5 Elements of an Effective Content Calendar

March 24, 2021
Annette Maggi
CommunicationsBusiness Skills

By RDBA Executive Director Annette Maggi, MS, RDN, LD, FAND

The pace of retail isn’t slowing down anytime soon and being well organized is a key leadership dimension for retail dietitians. A detailed content calendar is a vital area for good organization. The increase in social and digital shopper engagement has increased dramatically over the past year, requiring an effective – and documented – content calendar. 

Here are five elements of an effective retail healthy living content calendar:

1. Content types. The style of content used for Instagram is different than for Facebook, so a clear understanding of all the sites where your content will be used is essential. If you have standing media segments with a local news station or routine videos, include these content types as categories on your calendar.
2. Key health seasons. A content calendar should include an overall focus (think heart month) for a time period of communications. Then layer in specific stories for the varying content types (think heart disease as a COVID 19 risk factor for a media segment, heart-healthy seafood for a cook-along or video). 
3. Retail seasons and promotions. There is a cadence to the retail promotional calendar, in part based on popular holidays as well as on consumer lifestyle changes, like back-to-school.  Additionally, your retailer may have special promotions planned for the year, such as new store openings, a 50-years-in-business celebration, or the launch of a new owned brand line. Your programs and communications will see greater ROI as well as get you recognized as a business-savvy leader if you include these events in your content calendar.
4. Program and service promotion. Social and traditional media and websites are an effective way to promote retail RD programs and services, especially through use of advertorial content. Including these on your content calendar ensures a regular cadence to the marketing of your programs and services.
5. Content cross promotion. Are there community partners you work with to cross promote your content? Or departments of the store (think pharmacy) that have shopper communications where your content is a logical fit? Be sure to include these opportunities on your content calendar.

From a timing perspective, it’s helpful to have the topline themes identified 6-12 months out, with the detailed layers filled in at least three months in advance. Organizing content themes in this way, ensures a strategy approach as well as reducing stress!