How to build a Content Calendar in Google Sheets

Maria Ruocco

Creating an effective content calendar is a part of any successful marketing strategy. It serves as the backbone for your content planning, ensuring that you're always ahead of the curve and never miss out on key opportunities. While there are numerous tools available for creating such calendars, many of them can be expensive or overly complicated.

But what if I told you that you don't need to invest in fancy tools to create an efficient content calendar? Yes, all you need is Google Sheets! This free tool from Google's suite not only offers excellent collaborative features but also provides ample customization options to suit your unique needs.

In this guide, we will delve into the process of building a content calendar using Google Sheets.

We'll cover:

Why should you create a calendar in Google Sheets?
Step-by-Step process: how to make a Calendar in Google Sheets
Quick tips: how to insert a calendar in Google Sheets
Exploring various Google Sheets Calendar templates
Making your own Calendar using a Google Sheets template

Let's get started!

Why should you create a Calendar in Google Sheets?

You might wonder why one should opt for Google Sheets when there are dedicated calendar-making tools available out there? Well, here are some compelling reasons:

Effortless collaboration 👉🏻 one of the standout features of Google Workspace, including Google Sheets, is its collaboration capabilities. By creating your content calendar on this platform, you can easily share it with your team members and allow real-time updates and contributions.
Unmatched accessibility 👉🏻 with your calendar hosted on Google Drive, it becomes accessible from anywhere with an internet connection - even offline! This ensures that no matter where you are or what device you're using, your calendar is just a few clicks away.
Highly customizable 👉🏻 unlike many pre-made calendars that offer limited customization options, Google Sheets allows you to personalize your calendar as per your team's branding or your unique style. You can change colors, fonts, add images and much more!
Seamless integration with other tools 👉🏻 Google Sheets integrates smoothly with other Google tools, such as Google Calendar and Google Drive. This means you can easily sync your content calendar with these platforms for enhanced functionality.
Cost-effective 👉🏻 last but not least, it's free! This makes Google Sheets an excellent choice for small businesses or individuals who may not have the budget for dedicated calendar tools.

Step-by-step process: how to make a Calendar in Google Sheets

Creating a content calendar in Google Sheets might seem daunting at first glance. But trust me; it's pretty straightforward once you get the hang of it.

Here's how:

Open a new spreadsheet: kickstart the process by opening up a new spreadsheet in Google Sheets.
Choose your month: fill out the first cell with the month and year for which you want to create the content calendar (e.g., January 2024).
Format your calendar: highlight seven columns (A-G) and click 'Merge' to span that cell across all columns - this will be where we put our month name.
Fill in days of the week: in each column (A-G), fill in days of the week starting from Sunday through Saturday.
Fill in numerical values: identify which day of the week corresponds to the first day of the month and start filling out dates horizontally from there.
Complete rest rows: repeat this process for all weeks of that particular month, making sure to end on the correct date!
Add design elements: finally, add some fun design elements like images or different font sizes to personalize your calendar.

How to insert a Calendar in Google Sheets

If you're short on time or patience and don't want to create a calendar from scratch, there's an easy workaround - using an addon!

Google Sheets has a built-in timeline view which could be useful for calendarmaking but it's not as helpful by itself. However, you can insert a timeline-view calendar containing all your events with an addon called 'Calendar Timeline View'.

After installing it into your Google Workspace, it pulls all your Google Calendar events into a Google Sheet timeline view which can be customized according to specific date ranges such as next month, quarter or year!

Exploring various Google Sheets Calendar templates

If creating calendars from scratch isn't appealing enough or if addons seem complicated, worry not! There are several free templates available online that you can use directly or customize according to your needs:

Editorial Calendar template 👉🏻 this template is designed for Google Sheets and covers all of your editorial planning needs. It lets you strategically lay out daily and monthly editorials in one accessible, scannable sheet.
Social media Calendar template 👉🏻 ideal for marketers who want to build a strong social strategy for the upcoming year. It comes bundled with a user guide for those new to social media strategy planning.
Monthly Calendar template 👉🏻 a simple monthly calendar from smartsheet that allows you to keep track of deadlines, appointments, and important milestones.
Yellow project Calendar template 👉🏻 gives a vibrant approach to project plan while promoting organization and efficiency.

Making your own Calendar using a Google Sheets template

Once you've chosen your preferred template, it's time to customize it according to your needs:

Download the template 👉🏻 start by downloading the free template onto your device.
Open in Google Sheets 👉🏻 upload the downloaded file into Google Drive or directly open it in Google Sheets if provided as such.
Customize the template 👉🏻 change colors, fonts, add images or any other elements you'd like on your calendar.
Fill out the calendar 👉🏻 add all relevant dates and information into your calendar - be it blog post publishing dates, social media post schedules or anything else related!
Share with team members (if applicable) 👉🏻 finally, share this calendar with all relevant team members so everyone can stay updated about upcoming tasks and deadlines!

Creating a content calendar in Google Sheets is an easy yet effective way of staying organized with your content marketing efforts! So why wait? Start creating yours today!

Don't forget that you can create your content faster and better with Editby!

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Maria Ruocco