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How to Create a Healthcare Editorial Content Calendar

how to create a content calendar

What is a content calendar?

A content calendar (also known as an “editorial calendar”) is a written schedule of when and where you plan to publish upcoming content. Content calendars typically include upcoming pieces, status updates, planned promotional activity, partnerships, and updates to existing content. Content calendars help you create a beautiful system that makes the workflow seamless.

How to Build Your Content Calendar in Some Easy Steps

Start with what Assets you have

There are lots of cool tools to create new content for your Healthcare Business. Use tools that are at your fingertips. Try to start with a pen and a piece of paper. Sit and think without distractions. When you sit and think, try to think of 3-5 content buckets and then 3 topics under those buckets. When you are brainstorming, think about your target client and what they want to know.

Use a content calendar tool

There are tools out there that exist specifically for creating, managing, and collaborating on your content calendar. Depending on how much content you publish and how big your team is, you may want to invest in content calendar software.

Here are some great options to try.

  • Google Sheets: Probably the most popular option for most people and small teams. Free and easy to collaborate with, but requires setup work.
  • Microsoft Excel: Microsoft has made its spreadsheets more collaborative than ever before.
  • Google Calendar: If you are working alone, one Google Calendar may be enough.
  • Clickup: Great for a team to collaborate on, and what we use at WriteRN.
  • Schedule: Plans range from an editorial calendar with one-person access to a full-featured marketing package for large enterprises.
  • Loomly: Includes interactive tutorials for creating blog posts, automated social media posts, and more.
  • Editorial Calendar Plugin for WordPress: Simple, drag and drop, and free. However, relies on when you have posts actually scheduled in WordPress – which may not be for everyone.
  • Basecamp, Trello, Slack, ClickUp, and Asana: Designed as project management and communication tools rather than content calendars, any of these three can be used for task management purposes. And with a little creativity, you can also use them as content calendars

Identify what parameters the content calendar should track

Creating a content calendar from your piece of paper to the computer can include a tool. When you figure out which calendar you’re going to use, you’ll want to make sure the information and functionality of this tool will provide you the results you need. If you’re running a team of seven people who work with a lot of consumer-facing brands, you need a tool that tells you who does what, when it was done, when it was approved and when it was published – and then how successful it was.

Start with the basic parameters:

  • A platform where you plan to publish
  • Bucket and Topic Date and time (with time zone)
  • Visuals (e.g. photos, videos, illustrations, music, infographics, GIFs, etc.)
  • Link to published article/post

Build a library for your source (useful) materials

You can use Dropbox, Google Drive, or iCloud. A blog source library should have several features:

  • Sufficient space (memory)
  • Accessible from both computer and phone
  • Accessibility for all team members
  • Availability of each file separately. The way the library is set up is almost as important as the content of the calendar for the blog. The faster you can find the source file to publish, the better.

Organize your workflow

After you’ve gathered all the useful information for the article, try to answer the questions to customize the content calendar process:

  • How often will you publish articles/posts on each site?
  • What’s the best time to post (based on your analytics)?
  • How will your content ratio look like: more articles or shorter posts?
  • How will the creation of new articles take place?

You don’t have to sweat and do these things alone! We can work in the background to handle all your content and social media strategies while you focus on the other parts of your business. Check out our social media and content packages and let us know if you need help implementing these ideas with a qualified nurse writer!

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About the Author

Janine Kelbach RNC-OB
Janine Kelbach RNC-OB

Janine is a Registered Nurse since 2006, specializing in labor and delivery. She still works at the bedside, as needed. She built Write RN back in 2015 when she started as a freelance writer.

Over the years, and many clients later, she studied marketing, grew her marketing skills, her portfolio (over 200+ pieces), and her business to the agency it is today.

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