Content Calendar

Generate a day-by-day content plan that maps every post to a pillar, format, platform, and specific topic. The calendar turns abstract strategy into an executable publishing queue.

Purpose

Consistency is the single biggest predictor of social media growth. A plan on Sunday means you don't have to think on Tuesday. This skill produces a fillable calendar that ensures no day is empty, no pillar is neglected, and every post has a reason to exist.

When to Use

• Monday morning weekly planning routine
• Monthly content planning session
• Product launch or campaign needs themed content block
• Founder says "let's be more consistent"
• Entering a new platform

Inputs Required

• Content pillars document (from content-pillars skill)
• Cadence rules (from cadence-timing skill)
• Brand voice guide (from brand-voice-system)
• Positioning statement
• Any upcoming events, launches, or key dates this period
• Trend intelligence from trend-monitor (if available)

Quick Reference

Procedure

1. Load context. Bring in content pillars, cadence rules, voice guide, positioning, and any upcoming events or launches.
2. Determine the pillar mix per platform this week. Example:
   • X: 3 education threads, 2 POV short posts, 2 proof posts
   • LinkedIn: 2 education carousels, 1 POV post, 1 case study
   • IG: 3 BTS stories, 2 education carousels, 1 meme
   • TikTok: 2 trend-adapted takes, 1 BTS, 1 how-to
3. Fill each slot with a specific topic from the pillar topic banks. Don't use topics used in the last 3 weeks. If there are trending opportunities from trend-monitor, slot those at the highest-engagement time.
4. Draft a working hook for each slot. This is not the final post — it's the angle. Example: "Thread about why most SaaS onboarding fails (real data from first 50 customers)." Delegate to hook-write for the final hooks.
5. Assign best posting times per platform and day. Use cadence-timing data. Flag dead-zone slots (3 AM audience time — don't post then).
6. Check for balance:
   • Any pillar over 50%? Rebalance.
   • Any day with zero posts? Fill it.
   • Any day with 3+ posts on same platform? Space them out.
   • At least 1 CTA/conversion post this week?
7. Reserve 1-2 flex slots. Leave room for reactive/trending content that can't be planned. If nothing trends, the flex slot can be a filler-post from a pillar topic bank.

Output Format

# Content Calendar: [Week of Date]

## Weekly Overview
- Total posts: [N] across all platforms
- Pillar mix: Education [X]% / POV [X]% / Proof [X]% / BTS [X]% / CTA [X]%
- Flex slots reserved: [N]

## Day-by-Day

### Monday
| Platform | Pillar | Format | Topic / Hook Draft | Best Time |
|----------|--------|--------|--------------------|-----------|
| X | Education | Thread | [specific topic + working hook] | 9:00 AM ET |
| LinkedIn | Education | Carousel | [specific topic + working hook] | 8:30 AM ET |
| IG | BTS | Story | [behind the scenes update] | 12:00 PM ET |

### Tuesday
...

## Flex Slots
- Slot 1: [Platform + preferred pillar if nothing trends]
- Slot 2: [Platform + preferred pillar if nothing trends]

## Key Dates This Period
[Date — Event / Launch / Announcement]

Done Criteria

The skill is complete when:

1. Every active platform has at least 1 post per active day (per cadence rules)
2. Every slot has a specific topic, not just a pillar name
3. No pillar exceeds 50% of weekly output
4. No day has zero posts
5. At least 1 flex slot is reserved
6. Every slot has a posting time assigned

Pitfalls

• Filling every slot with zero room for reactive content (the best posts are often unplanned)
• Calendar that's technically balanced but every post sounds the same
• Planning formats the brand can't actually produce (no visuals for a carousel = don't schedule a carousel)
• Ignoring platform-specific cadence (what works on X daily doesn't work on LinkedIn daily)

Verification

Does every slot have a specific topic, not just a pillar name? ("Education" is not a topic.) Can you trace each slot back to the brand's positioning? Is there at least 1 post this week that could genuinely surprise the audience?

Example

Input: Positioning is "B2B outreach for seed-stage founders." Pillars are Education/POV/Proof/BTS/CTA. Cadence says 1 post/day on X, 3/week on LinkedIn, 5/week on IG.

Output: Monday: X = Education thread "Why cold email fails (and what actually works)" + LinkedIn = Carousel "The 3 data points that predict cold email success" + IG = BTS story about the morning team standup. Tuesday: X = POV short post "I don't think lead scoring works for pre-seed" + LinkedIn = Proof post "Case study: how [customer] got 3 meetings from 50 DMs". Total: 14 posts across platforms, 20% flex, balanced pillars.