Setting up a content calendar for an internal communications platform or intranet is an important step in ensuring that your internal communications remain structured, consistent and engaging for readers. A well-thought-out content calendar helps you plan ahead, meet deadlines and keep your colleagues informed and engaged. We list some practical tips for setting up an effective content calendar according to the step-by-step plan below.
- Define Goals and Audiences
- Create a Content Strategy
- Plan Content in Advance
- Evaluate and Adjust
- Be Flexible and Creative
1. Determine Goals and Audience.
Before you start planning your content, it's important to have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve. Do you want to improve team cohesion, share important company updates, or reinforce company culture? Moreover, different departments may appreciate different types of content. When setting up Plek, we already took this into account and set up the channels and groups based on the goals and audience.
Read more about the difference between channels and groups via this page.
2. Create a Content Strategy
Content Types: Think about the different types of content you want to share. A mix of text, images, videos and interactive elements will keep your content engaging. Here are some ideas:
- Text: Newsletters, articles, announcements.
Posting a message in a channel - Images: Infographics, photos of company events.
Add image - Videos: Interviews with employees, tutorials, company updates from the CEO.
Add Video - Interactive: Polls, quizzes, feedback forms.
Create a poll
Add form
Content Headings: Introduce set headings in your calendar. This helps provide structure and keeps your content diverse. Examples of headings could include:
- Monthly Employee in the Spotlight: A video interview with a team member.
- Weekly Update from Management: A short video or blog post from the CEO or a manager.
- Tips and Tricks: Weekly tips for working more efficiently or using new tools.
3. Schedule Content in Advance
Use a tool such as Excel, Google Sheets or special content calendar software to manage your schedule. Create a monthly or weekly calendar and plan ahead. Here's an example of how to do this:
|
Date |
Type of Content |
Subject |
Responsible |
Status |
|
July 1 |
Video |
Monthly update from the CEO |
Marketing Team |
Planned |
|
July 3 |
Article |
New HR guidelines |
HR-department |
In progress |
|
July 7 |
Infographic |
Overview of quarterly results |
Finance Team |
Done |
|
July 10 |
Poll |
Satisfaction with new workplace software |
IT-department |
Planned |
|
July 15 |
Employee in the Spotlight |
Interview with Jane Doe, |
Communication Team |
Planned |
4. Evaluate and Adjust
Once your content calendar is running, it's important to evaluate and adjust regularly. Keep track of which content is performing well and which is less popular. Use these insights to optimize your strategy.
Analysis tools: Use internal analytics tools to monitor how many employees view, respond to and interact with the content. Adjust your future content accordingly.
Gather Feedback: Regularly ask for feedback from your colleagues. What do they think of the content? Are there topics they would like to see?
Plek has an “Internal Communication Evaluator” available based on Smart Conversations. If you would like to know more about this, please contact your account manager or email support@plek.co.
5. Be Flexible and Creative
Finally, don't be afraid to be creative and flexible with your content calendar. Try new ideas and formats, and be willing to make adjustments if something doesn't work as expected.