How frequently should you post? Often, experts say.
HubSpot analyzed more than 10,000 social accounts and recommended that organizations post at least once a day on chronological-based platforms like Twitter. For these types of platforms, the higher the posting frequency, the more visibility you get. But even for algorithm-based platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn — which rely on quality content, not quantity – organizations should post an average of five times per week.
That can be a lot of posts and a tall order, especially for nonprofits with limited staff. But fret not: A social media calendar – which is a collection of suggested topics organized by date – can help make the task manageable.
A timely, comprehensive, and updated social media calendar is an essential part of any successful social media strategy. It provides a guideline for upcoming content, encourages your team to draft copy and design creatives in advance, and allows staff to schedule posts in advance, all at once.
Put it on a spreadsheet or make a table
You can make a social media calendar with almost any tool, but it’s generally best to use a tool that allows you to easily make a spreadsheet or table of some sort – Microsoft Word or Google Docs, or Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets – will do. We generally find that it is helpful to organize columns by platform, so you can easily see the content for the month across each.
Outline relevant content.
Create a framework for the upcoming month that matches topics to dates. There are several content areas, often called “buckets,” that you can use to fill out your calendar without being too repetitious.
Holidays & Awareness Days
Research relevant holidays and awareness days. For example, if your organization is in the health care space, for the month of January, you may want to include a post about New Year’s Day, as well as on National Blood Donor Month or Thyroid Disease Awareness Month.
Be sure to check in internally to see if your company is celebrating the holiday in any special way. If it’s an event, consider drafting the content in advance and capturing an image from the event once it happens. That way, you can easily post the content in real-time for maximum engagement.
Organizational Milestones & Historic Events
Research corporate holidays or industry milestones. When was your organization founded? Are there any “firsts” or historic figures you want to honor? For example, if your organization focuses on healthcare, you may want to honor the founder of modern nursing Florence Nightingale’s birthday and the anniversary of the first vaccine for smallpox (which was the first vaccine for any disease), in addition to a post about your company’s anniversary and achieving a major milestone (i.e., honoring the first graduating class or the launch of a new product or service).
Internal priorities: Upcoming events, hiring initiatives and more
Sync up internally with your organization’s departments to see if there are any initiatives you can elevate through social media. We recommend asking your programming or product team if there’s an upcoming launch, checking in with the events team to see about upcoming conferences or webinars (Is one of your leaders speaking? Or are you sponsoring the event?) and asking HR about any major hiring pushes, promotions/appointments, and awards.
Ongoing Series
If you consistently find yourself posting about a specific theme — like highlighting team members or community partners — you may want to consider making it a weekly or monthly series. That way, visitors can quickly see similar posts with a connecting hashtag.
A social media calendar is an excellent way to stay organized, manage your social media program effectively and help grow your following and engagement.
Ongoing and Timely News
Remember to leave a section of the content calendar open for timely news to share that is relevant to your organization or company. Followers will be interested to read about news that pertains to their shared topics of interest – like food insecurity or children’s mental health — and by posting this content, your organization will be providing a service to its followers.
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