home / skills / wesleysmits / agent-skills / content-calendar-planner

content-calendar-planner skill

safe

This skill helps you create strategic content schedules with themes, dates, and publishing cadences to streamline planning and publishing.

npx playbooks add skill wesleysmits/agent-skills --skill content-calendar-planner

Review the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.

Files (1)

SKILL.md

12.7 KB

---
name: planning-content-calendars
description: Creates strategic content schedules with themes, dates, and publishing cadence. Use when the user asks about content calendars, publishing schedules, content planning, editorial calendars, or content strategy timelines.
---

# Content Calendar Planner

## When to use this skill

- User asks to create a content calendar
- User needs a publishing schedule
- User wants to plan content themes
- User mentions editorial planning
- User needs content batching strategy

## Workflow

- [ ] Define goals and audience
- [ ] Establish content pillars
- [ ] Set publishing cadence
- [ ] Map themes to dates
- [ ] Assign content types
- [ ] Create the calendar

## Instructions

### Step 1: Define Planning Parameters

**Required inputs:**

| Field       | Purpose                           |
| ----------- | --------------------------------- |
| Time period | Month, quarter, year              |
| Platforms   | Blog, social, email, video        |
| Goals       | Traffic, leads, engagement, sales |
| Audience    | Who you're creating for           |
| Resources   | Team size, creation capacity      |
| Key dates   | Launches, events, holidays        |

### Step 2: Establish Content Pillars

**Content pillar framework:**

```markdown
A content pillar is a core topic that:

- Aligns with your expertise
- Matters to your audience
- Supports business goals
- Can generate 10+ pieces of content
```

**Pillar template:**

| Pillar     | Description       | Audience Need            | Content Ratio |
| ---------- | ----------------- | ------------------------ | ------------- |
| [Pillar 1] | [Core topic area] | [What problem it solves] | [X%]          |
| [Pillar 2] | [Core topic area] | [What problem it solves] | [X%]          |
| [Pillar 3] | [Core topic area] | [What problem it solves] | [X%]          |
| [Pillar 4] | [Core topic area] | [What problem it solves] | [X%]          |

**Example (for a web dev agency):**

| Pillar       | Description                    | Audience Need       | Ratio |
| ------------ | ------------------------------ | ------------------- | ----- |
| Performance  | Page speed, Core Web Vitals    | Sites are too slow  | 30%   |
| Modern Stack | Next.js, headless CMS, APIs    | Tech choices        | 25%   |
| Conversion   | UX, landing pages, A/B testing | Sites don't convert | 25%   |
| Case Studies | Client wins, results           | Social proof        | 20%   |

### Step 3: Set Publishing Cadence

**Cadence by platform:**

| Platform   | Minimum | Recommended | Aggressive |
| ---------- | ------- | ----------- | ---------- |
| Blog       | 2/month | 4/month     | 8/month    |
| LinkedIn   | 3/week  | 5/week      | Daily      |
| Twitter/X  | Daily   | 2-3/day     | 5+/day     |
| Instagram  | 3/week  | Daily       | 2/day      |
| YouTube    | 2/month | Weekly      | 2/week     |
| Newsletter | 2/month | Weekly      | 2/week     |
| Podcast    | 2/month | Weekly      | 2/week     |
| TikTok     | 3/week  | Daily       | 2-3/day    |

**Capacity planning:**

```markdown
## Weekly Content Capacity

**Team size:** [X] creators

**Time available:** [X] hours/week for content

**Estimate per content type:**

- Blog post (1,500 words): 4-6 hours
- Social post: 15-30 minutes
- Newsletter: 2-3 hours
- Video (5-10 min): 8-12 hours
- Podcast episode: 4-6 hours

**Sustainable weekly output:**

- [x] blog posts
- [x] social posts
- [x] newsletters
- [x] videos
```

### Step 4: Content Types Mix

**Content type categories:**

| Category      | Purpose              | Examples                   |
| ------------- | -------------------- | -------------------------- |
| Educational   | Build authority, SEO | Tutorials, guides, how-tos |
| Inspirational | Engagement, shares   | Stories, quotes, wins      |
| Promotional   | Conversions, sales   | Product features, offers   |
| Entertaining  | Reach, virality      | Memes, trends, humor       |
| Community     | Loyalty, UGC         | Q&As, polls, reposts       |
| Behind-scenes | Trust, relatability  | Process, team, culture     |

**Recommended mix:**

```markdown
## Content Mix Formula

- 40% Educational (value-first)
- 20% Inspirational (engagement)
- 15% Promotional (conversions)
- 15% Entertaining (reach)
- 10% Community (loyalty)
```

### Step 5: Theme Mapping

**Monthly theme structure:**

```markdown
## [Month] Theme: [Theme Name]

**Focus area:** [Which pillar this supports]

**Key message:** [One sentence theme summary]

**Content ideas:**

- Blog: [Topic 1], [Topic 2]
- Social: [Angle 1], [Angle 2], [Angle 3]
- Email: [Newsletter theme]
- Video: [Video topic]

**Tie-in dates:**

- [Relevant holiday or event]
- [Industry date or awareness day]
- [Product launch or promotion]
```

**Theme ideas by quarter:**

| Q1 (Jan-Mar)   | Q2 (Apr-Jun)   | Q3 (Jul-Sep)     | Q4 (Oct-Dec)   |
| -------------- | -------------- | ---------------- | -------------- |
| New year goals | Spring refresh | Back to business | Holiday prep   |
| Planning       | Growth focus   | Mid-year review  | Year in review |
| Fresh starts   | Launch season  | Summer content   | Black Friday   |
| Skill building | Outdoor/active | Back to school   | Gratitude      |

### Step 6: Key Dates Calendar

**Important dates to consider:**

| Category  | Examples                                          |
| --------- | ------------------------------------------------- |
| Holidays  | New Year, Easter, Christmas, local holidays       |
| Shopping  | Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Prime Day, Boxing Day |
| Awareness | Mental Health Month, Earth Day, Pride Month       |
| Industry  | Conferences, product launches, annual events      |
| Company   | Anniversaries, launches, milestones               |
| Seasonal  | Summer, back-to-school, spring cleaning           |

**Date mapping template:**

```markdown
## Key Dates: [Month]

| Date   | Event   | Content Opportunity |
| ------ | ------- | ------------------- |
| [Date] | [Event] | [Content idea]      |
| [Date] | [Event] | [Content idea]      |
| [Date] | [Event] | [Content idea]      |
```

### Step 7: Weekly Calendar Template

**Weekly content schedule:**

```markdown
## Week of [Date]

| Day | Platform   | Content Type  | Topic     | Status    |
| --- | ---------- | ------------- | --------- | --------- |
| Mon | Blog       | Tutorial      | [Topic]   | Draft     |
| Mon | LinkedIn   | Text post     | [Topic]   | Scheduled |
| Tue | Instagram  | Carousel      | [Topic]   | Idea      |
| Tue | Twitter    | Thread        | [Topic]   | Idea      |
| Wed | Newsletter | Weekly digest | [Topic]   | Draft     |
| Thu | LinkedIn   | Article       | [Topic]   | Idea      |
| Thu | YouTube    | Video         | [Topic]   | Filming   |
| Fri | All social | Engagement    | Community | —         |
```

### Step 8: Monthly Calendar Template

```markdown
## [Month] Content Calendar

### Week 1: [Theme/Focus]

| Date | Platform | Type | Topic | Pillar | Owner | Status |
| ---- | -------- | ---- | ----- | ------ | ----- | ------ |
| 1    |          |      |       |        |       |        |
| 2    |          |      |       |        |       |        |
| 3    |          |      |       |        |       |        |
| 4    |          |      |       |        |       |        |
| 5    |          |      |       |        |       |        |
| 6    |          |      |       |        |       |        |
| 7    |          |      |       |        |       |        |

### Week 2: [Theme/Focus]

[Same structure]

### Week 3: [Theme/Focus]

[Same structure]

### Week 4: [Theme/Focus]

[Same structure]

---

### Monthly Summary

- Total blog posts: [X]
- Total social posts: [X]
- Total newsletters: [X]
- Total videos: [X]
- Primary pillar focus: [Pillar]
- Key campaign: [Campaign name]
```

### Step 9: Content Batching Strategy

**Batching framework:**

| Batch Type       | When         | What                          |
| ---------------- | ------------ | ----------------------------- |
| Monthly planning | 1st of month | Map all content for the month |
| Weekly writing   | Monday       | Draft week's blog/newsletter  |
| Daily social     | Morning      | Schedule day's social posts   |
| Visual creation  | Thursday     | Design week's graphics        |
| Video filming    | Bi-weekly    | Film 2-4 videos at once       |

**Batching schedule example:**

```markdown
## Batching Days

**Monday:** Writing day

- Draft blog posts
- Write newsletter copy
- Create social captions

**Tuesday:** Visual day

- Design social graphics
- Create thumbnails
- Edit images

**Wednesday:** Video day

- Film content
- Record podcasts
- Edit videos

**Thursday:** Planning day

- Review analytics
- Adjust strategy
- Plan next week

**Friday:** Engagement day

- Respond to comments
- Community interaction
- Repurpose top content
```

### Step 10: Repurposing Matrix

**One piece → multiple formats:**

```markdown
## Repurposing: [Original Content Title]

**Source:** [Blog post / Video / Podcast]

| Platform      | Format      | Angle                  | Status |
| ------------- | ----------- | ---------------------- | ------ |
| LinkedIn      | Text post   | Key takeaway           |        |
| Twitter       | Thread      | Step-by-step breakdown |        |
| Instagram     | Carousel    | Visual summary         |        |
| TikTok        | Short video | Quick tip version      |        |
| Newsletter    | Feature     | Deep dive + extras     |        |
| Pinterest     | Infographic | Visual guide           |        |
| YouTube Short | Clip        | Best 60 seconds        |        |
```

**Repurposing timeline:**

```markdown
Day 0: Publish original blog post
Day 1: LinkedIn post (key insight)
Day 2: Twitter thread (main points)
Day 3: Instagram carousel (visual breakdown)
Day 5: Newsletter feature
Day 7: YouTube video (expanded version)
Day 14: Pinterest infographic
Day 30: Update and reshare
```

### Step 11: Status Tracking

**Content status stages:**

| Status       | Definition                    |
| ------------ | ----------------------------- |
| 💡 Idea      | Topic identified, not started |
| 📝 Outline   | Structure planned             |
| ✍️ Draft     | Writing in progress           |
| 👀 Review    | Ready for editing             |
| ✅ Ready     | Approved, awaiting schedule   |
| 📅 Scheduled | Queued for publishing         |
| ✓ Published  | Live                          |
| 📊 Analyzed  | Performance reviewed          |

**Tracking template:**

```markdown
## Content Pipeline

### Ideas Backlog

| Topic | Pillar | Type | Priority |
| ----- | ------ | ---- | -------- |
|       |        |      |          |

### In Progress

| Topic | Type | Owner | Status | Due |
| ----- | ---- | ----- | ------ | --- |
|       |      |       |        |     |

### Scheduled

| Topic | Platform | Publish Date | Status |
| ----- | -------- | ------------ | ------ |
|       |          |              |        |

### Published (This Month)

| Topic | Platform | Date | Performance |
| ----- | -------- | ---- | ----------- |
|       |          |      |             |
```

## Output Format

```markdown
## Content Calendar: [Time Period]

**Period:** [Start date] - [End date]
**Platforms:** [List platforms]
**Goals:** [Primary objectives]

---

### Content Pillars

| Pillar | Description | Ratio |
| ------ | ----------- | ----- |
|        |             |       |

### Publishing Cadence

| Platform | Frequency |
| -------- | --------- |
|          |           |

---

### Monthly Overview

#### [Month 1]

**Theme:** [Monthly theme]
**Key dates:** [Important dates]

[Weekly calendar tables]

#### [Month 2]

[Same structure]

---

### Repurposing Plan

[Repurposing matrix for key content]

### Batching Schedule

[Weekly batching workflow]
```

## Validation

Before completing:

- [ ] Content pillars defined (3-5 pillars)
- [ ] Publishing cadence is sustainable
- [ ] All platforms accounted for
- [ ] Key dates mapped
- [ ] Monthly themes assigned
- [ ] Content types balanced
- [ ] Repurposing opportunities identified
- [ ] Status tracking system included

## Error Handling

- **No clear goals**: Ask for top 3 content marketing objectives (traffic, leads, engagement).
- **Too many platforms**: Recommend focusing on 2-3 platforms initially until capacity grows.
- **Unsustainable cadence**: Reduce frequency or suggest batching and repurposing.
- **No team capacity info**: Ask how many hours per week available for content creation.
- **Missing key dates**: Prompt for product launches, company events, and industry dates.

## Resources

- [CoSchedule](https://coschedule.com/) - Editorial calendar tool
- [Notion Templates](https://www.notion.so/templates) - Calendar templates
- [Airtable Content Calendar](https://airtable.com/) - Database templates
- [Google Sheets Calendar Template](https://sheets.google.com/) - Free spreadsheet option
- [Days of the Year](https://www.daysoftheyear.com/) - Awareness days database

Overview

This skill creates strategic content schedules with themes, dates, and a sustainable publishing cadence. It turns high-level goals and audience info into a month- or quarter-long editorial calendar with pillar-based themes, platform frequencies, and batching guidance. Use it to align resources, key dates, and repurposing plans so content consistently supports business outcomes.

How this skill works

It asks for the planning parameters: time period, platforms, goals, audience, resources, and key dates. It then defines 3–5 content pillars, recommends platform cadence and capacity estimates, maps monthly themes to dates, and builds weekly and monthly calendar templates. Finally it produces a repurposing matrix, batching schedule, and status-tracking pipeline to keep publishing predictable and measurable.

When to use it

When you need a month, quarter, or annual content calendar
When defining publishing frequency across platforms
When mapping themes to launches, holidays, or industry events
When planning content batching and repurposing
When you need to align a small team’s capacity with realistic outputs

Best practices

Start by listing top 3 content goals (traffic, leads, engagement) and the primary audience segment
Define 3–5 content pillars that can generate repeatable topics
Pick 2–3 primary platforms first and scale only after capacity is stable
Use batching days (writing, visuals, video, planning) to increase efficiency
Repurpose each long-form piece into 4–6 platform-specific assets to maximize reach
Track content status and performance weekly and adjust cadence if outputs slip

Example use cases

Create a 3-month editorial calendar for a B2B SaaS launch with weekly blog posts and LinkedIn outreach
Design a sustainable weekly schedule for a one-person creator balancing video and social
Map seasonal themes and product launch tie-ins for Q3 marketing campaigns
Build a repurposing plan that turns blog posts into threads, carousels, and newsletter features
Prepare a batching calendar so a small team can reliably publish a newsletter and two monthly videos

FAQ

What inputs do you need to build a calendar?

Provide time period, target platforms, top 3 goals, audience, team size or hours/week, and any key dates or launches.

How many content pillars should I define?

Aim for 3–5 pillars. Each should support your goals, serve audience needs, and produce repeatable topic clusters.