You already know content marketing is powerful - but without a clear plan, even the best ideas can get lost in the shuffle.
This guide will show you how to maximise every campaign - and every piece of content - using HubSpot’s Content Calendar.
A content calendar is your master plan for creating and sharing content - it helps you organise, schedule, and track content across all your channels.
It is your content “command centre,” where big ideas, key deadlines, and daily tasks all come together seamlessly.
Consistency: Maintain a steady posting rhythm so your brand remains top-of-mind.
Strategic Visibility: Easily visualise your content mix and ensure you’re supporting all your primary marketing goals.
Team Collaboration: Align writers, designers, and marketers around a clear roadmap.
Saved Time: Eliminate last-minute scrambles with proactive planning.
Performance Tracking: Quickly see what’s working so you can optimise your strategy on the go.
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach.
Some teams prefer Google Sheets or Excel for their flexibility.
Others choose digital tools like Trello or Asana for collaboration.
Many still rely on printed calendars or whiteboards for a physical overview.
Start by signing into your HubSpot account. From your dashboard, navigate to Marketing > Planning and Strategy > Calendar. (If it’s your first time, explore the layout to get familiar.)
Access the “Calendar” tool. You’ll see a visual, drag-and-drop interface, much like a standard calendar, which makes scheduling intuitive and quick.
Decide what types of content you’re planning - blog posts, email newsletters, landing pages, videos, social media posts, etc. Use colour codes for each type so you can instantly identify them and keep things organised.
Begin scheduling your cornerstone assets, like major blog posts or campaign launches. Layer in supporting pieces—such as follow-up emails or social posts—to build a cohesive, multi-channel presence.
Pro Tip
Leverage HubSpot’s Topic Clusters to group content by themes. This boosts SEO and makes your library easier to navigate.
For every scheduled item, fill in key details:
Target keywords
Buyer personas
Associated campaigns
Deadlines and responsible team members
Assign each task and set reminders to keep everyone on track.
Schedule and publish social media posts directly from your calendar. HubSpot’s scheduling tool ensures your feeds stay active and campaigns sync across channels.
While HubSpot’s default templates are robust, every business has unique needs.
Consider working with a HubSpot Solutions Partner to create a custom template if you need:
Bespoke fields or categories for your workflows
Deeper CRM, sales, or data integrations
Custom reporting dashboards, tied to KPIs
Multi-brand or multi-language calendar views
A tailored solution will amplify efficiency - saving you time, ensuring all content gets the love it deserves, and making it easier to scale.
Be consistent: Stick to your posting deadlines.
Keep it balanced: Mix formats and topics for audience engagement.
Plan ahead, but stay agile: Allow flexibility for timely updates and trends.
Repurpose content: A blog post can become a video, email, or infographic.
Plan for seasonality: Mark major holidays, industry events, and launches.
Review and optimise: Regularly audit past content and adapt your roadmap.
Engage your team: Get everyone’s input on topics, timing, and process improvements.
A content calendar isn’t just for blog posts - it’s essential for coordinating your social campaigns, too:
Plan content for all channels: Repurpose key messages for each audience.
Optimise timing: HubSpot recommends the best publish times based on engagement.
Track results: Use HubSpot analytics for instant feedback and course-correction.
Pro Tip:
Build a simple, visual “social media content calendar” for your team, so everyone’s aligned on the flow - especially during campaigns or launches.
Here are advanced ways to amplify the impact of your content calendar:
Strategic Campaign Mapping: Plan interconnected campaigns across multiple channels - align blog posts, email series, social promotion, and webinars around central themes or launches for maximum synergy.
Audience-First Personalisation: Layer audience insights onto your calendar by scheduling content tailored to specific buyer personas, funnel stages, or key segments.
Evergreen Optimisation: Schedule recurring refreshes of top-performing content so evergreen assets never go out of date and always deliver value.
Agile Content Sprints: Implement short, focused “content sprints” to capitalise on trends or quickly execute new campaign ideas - add these agile blocks to your monthly calendar.
Collaborative Workflow Integrations: Use HubSpot’s task assignment and progress tracking to make approvals, updates, and collaboration seamless across in-house and remote teams.
Data-Driven Adjustments: Build in regular time blocks to review analytics and pivot your strategy - use HubSpot’s reporting to re-prioritise content topics, formats, or channels based on real results.
Content Repurposing Roadmap: Engineer purposeful repurposing - plan to turn one pillar piece into podcasts, reels, infographics, and more, stretching your best ideas further.
Sales Enablement Alignment: Mark key dates for sharing sales collateral, case studies, or competitive insights, ensuring your marketing content calendar supports the sales team’s needs and pipeline milestones.
Startups and small teams: Free options like Google Sheets, Notion, or Trello work well for basic needs.
Scaling companies: HubSpot’s Content Hub provides comprehensive features - centralised scheduling, publishing, analytics, integrations, and support.
Choose the tool that matches your workflow, goals, and budget.
You’re ready to turn your content calendar from a simple planning tool into a strategic lever for business growth - maximising your investment in the HubSpot Content Hub and keeping your marketing flywheel spinning!