What good is a plan if there is no action taken on it?  Imagine a coach setting up a game plan only to have the players wing it on game day or a cookbook where the chef wants to experiment with other ingredients.  A lack of execution on the plan makes the effort of creating a strategic design pointless. Digital marketing thrives on systematic execution and a content calendar is a great tool to pre-plan topics and set a schedule for its release. Creating a content calendar without the discipline to execute the behaviors to fulfill it, is a creative way of appearing productive while wasting time.

The amount of content that gets released through digital marketing can be overwhelming.  Topics across all the channels need to sync up to make a cohesive campaign.  So setting a content calendar with timelines is a great way to organize and visualize a strategic implementation.

Unfortunately many trainers, consultants, and professional coaches visualize it well but implement it poorly.  This typically happens because planned content doesn’t materialize as expected or other activities take priority over the content calendar.

If you are going to spend the time to make a content calendar, commit to extending the timetable to ensuring the behaviors are in place to execute on the calendar.

For example, don’t include items in your content calendar unless the content is already prepared.  Rather than assuring yourself that you’ll get an article or video ready by a deadline on your content calendar, have it finalized before it’s set on the calendar. Otherwise, distractions and delays will inevitably keep some of the content from being ready when the calendar calls for it. That means that content needs to be worked on weeks or months in advance of its release.

Also, set people or processes in place that automate time sensitive releases so that emergencies don’t derail the digital marketing timeline. A strategic plan remains the plan even if the behaviors to accomplish it are suddenly an inconvenience. This systematic implementation ensures you’ll execute on the strategy despite disruptions.

A content calendar without the behavior to execute on the plan is fruitless intent.  Don’t waste time deluding yourself about what you intended.  Set a solid behavior plan that supports the content calendar so that the true schedule follows your strategic plan.