, key milestones, and deadlines. These details help marketing teams to stay organized and proactive in their promotional endeavors.

Marketing Calendar Examples

There are different types of marketing calendars, each serving a specific purpose. Examples of marketing calendars include:

  • Editorial/Content marketing calendar
  • Social media marketing calendar
  • Email marketing calendar
  • Marketing campaign calendar
  • Product launch calendar
  • Digital marketing calendar
  • Integrated marketing calendar

Why Are Marketing Calendars Important?

Marketing calendars are crucial for several reasons. They play a pivotal role in the success and efficiency of marketing campaigns.

Here are the key reasons why a marketing calendar is important:

  • Strategic Planning: Marketing calendars enable strategic planning by allowing teams to schedule campaigns, promotions, and content in advance.
  • Consistency: They help maintain consistency in messaging and branding. This ensures that marketing efforts are spread evenly across channels and time, preventing sporadic or overwhelming communication.
  • Resource Management: Calendars assist in resource allocation, helping teams manage time, budget, and personnel effectively.
  • Cross-Team Collaboration: A centralized calendar provides a shared reference point, fostering better communication and coordination among different departments.
  • Deadline Management: Marketing calendars help teams stay on top of deadlines, whether it’s the launch of a product, a campaign, or a blog post.
  • Goal Alignment: Marketing calendars help align marketing activities with broader business goals. This ensures that every marketing campaign contributes to the achievement of the organization’s objectives.

Common Types of Marketing Calendars

As mentioned, there are various types of marketing calendars serving different purposes.

Let’s look at each of them in detail and the purposes they serve in planning, organizing, and executing various marketing activities.

1. Editorial or Content Marketing Calendar

An editorial or content marketing calendar is used to plan, organize, and schedule the creation and publication of content across various channels.

It includes details such as blog posts, articles, videos, and other content types. The goal is to maintain a consistent flow of valuable and relevant content to engage the target audience and drive traffic.

2. Social Media Marketing Calendar

A social media marketing calendar is designed to schedule and manage social media posts across platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.

It includes information on the timing, content, and visuals for each post.

The purpose of a social media marketing calendar is to maintain an active and engaging social media marketing schedule, build brand awareness, and connect with the target audience.

3. Email Marketing Calendar

An email marketing calendar focuses on planning and scheduling email campaigns.

It includes details such as the timing of email sends, the content of each email, and the targeted audience.

The purpose is to effectively communicate with subscribers, nurture leads, and drive conversions through personalized and targeted email campaigns.

4. Digital Marketing Calendar

A digital marketing calendar encompasses all digital channels and activities, including social media, email marketing, content creation, SEO, and online advertising.

It provides a comprehensive overview of the digital marketing strategy, helping teams coordinate efforts and optimize their online presence.

This calendar supports a holistic approach to digital marketing, ensuring synergy across different digital channels.

5. Integrated Marketing Calendar

An integrated marketing calendar consolidates activities from various marketing channels into a single, cohesive plan.

It ensures that different marketing efforts work together seamlessly to deliver a unified and consistent message to the target audience.

This type of calendar supports a holistic marketing strategy, where the sum of all marketing activities is greater than its individual parts.

Typical Marketing Calendar Dates

The type of marketing calendar used can also be based on the calendar time span. There are three main categories of marketing calendar dates:

Holiday Marketing Calendar

A holiday marketing calendar is typically short-term, focused on specific holidays, festive seasons, or significant events throughout the year.

It is best used when you want to take advantage of specific holidays or seasons that are relevant to your products or services.

For example, retailers might use a holiday marketing calendar to plan promotions for Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas, or other key shopping periods.

Yearly Marketing Calendar

A yearly marketing calendar offers a comprehensive view of the entire marketing strategy over the course of the year.

It outlines major campaigns, product launches, and significant events, helping you align your marketing activities with overall business goals.

This calendar type is ideal for businesses with annual marketing strategies and key milestones, such as product releases, industry events, or company anniversaries.

Monthly Marketing Calendar

A monthly marketing calendar breaks down the year into months, offering a more detailed and focused perspective.

It provides a granular view of marketing activities, allowing teams to plan and execute marketing techniques on a month-to-month basis.

This calendar can help you adapt to changing trends, promotions, or seasonal variations throughout the year.

What Should Be Included in a Marketing Calendar?

A marketing calendar includes several key elements that help with planning and keep the marketing team focused.

Here are the key elements to include in a marketing content calendar.

Planned Social Media Posts:

  • Scheduled posts for each social media platform (Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.)
  • Captivating and relevant content aligned with ongoing campaigns and trends
  • Visual assets, including images, graphics, and videos
  • Hashtags and mentions for increased visibility and engagement
  • Posting times optimized for the target audience and platform algorithms
  • Metrics to track social media posts performance, such as likes, shares, comments, and click-through rates

Key Dates for the Marketing Department:

The key dates to include in a marketing calendar include:

  • Important deadlines for marketing campaigns, product launches, or promotions
  • Meetings, workshops, or training sessions related to marketing initiatives
  • Milestones, such as achieving specific marketing goals or KPIs
  • Budget-related dates, including approval deadlines and expenditure tracking
  • Collaboration dates with other departments, such as sales or product development
  • Industry events, conferences, or trade shows relevant to the marketing strategy

Content and Editorial Schedules:

The content and editorial schedules should include the following details:

  • Blog post publication dates and topics
  • Themes or series for content consistency and brand messaging
  • Guest posts or collaborations with influencers or partners
  • Email marketing campaign schedules, including sending dates and segmentation details
  • SEO optimization plans, including keyword research and content updates
  • Content creation and production timelines for videos, infographic marketing, or other forms of media
  • Editing and review processes to ensure quality and accuracy

How to Make a Marketing Calendar Step-by-Step

Building a marketing calendar involves several key steps.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to create an effective marketing calendar.

Step 1: Determine How Long You’ll Plan For

The first step is to establish the time frame for your marketing calendar.

Consider the scale of your business operations and the nature of your marketing initiatives. Opt for one of the following options based on your needs:

  • A one-year plan for strategic, long-term initiatives
  • A quarterly plan for shorter planning cycles
  • A monthly plan for more immediate and focused efforts

Step 2: Decide Which Channels to Include

Next, identify the marketing channels that are most relevant to your business and align with your target audience.

Common channels to consider include:

  • Social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn)
  • Email marketing
  • Content creation and blogging
  • Paid advertising
  • Events or promotions

Tailor your choices based on where your audience is most active and engaged.

Step 3: Build in Flexibility for Unexpected Changes

Recognize the dynamic nature of the marketing landscape and incorporate flexibility into your calendar.

Acknowledge that unexpected changes can occur and create buffers in your calendar to accommodate unforeseen events, trends, or emergencies.

Step 4: Choose the Types of Campaigns You’ll Run

Next, you need to specify the types of campaigns you intend to execute during the designated time frame.

Examples of marketing campaigns include:

  • Holiday campaigns
  • Sales and promotions
  • Content-driven campaigns
  • Product launches
  • Giveaways and contests

Tailor your campaigns to align with your business objectives and resonate with your target audience.

Step 5: Assign Tiers to Different Campaigns

Categorize your campaigns into tiers based on their priority and impact.

For instance, Tier 1 campaigns may be high-priority initiatives with significant business impact, while Tier 4 campaigns could be smaller activities with lower impact.

Assigning tiers helps you prioritize resources and attention.

Step 6: Narrow Down the Holidays You’ll Build Campaigns Around

Identify and select the holidays that are most relevant to your business and resonate with your audience.

Consider traditional holidays, industry-specific observances, and cultural events.

Tailor your campaigns to align with the themes and sentiments associated with these holidays, creating engaging and timely content.

Step 7: Identify Key Milestones for Your Business

Pinpoint significant milestones within your business during the planning period.

These could include product launches, business anniversaries, the achievement of specific goals or targets, and participation in industry events or conferences.

Incorporating these milestones into your calendar ensures that your marketing efforts align with key moments in your business’s journey.

Best Practices for Marketing Calendars

Here are some of the best practices to observe when creating an effective marketing calendar:

Define Your Marketing Strategy and Objectives

Before creating a marketing calendar, it’s crucial to have a well-defined strategy with clear objectives.

Your marketing calendar should align closely with this strategy, ensuring that every marketing campaign and activity contributes directly to your broader marketing and business objectives.

Choose a Suitable Format and Tool

Select a format and tool that aligns with your team’s preferences and workflow.

Whether you choose a digital platform, project management software, or a physical calendar, the tool should be accessible and user-friendly to your marketing team.

Plan Your Marketing Campaigns in Advance

Effective marketing campaign calendars involve proactive planning. Outline your major campaigns, promotions, and key content themes well in advance.

This allows you to allocate resources, manage timelines, and ensure a cohesive and strategic approach.

Align Your Marketing Calendar with Your Business Calendar

Sync your marketing calendar with your business calendar to ensure coherence across departments.

Consider factors such as product launches, sales cycles, industry events, and any other key dates that might impact your marketing strategy.

Review and Optimize Your Marketing Calendar Regularly

Regular reviews are essential for a dynamic and effective marketing calendar. Schedule periodic assessments and reviews to evaluate the performance of past campaigns, identify areas for improvement, and incorporate lessons learned into future plans.

Best Marketing Calendar Software and Tools to Use

There are several marketing calendar software and tools that businesses use to create marketing calendars.

Some of the best marketing calendar software and tools you can find online include:

1. Google Sheets

Google Sheets is a cloud-based spreadsheet tool that allows collaborative editing in real-time. It’s part of the Google Workspace suite.

Users can create, edit, and share spreadsheets online.

Multiple team members can collaborate on the same document simultaneously, making it a versatile tool for marketing calendar creation.

Key Features:

  • Collaborative editing for multiple team members
  • Various templates to give you marketing calendar ideas
  • Seamless integration with other Google Workspace tools
  • Data visualization (charts and graphs) to represent marketing data
  • Accessible from any device with an internet connection

How do I create a scheduling and marketing calendar in Excel?

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to create a scheduling and marketing calendar in excel:

  1. Open Excel and create a new spreadsheet
  2. Label columns for date, marketing campaign name, channels, tasks, responsible team members, and deadlines
  3. Input marketing campaign details for each row, specifying start and end dates, tasks, and team assignments
  4. Utilize conditional formatting to highlight important dates or deadlines
  5. Use formulas for automatic date calculations or progress tracking
  6. Customize the calendar to suit your needs, adding additional columns or features as required

Pricing: Free

2. Google Calendar

Google Calendar is a web-based calendar application that enables users to schedule events, meetings, and appointments.

This tool can help you create the best marketing calendars, set events with specific details, and share them with team members.

Key Features:

  • Shareable Calendars for easy collaboration
  • Event reminders for upcoming events and deadlines
  • Seamless integration with other Google Workspace apps
  • Color codes for better visualization
  • Accessible from any device with an internet connection

How do I create a marketing calendar in Google Calendar?

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to create a marketing calendar in Google Calendar:

  1. Open Google Calendar and create a new calendar specifically for marketing
  2. Add marketing campaigns and events as calendar events, specifying dates and times
  3. Utilize different colors for various types of campaigns or events
  4. Set reminders for important milestones or deadlines
  5. Share the marketing calendar with relevant team members for collaboration
  6. Integrate Google Calendar with other tools such as Google Sheets or Gmail for seamless workflow

Pricing: Free

3. Monday.com

Monday.com is a versatile work management system that includes project management, team collaboration, and workflow customization features.

It uses boards and cards to organize tasks and projects visually and supports customizable workflows.

Key Features:

  • Customizable dashboard to match your team’s workflow
  • Real-time collaboration with team members
  • Pre-built templates for marketing projects and calendars
  • Integrates with popular tools like Slack, Trello, and Google Drive
  • Supports visual dashboards to monitor project progress

Pricing: Free limited plan available. Basic plan starts from $8/month.

4. Trello

Trello is another popular project management tool that uses boards, lists, and cards to help marketing teams organize and prioritize tasks.

Users create boards for projects, lists for stages or categories, and cards for individual tasks.

It also provides a visual representation of project progress, and it integrates with various third-party applications.

Key Features:

  • Boards and cards for visual project management
  • Team collaboration through comments and attachments
  • Checklists for individual tasks within cards
  • Due dates for scheduling purposes
  • Integrates with various third-party apps and tools

Pricing: Free plan available for individuals. Standard plan starts from $5/month.

5. Asana

Asana is a project management tool that helps teams coordinate and manage work, tasks, and projects.

Asana allows users to create tasks, set due dates, assign responsibilities, and organize projects into different sections. It provides a calendar view for tracking project timelines and supports collaboration through comments, attachments, and integrations with other tools.

Key Features:

  • Task management and organization
  • Due dates for tasks and projects
  • Calendar view
  • Collaboration through comments, attachments, and directly within tasks
  • Integration with a wide range of applications and tools

Pricing: Free Personal Plan available. The Starter Plan starts from $10.99/month.

6. Coda

Coda is a collaborative document and work platform that combines documents, spreadsheets, and applications into a single tool.

The documents can include tables, text, images, and interactive elements.

You can also create custom documents like marketing calendars, and add automation to streamline workflows.

Key Features:

  • Customizable documents
  • Real-time team collaboration
  • Pre-built document templates to give you marketing calendar ideas
  • Tables and views for structured data organization
  • Automation to streamline workflows

Pricing: Free plan available for beginners. The Pro Plan starts from $10/month.

Where to Find Marketing Calendar Templates (Free Download)

Here are some resources where you can find and download free marketing calendar templates for different platforms:

You can download a free template and customize it based on your specific marketing needs.

Marketing Calendar Template for Excel:

Marketing Calendar Template for Google Sheets:

Content Marketing Calendar Template:

Social Media Marketing Calendar Template:

Email Marketing Calendar Template:

Monthly Marketing Calendar Template:

Final Word

A well-crafted marketing calendar is an indispensable tool for businesses seeking to streamline their promotional efforts.

Remember, the key to a successful marketing calendar lies in its adaptability and responsiveness to market trends.

As you embark on creating your own marketing calendar, consider exploring the latest website builders to help you establish a strong online presence and effectively showcase your planned campaigns.

Next Steps: What Now?

Learn More About Marketing

Frequently Asked Questions

What is seasonal marketing?

Seasonal marketing involves creating and promoting marketing materials that align with specific seasons, holidays, or events throughout the year. This type of marketing allows brands to stay relevant and capitalize on the heightened attention and spending during particular seasons.

What is the seasonal pattern in marketing?

The seasonal pattern in marketing refers to the recurring trends and cycles in consumer behavior, purchasing habits, and market dynamics influenced by different seasons, holidays, or events. It recognizes that consumer needs, preferences, and priorities often vary based on the time of the year. This pattern is crucial for effective campaign planning, product launches, and promotional activities aligned with the rhythm of the market.

What is the difference between content plan and calendar?

A content plan outlines the strategic approach to creating and distributing content, including objectives, target audience, key messages, and content types. In contrast, a content calendar is a scheduling tool that details when and where each piece of content will be published, ensuring timely and organized deployment.

Sonja Vitas
Edited By:
Sonja Vitas
Content Editor

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