My Simple Content Calendar System (Copy This)

I tried every content calendar tool. None of them worked. So I built my own system in Google Sheets.

Why Most Content Calendars Fail

The problem with fancy tools:

What you actually need:

My System (The Simple Version)

One Google Sheet with 3 tabs:

Total setup time: 15 minutes

Tab 1: Content Pipeline

This is where ideas live before they become posts.

Columns:

How I use it:

**Pro tip:** Keep this tab simple. Don't overcomplicate with tags, categories, etc.

Tab 2: Weekly Schedule

This is your actual calendar for the current week.

Columns:

Example:

| Day | Time | Platform | Content | Status |

|-----|------|----------|---------|--------|

| Mon | 9 AM | LinkedIn | "How I save 10 hours per week..." | Scheduled |

| Mon | 2 PM | Twitter | Thread: "5 content mistakes..." | Scheduled |

| Wed | 9 AM | LinkedIn | "Why most content calendars fail..." | Draft |

| Wed | 3 PM | Instagram | Carousel: "Content tips" | Ready |

| Fri | 9 AM | LinkedIn | "This changed my content strategy..." | Idea |

How I use it:

Tab 3: Performance Log

Track what works so you can do more of it.

Columns:

How I use it:

What I track:

The Weekly Workflow

Sunday (20 min):

During the week (10 min/day):

**Total time:** ~1 hour per week

Content Themes (My Structure)

I organize my content into themes to avoid random posting:

**Monday:** Strategy/Big Picture

**Wednesday:** Tips & Tricks / How-To

**Friday:** Case Studies / Results

This helps me:

My Idea Generation System

Where ideas come from:

- People ask questions → turn into content

- Engagement reveals pain points

- What I learned this week

- Mistakes I made

- Tools I tried

- What performed well last month

- What my audience engaged with

- Gaps in my content

- What's working in my niche

- Trending topics

- Questions others aren't answering

**Rule:** Add 5-10 ideas per week to the Pipeline

The Batching Strategy

Instead of:

Creating content every day → Stressful, inconsistent

Do this:

Block 2 hours per week to batch create content

My batch creation process:

Monday (2 hours):

**Result:** Content for the entire week, done in one focused session.

What NOT to Do

Mistakes I made:

❌ Don't Over-Plan

Planning 3 months ahead is useless. Content needs to be timely.

**Fix:** Plan 1-2 weeks ahead maximum.

❌ Don't Track Everything

Too many metrics = analysis paralysis.

**Fix:** Track 3 things: Reach, Engagement, Follower Growth.

❌ Don't Be Too Rigid

If something timely comes up, post it. Don't stick to the plan slavishly.

**Fix:** Keep 20% flexibility in your calendar.

❌ Don't Create Content Just to Fill Slots

Empty slot in your calendar? Don't post for the sake of posting.

**Fix:** Quality > Consistency. Skip a day if needed.

Tools I Actually Use

For planning:

For scheduling:

For content creation:

For analytics:

**Total cost:** $35/month (just Buffer)

The Template (Copy This)

I made my content calendar template public.

What's included:

It's free. Use it.

[Make a copy of this Google Sheet and customize it for your needs]

The Bottom Line

You don't need:

You need:

That's it.

**What's your content planning system?** Share in the comments - I'm always looking to improve mine.