{"id":5676,"date":"2022-08-11T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-11T12:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/blog\/story\/the-importance-of-having-a-marketing-calendar-and-keeping-it-up-to-date\/"},"modified":"2023-01-03T14:28:35","modified_gmt":"2023-01-03T19:28:35","slug":"the-importance-of-having-a-marketing-calendar-and-keeping-it-up-to-date","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hingemarketing.com\/blog\/story\/the-importance-of-having-a-marketing-calendar-and-keeping-it-up-to-date","title":{"rendered":"Why You Need a Content Marketing Calendar"},"content":{"rendered":"

Why do marketing plans fall short of expectations? More often than not, it\u2019s because they are never fully implemented. Issues arise, time becomes limited and priorities shift. When the going gets tough, marketing initiatives have a tendency slide to the bottom of the priority list \u2014 or they get forgotten altogether. Over time, a lack of marketing implementation adds up and has unintended consequences for your business. So, how do you prevent this lack of an implementation?<\/p>\n

To avoid this all-too-common situation, you need to map your marketing plan over to a content marketing calendar. When you make your tactics more tangible and visible, then it\u2019s far easier to hold people accountable for them.<\/p>\n

In this article, we’ll share the key benefits of using a content marketing calendar as a key resource for your team. But first, let’s simply begin by answering, “What is a content marketing calendar?”<\/p>\n

Content Marketing Calendar Defined<\/h2>\n

A content marketing calendar is a living document that maps out all the marketing activities across an organization. Its purpose is to keep stakeholders organized and accountable to their marketing responsibilities in the future, while documenting the details and timing of what has been accomplished in the past. Ultimately, it is a resource to keep a firm\u2019s marketing plan<\/a> moving forward in the right direction.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at a few of the benefits of having a content marketing calendar.<\/p>\n

5 Benefits of Using a Content Marketing Calendar<\/h2>\n

Benefit #1: Deadlines and Expectations Solidified<\/h4>\n

The most obvious benefit of having an active content marketing calendar is being able to plan and track upcoming marketing initiatives. When you assign tasks and deadlines to specific people, there is no room for surprises. It makes it much easier to drive your marketing plan forward.<\/p>\n

For example, you should schedule blog posts and articles a month or more in advance, providing thought leaders\u00a0<\/a>in your firm with ample time to produce their content, even with all their competing priorities. The deadlines are visible, and expectations are clear. With a little practice and encouragement, what needs to be written will <\/em>be written.<\/p>\n

A content marketing calendar also makes it easy to see when there are too many overlapping deadlines. Is the same person responsible for writing a new premium piece of content, presenting a webinar, and filming an interview for a partner organization in the same week? That is probably too much for even the most experienced professional. Your content marketing calendar will expose these scheduling conflicts early in the process and allow your team to make the appropriate adjustments.<\/p>\n

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Download the Marketing Planning Guide<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Benefit #2: Ownership Clarified<\/h4>\n

A well-organized content marketing calendar clarifies who is responsible for each marketing initiative. We recommend that you assign one person to manage the content marketing calendar itself, keeping it up to date, maintaining its structure, and ensuring that deadlines are not missed. This person will have all the answers when questions about deadlines arise.<\/p>\n

Of course, the calendar should be readily available to all. It should identify who is responsible for delivering each part of the plan<\/a>, and when.<\/p>\n

Benefit #3: Messaging Organized<\/h4>\n

Another benefit of a content marketing calendar is related to the management and visibility of your firm\u2019s messaging. A content marketing calendar should get very specific. For example, your calendar might include:<\/p>\n