Creating your content calendar

You have big dreams.

You want to run a successful business.

You want to make a positive impact in the world.

You have a message to share!

And you want to be consistent with your newsletter.

But you aren't organized.

That will hold you back.

Do you wanna fail at email marketing?

My guess?

No way!

So, let me tell you a story about my friend Michelle who's winning with her newsletter.

We met on X and her passion for email marketing was electric.

Over two years, she'd nurtured a thriving newsletter.

But her journey wasn't without bumps.

In the first year, a lack of organization stifled her growth.

Then, she discovered her secret weapon: a content calendar!

Michelle meticulously planned her content months in advance.

She even had special content for the seasons and holidays.

Witnessing her orderly yet stress-free approach was a revelation.

It took me sending over 25 newsletters to fully grasp the power of a content calendar.

Now, I hope you'll get the memo.

Because organization unlocks the door to your newsletter's success.

Your Roadmap

The purpose of content is to engage your target audience, drive profitable actions like sales, and improve brand loyalty.

A content calendar is a schedule of when upcoming newsletter content will be published.

Sometimes called a content planner, content schedule, or editorial calendar, this tool provides structure to excel in your marketing.

Newsletter Nightmares

If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.

Without a content calendar, you'll face several challenges:

• Scrambling for newsletter topics

• Missing promotion opportunities

• Inconsistent messaging; your newsletter jumps between topics which confuses your audience

Remember that your newsletter is a representation of your business.

Just Winging It

Writers hit a wall when they run out of ideas, lose inspiration, or forget what their focus is.

Without a content calendar, you'll experience:

• Unclear goals: Not defining clear goals for your newsletter content reduces impact.

• Difficulty measuring success: No plan makes it hard to track progress and measure the effectiveness of your newsletter.

• Unorganized workflow: Content creation becomes random rather than intentional and purposeful.

At this point, it's easy to get discouraged.

Predictable Success

A content calendar is key to becoming consistent with your newsletter.

It improves your speed of content creation along with quality.

Here are some great benefits:

• Helps you deliver on your promise statement by planning content in advance

• Helps you anticipate future topics and promotions to be proactive rather than reactive

• Provides flexibility, allowing for easy adjustment of planned content

Remember that direction and consistency enhance your reader’s experience.

Creating Your Content Calendar

Great newsletter content captures your reader’s interests and serves their needs.

So, keep your reader top of mind when planning.

On that note, this is a free template of my Newsletter Content Calendar that I use to plan topics.

Try it out and see if it works for you.

Now, here are the steps to creating your own:

1. Choose a template or create one: Include sections for dates, topics, and other relevant information.

2. Brainstorm topics and solutions: Consider your reader’s pain points, interests, and the solutions they seek. Aim for a mix of educational, entertaining, and promotional content.

3. Do market research: Identify valuable and highly searched topics within your niche. Google Trends, keyword research tools, and social media analytics can give insights.

4. Define your mission and reader journey: Clarify your newsletter’s purpose. Also, understand where your readers are in life and tailor content accordingly.

5. Create a consistent publishing schedule: Establish a regular publishing rhythm for your newsletter to retain and keep your audience engaged.

Think about the goals you want to help your reader accomplish.

Have your newsletter topics build upon one another so your reader advances one step at a time.

Using AI to Create a Content Calendar Faster

Try out the prompt below.

Change the variables to match the details of your newsletter.

Then, paste the prompt into an AI tool such as Chat GPT, Google Gemini, or Microsoft Copilot to create your content calendar.

Example:

Let's roleplay.  You are an expert copywriter responsible for writing a compelling and useful newsletter.

Your goal is to create a newsletter content calendar with this information below.

VARIABLES
{READER}: solopreneur just starting in email marketing
{MONTHS}: 3
{NICHE}: email marketing and sales
{READERPROBLEM}: growing their email list with limited time
{READERGOAL}: highly profitable email marketing
{NEWSLETTERGOAL}: empowering entrepreneurs with technology

RULES
1. Give 4 topics for each month.
2. Explain the topic, its value, and what to talk about in the newsletter. 

OUTPUT
Take the {NICHE} and {NEWSLETTERGOAL} to create {MONTHS} of content for a newsletter content calendar that helps the reader solve {READERPROBLEM} and achieve {READERGOAL}.

Have the topics build upon one another so the content is related and not random.

Prompt:

Let's roleplay.  You are an expert copywriter responsible for writing a compelling and useful newsletter.

Your goal is to create a newsletter content calendar with this information below.

VARIABLES
{READER}: 
{MONTHS}: 
{NICHE}: 
{READERPROBLEM}: 
{READERGOAL}: 
{NEWSLETTERGOAL}: 

RULES
1. Give 4 topics for each month.
2. Explain the topic, its value, and what to talk about in the newsletter. 

OUTPUT
Take the {NICHE} and {NEWSLETTERGOAL} to create {MONTHS} of content for a newsletter content calendar that helps the reader solve {READERPROBLEM} and achieve {READERGOAL}.

Have the topics build upon one another so the content is related and not random.

Create your content calendar today.

Get clarity on your newsletter direction and what's in store for your readers.

If you'd like some help, let's chat.

Your friend,

Delles