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A few years ago, I inherited a content calendar that was really just a Google Sheet — no dates, no owners, and half the cells completely empty. I spent two straight weeks trying to untangle what was going live, what was already published, and what somehow didn’t exist at all.
That experience made it painfully clear: Without a real editorial calendar, even the best content strategy falls apart. These days, it’s the first thing I build when I sign a new client.
In this post, I’ll walk through what an editorial calendar is, share the tips I’ve picked up for creating one that actually works, and include a few templates to help you get started.
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An editorial calendar is a planning tool that helps you organize, schedule, and track content across channels. It shows what’s being published, when, where, and by whom — so nothing slips through the cracks.
Whether you’re managing a blog, podcast, email newsletter, or a dozen social accounts, an editorial calendar gives you visibility into your content pipeline. It helps you spot gaps, plan ahead, and keep your team aligned, especially when multiple people are creating or reviewing content.
There’s no one-size-fits-all format. I’ve used everything from simple spreadsheets to full-blown project management tools, depending on the size of the team and complexity of the strategy. What matters most is that it fits your workflow and makes it easier to stay consistent.
Before you choose a format or tool, take a step back and think about how you’ll actually use your editorial calendar. Here are a few key questions I like to consider:
You’ll revisit some of these questions later when we walk through how to build your calendar. But if you’re already nodding along, you’re off to a strong start.
I’ve never built a perfect editorial calendar on the first try. It always takes a little trial and error to find the right structure, cadence, and tools for the team.
But once it clicks, it takes your content from scattered and reactive to strategic and consistent. Here are a few of the biggest benefits I’ve seen (both for myself and the teams I work with).
I used to write content week by week, and while it technically worked, it was exhausting. Once I started planning ahead with an editorial calendar, I could focus on quality instead of scrambling. It helped me batch ideas, build a real strategy, and stay consistent without burning out.
Some of my best content ideas have come from looking at a calendar and realizing, “We’ve never tried XYZ.” When you can zoom out and actually see your content plan, it’s easier to identify patterns, avoid repetition, and carve out space to experiment — whether that’s testing a new format or tying a campaign to a trend.
I’ve worked on teams where no one knew who owned what and content just stalled. Now, I always include clear owners and deadlines in every calendar I create. It keeps things moving, reduces bottlenecks, and helps every contributor feel more in control of their piece of the puzzle.
Every team I’ve worked with has had slightly different workflows. Editorial calendars have helped me translate those processes into something visual and actionable. I map out every step, from draft to review to publish, so nothing gets lost and everyone knows where things stand.
When your content plan is stuck in someone’s head (or hidden in an inbox), collaboration becomes a guessing game. I’ve found that even a basic shared calendar creates more transparency, which leads to better feedback, fewer missed handoffs, and smoother cross-functional work.
According to a recent study, 56% of marketers are worried about burnout in their current role.
I’ve seen firsthand how chaotic content planning can wear a team down. But when there’s a clear calendar in place, things feel calmer. There’s less stress, fewer fire drills, and more room for creativity — all of which adds up to a better experience for everyone involved.
Editorial calendars aren’t just for scheduling — they’re also a record of what’s been done. I use mine to track content performance over time, spot what’s working, and adjust accordingly. It’s helped me make more informed decisions and show clients exactly how their content is driving results.
If you’re publishing content regularly, even if it’s just a few posts a month, you need an editorial calendar. I’ve seen solo creators, startups, and global teams all benefit from having one place to plan, align, and stay on track.
Here are a few groups I’ve worked with who really benefit from having editorial calendars.
PR professionals are constantly juggling media outreach, press releases, thought leadership, and campaign tie-ins. I’ve worked with PR teams who use editorial calendars to align messaging across channels and make sure every opportunity gets the visibility it deserves without stepping on anyone’s toes.
Editorial calendars have long been a staple in newsrooms, and for good reason. These teams juggle constant deadlines, multiple contributors, and a mix of evergreen and time-sensitive content.
As HubSpot blogger Erica Santiago puts it, “I used to write for a newspaper in my early career as a journalist. I needed an editorial calendar to track when my work would get published or when I had to publish another contributor.”
That kind of visibility is just as important today, especially for digital media teams managing fast-moving content pipelines.
In corporate settings, I’ve seen comms teams use calendars to keep internal and external messaging organized. From executive updates to employee newsletters to crisis communications, an editorial calendar helps make sure the right content goes out at the right time, and gets approved by the right people first.
Whether you’re managing a blog, podcast, YouTube channel, or all of the above, having an editorial calendar can take your workflow from messy to manageable. I always recommend creators build a simple system to plan ahead, stay consistent, and keep content aligned with their goals.
I’ve worked as a social media manager, and I can tell you … without an editorial calendar, things unravel fast. Between platform deadlines, post approvals, and asset coordination, it’s way too easy to lose track.
I used calendars to map everything out by date, platform, and campaign. It helped me stay ahead, keep messaging consistent, and make space for reactive posts without sacrificing the big picture.
There’s no one right way to build an editorial calendar. It really depends on your team, your tools, and your workflow. But over the years, I’ve found a few consistent steps that make the process smoother, whether I’m building a calendar from scratch or cleaning up a messy one.
Before you add a single date to a calendar, get clear on who you’re creating content for and why. When I onboard a new client, this is always my first step. I look at personas, customer journey stages, and what types of content have worked well in the past. From there, I build out core themes and topics to guide planning.
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If you don’t take the time to understand your audience, your content plan won’t have much direction. I’ve seen teams waste time creating high-effort pieces that never land — not because the content was bad, but because it wasn’t what their audience needed. Getting this part right helps you choose the right topics, timing, and tone from day one.
Your calendar should reflect your strategy, not just your to-do list. I always align the calendar with broader goals and metrics, like improving organic traffic or increasing newsletter engagement. That way, every post has a purpose, and it’s easier to measure what’s working.
I’ve used everything from Google Sheets to Asana to custom Notion boards. What matters most is picking a format your team will actually use. Before locking anything in, I always ask:
The goal is to reduce friction, not add another layer of complexity.
Before you choose a format, it’s worth understanding your options and the tradeoffs that come with each one. Like I said before, I’ve used everything from spreadsheets to full-scale editorial tools, and each setup has its strengths (and limitations).
Below, I’ll walk through the most common types I’ve worked with and break down the pros and cons of each.
Spreadsheets are simple, flexible, and easy to share — especially for small teams or solo marketers. I’ve built plenty of calendars in Google Sheets and Excel when clients didn’t need anything fancy.
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A content calendar is a more visual version of a spreadsheet. It shows what’s going live and when, with more context like channels, post types, or campaign tags.
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Project management tools like Asana, Trello, ClickUp, or Notion are great for teams with more complex workflows. I’ve used them to build calendars that also handle briefs, approvals, and publishing checklists all in one place.
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Dedicated platforms like CoSchedule or Monday.com combine scheduling with built-in content planning features. I’ve worked with clients who love these for the analytics and integrations, especially when managing multiple content streams.
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Whichever format you choose, the most important thing is that it works for you. Once you’ve picked a setup that fits your team and workflow, it’s time to organize your content by channel and make sure everything fits into the bigger picture.
Not every piece of content belongs on every platform, and your editorial calendar should reflect that. I always start by mapping out the primary channels I’ll be working with: blog, email, social, YouTube, etc. From there, I assign specific content types or goals to each one.
For example, blog content might focus on long-form SEO, while Instagram is where you experiment with bite-sized tips or video. I like to use color-coding or tags to make channel assignments easy to scan, especially if you’re planning cross-channel campaigns.
If you’re working with a team, this step is also a good chance to clarify ownership. Who’s posting? Who’s reviewing? And how do all the moving parts connect?
The more clearly your channels are defined, the easier it becomes to build a content plan that’s focused, strategic, and actually manageable.
One thing I’ve learned the hard way: If roles aren’t clearly defined, content gets stuck. Even small teams run into issues when no one’s quite sure who’s drafting, who’s editing, or who’s responsible for pressing publish.
That’s why I always build ownership into the editorial calendar itself. I’ll assign names to each task, outline review steps, and make sure everyone knows where their role starts and stops. Even something as simple as “Draft> Review> Approve> Publish” helps avoid last-minute confusion.
This also helps streamline collaboration, especially when multiple people are touching the same asset. Clear roles=fewer bottlenecks, better communication, and more content going out on time.
I’m not saying you need to obsess over what everyone else is doing, but I do think it’s smart to get a sense of the content landscape around you.
When I’m building out a new calendar, I’ll usually scan a few competitors’ blogs and social feeds. How often are they posting? What formats do they lean into? Are there gaps you can fill or time slots they’re ignoring? I’m not looking to copy anyone, I’m looking for patterns and opportunities.
This kind of quick audit can also reveal where you’re over or under-investing. Maybe your competitors post daily on LinkedIn but barely touch YouTube. That might confirm your strategy or inspire a shift.
Either way, it‘s helpful context when you’re building a calendar that’s not just consistent, but competitive.
Consistency isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s one of the most effective ways to build trust with your audience and drive long-term results. When content goes out on a regular cadence, it’s easier to stay top of mind, build habits, and make your strategy more sustainable over time.
As Carsyn LeClere, former marketing strategist at Blue Frog Marketing, explained:
“Content planning helps provide a better view of all your marketing initiatives and how they play into each other. It‘s important because it ensures you don’t duplicate content efforts, cannibalize a topic, miss any initiatives, or neglect any part of the buyer’s journey.”
I’ve seen this firsthand. Clients who post on a steady, predictable schedule tend to get better results and fewer headaches. Even simple patterns like “newsletter Tuesdays” or “blog Thursdays” give your audience something to look forward to and help your team stay focused.
That said, consistency doesn’t mean rigidity. Leave room in your calendar for seasonal campaigns, last-minute updates, or timely ideas. Just be sure the foundation is steady and that your topics align with what your audience actually cares about.
When in doubt, I’ll do a light competitor scan or use AI tools to spark ideas, then gut-check everything against the core content strategy. The goal isn’t to post just to post, it’s to publish valuable content regularly and intentionally.
No matter how thoughtful your plan is, it’s not set in stone. I’ve built calendars that looked perfect on paper and then had to completely shift direction a few weeks in based on results, bandwidth, or business goals.
That’s why I always treat editorial calendars as living documents. I schedule regular check-ins (monthly or quarterly, depending on the team) to audit what’s working, flag what’s stalled, and adjust where needed.
If you’re seeing low engagement or traffic, it might be time to revisit your content mix or timing. If you’re constantly falling behind, the cadence might be too ambitious. A quick content audit (even a simple one) can reveal patterns and help you refocus before things really go off track.
Your calendar should work for you, not box you in. Make space to review, learn, and pivot as you go.
I promised you templates and I meant it. These are a few of my go-to options: tools I’ve used myself or recommended to clients when they needed a better way to plan content.
Some are straightforward and low-lift, others come with more bells and whistles. But all of them can help you stay organized, spot gaps, and keep your content on track.
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Okay, I know this might sound biased given where you’re reading this, but I genuinely like this template. I’ve used it myself and shared it with clients who needed something clean, easy to use, and totally free.
The template was built specifically for content marketers and writers, with fields for titles, meta descriptions, URLs, CTAs, and more. It’s designed in Google Sheets and Excel, so there’s no learning curve or software to figure out — and no budget needed.
If you’re building your first editorial calendar or just want something lightweight, this is a solid place to start. It’s purely a calendar, not a full-blown workflow, which makes it ideal for solopreneurs or teams who only need a high-level view of their publishing plan.
Bonus: A few rows are pre-filled so you’re not staring at a blank sheet.
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Yes, it’s another HubSpot template, but I wouldn’t include it if I didn’t actually think it was useful. I’ve repurposed this one as an editorial calendar more than once, especially when I needed a simple way to organize content across multiple channels.
The monthly planning tab is color-coded (a huge win if you’re juggling content types), and there’s a content repository tab that makes it easy to repurpose old posts or see what’s already been done.
If you’re managing social content alongside blogs or email, this is a helpful way to bring everything together without getting overwhelmed by a more complex tool.
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Trello was actually the first editorial calendar tool I used after spreadsheets, and it made the transition feel way less intimidating. The drag-and-drop Kanban setup was intuitive, and it didn’t take long for me (or my team) to get the hang of it.
You can set up columns like “Ideas,” “In Progress,” “Ready to Publish,” and move content cards through each stage, which makes it really easy to see what’s in motion at any given time.
It’s a great fit for solo marketers or small teams that want something visual and low-lift. Just know that it can get a bit cluttered once your publishing volume picks up or your workflows get more complex.
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I still use Asana today, and one of my favorite features is how tasks can live in multiple boards at once. It’s incredibly helpful when you’re working across teams or managing content that ties into bigger campaigns.
Asana is a strong option if you need more than just a calendar. It’s built for full content workflows. You can switch between list, calendar, board, and timeline views, assign tasks, set deadlines, and even automate parts of your process.
It does take a little getting used to, especially if your team is new to project management tools. But once you’re up and running, it’s hard to go back to anything else. I’ve used it with clients and internally, and it’s held up across all kinds of content setups.
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Airtable sits somewhere between a spreadsheet and a full-on database, which makes it incredibly powerful, but also a little overwhelming at first. I’ve worked with teams who love it for its flexibility, especially when they’re managing a high volume of content across different formats, channels, and owners.
You can customize views, add dropdowns or checkboxes, filter by campaign, and even link related assets across tables. If you need granular control and lots of structure, it’s a great option.
That said, Airtable’s power comes with a steeper learning curve. I usually only recommend it for larger teams or more advanced content operations — otherwise it can feel like too much overhead.
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I use Monday.com with certain clients today, and they love how visual and flexible it is. You can view content by status, campaign, assignee, or timeline — which makes it easy to keep track of what’s going live and who’s working on what.
The setup process is pretty smooth, too. Monday guides you through creating a template based on your goals, whether that’s planning a blog, running social campaigns, or managing cross-functional content projects.
If you’re handling a high volume of content or collaborating with multiple teams, Monday can be a powerful all-in-one solution. Just know it may be more than you need if you’re working solo or prefer something lightweight.
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I’ve used Notion before and really like how different it feels compared to other tools. It’s less like a traditional calendar and more like a living, breathing document — which can be a huge plus if your content strategy is evolving or you like to work more fluidly.
What makes Notion stand out is how customizable it is. You can build a workspace that includes a calendar view, idea tracker, briefs, content status, and even performance notes, all in one place. Plus, there’s a huge template community, so you don’t have to start from scratch.
It does take a bit of setup to get it just right, but once it’s dialed in, it can be a really powerful (and oddly calming) way to manage your editorial workflow.
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This isn’t just a template — it’s an example of how a real marketing team runs its content. Hootsuite’s own social media team uses this Google Sheet to plan, organize, and schedule posts across multiple platforms. They even published an updated version with step-by-step guidance on how to use it.
The setup is simple and spreadsheet-based, which makes it super easy to adapt to your own needs. It includes weekly and monthly views, plus space to build out evergreen content, all without relying on paid software or a steep learning curve.
If you’re managing a lot of social accounts, this gives you a clear snapshot of what’s happening and when.
When I think back to the early days of launching campaigns without a real system, just scattered notes, half-finished drafts, and last-minute uploads, it’s wild how much smoother things run with a solid editorial calendar in place.
It doesn’t have to be complicated. The best editorial calendars are the ones that fit your actual workflow and help you stay focused, not the ones that look the prettiest in a screenshot. Once you’ve got a system that works, everything else — like strategy, collaboration, and consistency — becomes much easier.
Start with the format that feels most natural, give yourself room to adjust, and remember: you don’t need to get it perfect on the first try. You just need to get started.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in January 2016 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
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