Author Content Marketing Calendar: Boost Your Platform in 8 Steps

Boost your author platform in 8 steps

by | Jun 1, 2023

Last Updated:
May 16, 2023

Organize Your Author Content Strategy for Greater Online Success

In today’s digital age, content marketing has become an essential tool for authors looking to promote their work, connect with readers, and grow their online presence.

Content marketing involves creating and sharing valuable, relevant, and engaging content that resonates with your target audience, positioning you as an expert in your field and fostering loyalty among readers. This strategy not only helps to increase book sales but also builds a community around your author brand, paving the way for long-term success.

However, managing a consistent and effective content marketing strategy can be challenging without a solid plan in place. This is where a content marketing calendar comes in.

A well-organized content marketing calendar helps authors streamline their content creation process, ensuring they consistently produce high-quality content that appeals to their readers.

Moreover, it allows authors to plan and schedule content across various platforms, enabling them to maintain an active online presence without getting overwhelmed.

To help you get started, we’re offering a free content marketing calendar template for download—no strings attached! No email sign-up required, no fuss.

Simply follow along with this blog post, and by the end, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge and tools to create a content marketing calendar that will boost your author platform.

So, let’s dive in and explore the steps to building a content marketing calendar that works for you.

Step 1: Determine Your Content Marketing Goals

Establishing clear content marketing goals is the foundation of a successful content marketing calendar. These goals will guide your content creation, distribution, and promotion efforts, ensuring that every piece of content you produce is strategically aligned with your desired outcomes. When setting your goals, consider the following aspects:

  1. Align with your overall author objectives: Your content marketing goals should complement your broader author objectives. For instance, if your primary goal as an author is to increase book sales, your content marketing efforts should focus on driving awareness and interest in your books.
  2. Be SMART: SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time bound. For example, instead of setting a vague goal such as “increase blog traffic,” aim for a SMART goal like “increase monthly blog traffic by 20% within six months.”
  3. Consider multiple goals: Your content marketing strategy can serve multiple purposes. For instance, you might aim to increase book sales while also positioning yourself as an authority within your genre. Consider setting multiple goals to ensure your content strategy encompasses various aspects of your author brand.
  4. Balance short-term and long-term goals: While some content marketing goals can be achieved relatively quickly, others may require a more long-term approach. Strive for a mix of short-term and long-term goals to maintain motivation and ensure sustained progress.

Here are some example content marketing goals for authors:

  • Increase monthly website traffic by X% in the next Y months.
  • Grow email subscribers by X% within the next Y months.
  • Boost social media engagement (likes, comments, shares) by X% within the next Y months.
  • Establish a consistent content schedule, publishing X blog posts per month for the next Y months.
  • Increase book sales by X% within the next Y months.
  • Collaborate with X influencers or other authors within the next Y months.
  • Position yourself as an authority in your genre by securing X guest posting opportunities within the next Y months.

By clearly defining your content marketing goals, you’ll be better equipped to create a content calendar that effectively supports your author platform’s growth and success.

Analyze your existing fans to see what they prefer

Step 2: Identify Your Target Audience

Understanding your target audience is crucial for creating content that resonates with your readers and drives engagement. By knowing who your readers are, you can tailor your content to their preferences, needs, and interests, making it more likely that they’ll connect with your work and become loyal followers.

To identify your target audience, consider the following steps:

  1. Analyze your existing readers: Start by examining the demographic and psychographic information of your current readers. This can be done through reader surveys, social media analytics, and website analytics tools, such as Google Analytics. Look for patterns in age, gender, location, interests, and reading preferences.
  2. Create reader personas: Based on your analysis, develop reader personas representing different segments of your target audience. These personas should include demographic information, reading habits, preferred content formats, and common pain points or interests. For example, you might create a persona for a busy working professional who enjoys quick, actionable writing tips or a stay-at-home parent who appreciates in-depth book reviews.
  3. Align with your author brand and genre: Your target audience should align with your author brand and the genre(s) you write in. For instance, if you write romance novels, your target audience might primarily comprise women who enjoy romance stories. Consider the typical reader profiles for your genre and how your author brand caters to their interests.
  4. Assess the competition: Look at other successful authors in your genre or niche and examine their audiences. Identify commonalities and differences between their target audiences and yours. This exercise can help you uncover potential gaps in the market or refine your understanding of your ideal readers.
  5. Refine and adjust: As your author platform grows and you gain more insights into your readers, continue refining your target audience. Be open to adjusting your content strategy to better serve your readers’ evolving needs and preferences.

By identifying your target audience, you can create a content marketing calendar filled with content that appeals directly to your ideal readers. This targeted approach not only increases the likelihood of engagement but also helps you stand out in a crowded online space, ultimately contributing to the growth and success of your author platform.

Step 3: Choose Your Content Platforms

With a clear understanding of your content marketing goals and target audience, it’s time to select the platforms where you’ll share your content.

As an author, you have numerous options, each with its unique benefits and challenges.

Choosing the right platforms not only ensures your content reaches your target audience but also helps you manage your content marketing efforts more efficiently.

Consider the following factors when choosing your content platforms:

  1. Audience preferences: Think about where your target audience spends most of their time online. Are they avid blog readers, social media enthusiasts, or dedicated podcast listeners? Align your content platforms with your audience’s preferences to increase the likelihood of engagement and conversion.
  2. Content format: Different platforms lend themselves better to specific content formats. For example, if you’re an expert at creating visually appealing content, platforms like Instagram and Pinterest may be ideal choices. On the other hand, if you prefer long-form written content, focusing on your blog and guest posting opportunities might be more suitable.
  3. Time and resources: Be realistic about the time and resources you can dedicate to each platform. If you’re a busy author with limited time for content creation, it’s better to focus on a few key platforms and consistently produce high-quality content rather than spreading yourself too thin across multiple platforms.
  4. Cross-promotion opportunities: Consider platforms that offer opportunities for cross-promotion, helping you reach a wider audience. For example, you can share your blog posts on social media or include snippets of your podcast episodes in your email newsletter.
  5. Measure and adjust: Regularly assess the performance of your content on each platform using analytics tools and engagement metrics. Be open to adjusting your platform choices based on what works best for your content and audience.

Here are some popular content platforms for authors:

  • Blog: A blog is an excellent platform for sharing long-form written content, such as articles, book excerpts, and interviews. It also serves as a central hub for your author platform, allowing readers to easily find your work and learn more about you.
  • Social media: Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn offer diverse opportunities for sharing content, engaging with readers, and increasing your online visibility. Choose the social media platforms that align with your audience’s preferences and the type of content you create.
  • Email newsletter: An email newsletter allows you to maintain direct contact with your readers, share updates, and promote your content. It’s also a valuable tool for nurturing relationships and driving conversions, such as book sales or event registrations.
  • Podcast: If you enjoy speaking and sharing your expertise through audio content, a podcast can be a powerful platform for reaching new audiences and establishing yourself as an authority in your genre or niche.
  • Video: Platforms like YouTube and Vimeo offer opportunities for sharing video content, such as book trailers, author interviews, and book reviews. Video content can be highly engaging and help you connect with your audience on a deeper level.

By carefully selecting your content platforms, you’ll be better equipped to create a content marketing calendar that effectively reaches your target audience and supports your author platform’s growth.

Step 4: Generate a List of Content Ideas

With your goals, target audience, and platforms in place, it’s time to generate a list of content ideas that will resonate with your readers and support your content marketing objectives. This step is crucial for ensuring that your content marketing calendar is filled with engaging, relevant, and valuable content.

To generate content ideas, consider the following strategies:

  1. Address your audience’s interests and preferences: Identify the common themes, topics, or elements that your target audience enjoys in fiction and create content that caters to these preferences. This may include discussing similar books or authors they might enjoy, exploring the themes and settings within your own work, or engaging readers in discussions about your characters and their motivations. By creating content that aligns with your readers’ interests, you’ll be better positioned to attract and engage your target audience.
  2. Leverage your expertise and creative world: Share your knowledge and experiences as an author or insights into your fictional worlds to educate, inspire, or entertain your audience. You can create content that explores the backstory of your characters, delves into the settings of your stories, or offers exclusive sneak peeks into upcoming works. By providing readers with an immersive experience, you can foster a deeper connection with your fictional world and maintain their interest in your work.
  3. Monitor genre trends and reader preferences: Stay updated on the latest trends, popular themes, and reader preferences in your genre. By creating content that reflects these trends and preferences, you’ll demonstrate your understanding of your audience’s interests and remain relevant in your genre. This can include discussing up-and-coming authors, exploring popular tropes, or sharing your thoughts on the evolution of your genre over time. Staying attuned to the preferences of your readers can help you create content that resonates with them and ultimately contributes to the growth of your author platform.
  4. Analyze competitors’ content: Examine the content produced by other successful authors in your genre or niche to identify popular topics, formats, and themes. Look for gaps in their content or areas where you can provide a unique perspective or additional value.
  5. Use keyword research: Utilize keyword research tools such as Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to identify popular search terms and topics related to your genre, niche, or author brand. This can help you create content that aligns with your audience’s interests and improves your visibility in search engines.
  6. Repurpose existing content: Review your existing content and identify opportunities to repurpose or update it for a new platform or format. For example, you can turn a series of blog posts into a podcast episode or create an infographic based on an in-depth article.
  7. Seek input from your audience: Engage with your readers through surveys, social media polls, or email to solicit their feedback on content topics, formats, and preferences. This not only helps you create content that directly addresses your audience’s needs, but also fosters a sense of community and involvement.

Once you’ve generated a list of content ideas, prioritize them based on their relevance to your goals, audience, and platforms. Aim to strike a balance between different content formats, topics, and themes to keep your audience engaged and cater to diverse preferences.

By generating a comprehensive list of content ideas, you’ll be well-prepared to create a content marketing calendar that consistently delivers engaging and valuable content, contributing to the growth and success of your author platform.

Establish a content marketing schedule to help improve your author platform

Step 5: Establish a Content Schedule and Frequency

Consistency is key when it comes to content marketing, as it helps you maintain an active online presence, build trust with your audience, and establish your author brand.

In this step, you’ll determine a content schedule and frequency that works for you and your target audience.

Consider the following factors when establishing your content schedule:

  1. Platform-specific requirements: Different platforms have unique requirements with optimal posting frequency. For example, it’s common to post more frequently on social media platforms like Twitter than on a blog. Research the best practices for each platform and adjust your content schedule accordingly.
  2. Audience preferences: Consider the preferences of your target audience when determining your content frequency. If your audience primarily consists of busy professionals, they may prefer fewer, more in-depth pieces of content rather than daily updates. Conversely, if your audience is highly active on social media, they may expect more frequent updates.
  3. Your capacity: Be realistic about the amount of time and resources you can dedicate to content creation. It’s better to maintain a consistent, manageable content schedule than to attempt a high-frequency schedule that leads to burnout or a decline in content quality.
  4. Content diversity: Strive for a balance between different content formats, topics, and themes to keep your audience engaged and cater to diverse preferences. This may influence the frequency with which you publish certain types of content.
  5. Experiment and adjust: Monitor the performance of your content and be open to adjusting your schedule and frequency based on audience engagement, platform requirements, and your personal capacity. Regularly assess the effectiveness of your content schedule and make changes as needed.

To create your content schedule, consider using a content calendar tool or template that allows you to visualize your content plan and make adjustments easily.

Popular tools and templates include:

  • Google Calendar: Create a dedicated content calendar using Google Calendar, which allows you to add events, set reminders, and color-code different content types.
  • Trello: Use Trello’s card-based system to organize your content ideas, set deadlines, and track progress.
  • Asana: Create a content calendar project in Asana with tasks, due dates, and progress tracking.
  • Exclusive Excel Template: As a special bonus for our readers, we’re offering a comprehensive, easy-to-use content marketing calendar template for authors in Microsoft Excel format. This downloadable template is specifically designed to help you plan and organize your content marketing efforts efficiently.

By establishing a content schedule and frequency that suits your author platform, target audience, and personal capacity, you’ll be better equipped to maintain a consistent and engaging content marketing strategy that supports the growth of your author platform.

Step 6: Plan and Assign Content Production Tasks

Once you have your content ideas and schedule in place, it’s time to plan and assign content production tasks. This step ensures that your content marketing efforts are well-organized and executed efficiently, allowing you to maintain a consistent content calendar that supports the growth of your author platform.

To plan and assign content production tasks, consider the following steps:

  1. Break down content creation into manageable tasks: Divide the content creation process into smaller tasks, such as research, outlining, drafting, editing, and formatting. This will help you better manage your content production workload and ensure that each piece of content is completed on time and to a high standard.
  2. Assign tasks to team members or yourself: If you’re working with a team or have collaborators, assign tasks to individuals based on their skills and expertise. For example, if you have a team member who excels at graphic design, assign them the task of creating visuals for your blog posts or social media updates. If you’re a solo author, allocate tasks to yourself based on your strengths and the time you have available for content creation.
  3. Set deadlines for each task: Establish realistic deadlines for each content production task, taking into account the time required for research, drafting, editing, and publishing. Deadlines help keep your content creation efforts on track and ensure that your content marketing calendar remains consistent.
  4. Use a project management tool: Utilize a project management tool or platform to organize your content production tasks, set deadlines, and track progress. Tools like Trello, Asana, or Basecamp can help you manage your content creation workload more effectively and ensure that all tasks are completed on time.
  5. Establish a content review and approval process: Set up a review and approval process for your content, especially if you’re working with a team or collaborators. This might involve having another team member or an editor review your content for quality, accuracy, and relevance before it’s published. Establishing a review process helps maintain the quality and consistency of your content.
  6. Plan for contingencies: Be prepared for unexpected events, such as illness or technical issues, that may disrupt your content production schedule. Have a backup plan in place, such as a bank of evergreen content that can be published in case of emergencies, or consider working ahead on your content schedule to allow for more flexibility.
  7. Monitor and adjust your content production process: Regularly assess the effectiveness of your content production process and make adjustments as needed. This may involve reassigning tasks, adjusting deadlines, or refining your review and approval process to ensure that your content marketing efforts remain efficient and effective.

By planning and assigning content production tasks, you’ll be better equipped to maintain a consistent and well-organized content marketing calendar that supports the growth and success of your author platform. This level of organization also allows you to focus on creating high-quality content that resonates with your target audience and drives engagement.

Step 7: Measure and Analyze Content Performance

In order to maximize the effectiveness of your content marketing efforts, it’s crucial to measure and analyze the performance of your content. This step helps you identify which content resonates with your audience, which platforms are most effective, and how to adjust your content strategy to achieve better results.

To measure and analyze your content performance, consider the following steps:

  1. Set Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Establish KPIs that align with your content marketing goals, such as website traffic, social media engagement, email subscribers, or book sales. These metrics will help you assess the success of your content marketing efforts and identify areas for improvement.
  2. Use analytics tools: Utilize analytics tools, such as Google Analytics, social media insights, or email marketing platforms, to track your content performance metrics. These tools provide valuable data on user behavior, engagement, and conversions, which can help you optimize your content strategy.
  3. Conduct regular performance reviews: Schedule regular intervals (e.g., monthly or quarterly) to review your content performance metrics and evaluate the effectiveness of your content marketing strategy. During these reviews, analyze the data to identify trends, successes, and areas for improvement.
  4. Identify high-performing content: Analyze your content performance data to determine which pieces of content are most successful in terms of engagement, conversions, or achieving your goals. Use this information to guide your future content creation efforts, focusing on the formats, topics, and platforms that resonate with your audience.
  5. Optimize underperforming content: If your data reveals that certain pieces of content are underperforming, consider optimizing them by updating headlines, enhancing visuals, or reformatting the content. Additionally, explore ways to promote underperforming content more effectively, such as sharing on different platforms or targeting new audience segments.
  6. Adjust your content strategy: Based on your performance analysis, adjust your content marketing strategy as needed to better align with your goals, target audience, and platform requirements. This may involve changing your content frequency, exploring new content formats, or refining your target audience.
  7. A/B test content elements: Experiment with different content elements, such as headlines, visuals, or content formats, to determine which resonates most with your audience. A/B testing involves creating two versions of a content piece with a single variable changed and comparing their performance. Use the insights gained from A/B testing to optimize your content strategy.
  8. Seek feedback from your audience: Engage with your readers through surveys, social media polls, or email to gather their feedback on your content. This can provide valuable insights into what your audience values and how you can improve your content marketing efforts.

By measuring and analyzing your content performance, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of what resonates with your target audience and how to optimize your content marketing strategy for maximum impact. This ongoing process of evaluation and adjustment helps you stay agile and responsive to your audience’s needs, ensuring the continued growth and success of your author platform.

Review your metrics to refine your content marketing

Step 8: Continuously Refine and Iterate Your Content Marketing Strategy

As an author, it’s essential to continuously refine and iterate your content marketing strategy to ensure its ongoing effectiveness and alignment with your goals. By staying adaptable and responsive to your audience’s needs, industry trends, and platform changes, you can maintain a dynamic and engaging content marketing strategy that supports your author platform’s growth.

To continuously refine and iterate your content marketing strategy, consider the following steps:

  1. Monitor audience engagement: Pay close attention to how your audience engages with your content, including comments, shares, likes, and direct feedback. This information can help you identify which topics, formats, and styles resonate most with your readers, allowing you to tailor your content strategy accordingly.
  2. Stay informed about industry changes: Regularly follow industry news, trends, and best practices to stay informed about changes that may affect your content marketing strategy. This includes updates to social media algorithms, new content formats, and shifts in reader preferences.
  3. Evaluate your content marketing goals: Periodically review and reassess your content marketing goals to ensure they remain aligned with your overall author platform objectives. As your platform grows and develops, you may need to adjust your content marketing goals to reflect new priorities or opportunities.
  4. Test new content formats and platforms: Don’t be afraid to experiment with new content formats, platforms, or promotional strategies. By trying fresh approaches, you can discover innovative ways to engage your audience and expand your author platform. Track the performance of these experiments and adjust your content strategy accordingly.
  5. Learn from fellow authors and industry leaders: Connect with other authors and industry experts to learn about their content marketing strategies, successes, and challenges. By sharing experiences and insights, you can gain valuable knowledge and inspiration for your own content marketing efforts.
  6. Invest in professional development: Continue to improve your content marketing skills by attending workshops, conferences, or online courses. By staying up-to-date with the latest content marketing techniques and best practices, you can ensure that your strategy remains effective and cutting-edge.
  7. Measure the ROI of your content marketing efforts: Evaluate the return on investment (ROI) of your content marketing strategy by analyzing the relationship between your content production costs, promotional efforts, and the results achieved. This analysis can help you identify areas where you can improve efficiency, allocate resources more effectively, or shift your focus to higher-impact activities.
  8. Be open to change and adaptability: Embrace a growth mindset and be open to making changes to your content marketing strategy as needed. By staying agile and adaptable, you can respond more effectively to evolving audience preferences, industry trends, and platform requirements, ensuring the long-term success of your author platform.

By continuously refining and iterating your content marketing strategy, you can maintain a dynamic and effective approach that supports the growth and success of your author platform. This ongoing process of evaluation, experimentation, and adaptation helps you stay responsive to your audience’s needs and industry changes, ensuring that your content marketing efforts continue to drive engagement and results.

Conclusion: Optimize Your Author Content Marketing Strategy with Our Free Excel Template

In conclusion, creating a content marketing calendar is an essential step for authors looking to grow their platforms and engage their target audiences effectively.

By following the eight steps outlined in this guide, you can develop a comprehensive content marketing strategy that aligns with your goals, resonates with your readers, and drives results.

Remember, as part of this blog post, we’re offering a valuable resource to help you plan, organize, and execute your content marketing efforts: a free content marketing calendar template for authors in Microsoft Excel format.

Don’t miss out on this exclusive, user-friendly template that simplifies the content planning process and helps you stay organized as you work towards your author platform goals.

Content Marketing Calendar Template

Continuously refining and iterating your content marketing strategy, staying attuned to your audience’s preferences, and leveraging the power of our free Excel template will set you on the path to content marketing success as an author.

Start creating your content marketing calendar today and unlock the full potential of your author platform.

Further Learning: Boost Your Content Marketing Skills with Our Free Skill Booster

For authors who are eager to dive deeper into content marketing and further develop their skills, we highly recommend checking out our free Skill Booster.

This comprehensive resource offers valuable insights, best practices, and advanced strategies to help you take your content marketing efforts to the next level.

Our Skill Booster covers a wide range of topics, including:

  • Advanced content creation techniques: Learn how to create compelling and engaging content that captivates your audience and drives conversions.
  • Content promotion and distribution strategies: Discover proven methods for promoting your content across various platforms and reaching a wider audience.
  • Analytics and performance tracking: Master the art of using data and analytics to measure the success of your content marketing efforts and optimize your strategy.
  • Building and nurturing your author platform: Gain insights into how to grow your author platform, engage with your audience, and create a loyal following.
  • Collaborating with other authors and industry experts: Learn how to leverage collaborations and partnerships to expand your reach and boost your content marketing success.

The Skill Booster is designed to provide authors with the practical knowledge and tools needed to excel in content marketing.

By investing in your professional development and building on the foundation laid by our content marketing calendar guide, you’ll be well-equipped to create a high-impact content marketing strategy that drives results.

Sign up and read all the details about the Skill Booster here: https://www.amwritingfantasy.com/skill-booster/

Common Questions about Content Marketing

Why is content marketing important for authors?

Content marketing helps authors build their platforms, engage their target audiences, and create a loyal following. By consistently providing valuable and engaging content, authors can establish themselves as experts in their genres, connect with readers, and ultimately drive book sales.

How often should I publish new content?

The frequency of content publication depends on your personal capacity, target audience, and platform requirements. It’s essential to balance maintaining a consistent content schedule and not overwhelming your audience. As a general rule, aim for at least one new piece of content per week.

What types of content should I create as an author?

As an author, focus on creating content that aligns with your genre, interests, and expertise. This may include blog posts, social media updates, videos, or podcasts. Experiment with different content formats and platforms to discover what resonates with your audience.

How can I measure the success of my content marketing efforts?

To measure the success of your content marketing efforts, establish key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with your goals. Track your content performance using analytics tools, such as Google Analytics, social media insights, or email marketing platforms, and evaluate the effectiveness of your content strategy at regular intervals.

How do I promote my content to reach a wider audience?

Promote your content across various platforms, including social media, email marketing, and collaborations with other authors or industry experts. Use SEO best practices to improve the visibility of your content in search engine results and explore paid advertising options, if necessary.

Jesper Schmidt

Jesper Schmidt is a Danish bestselling fantasy author who also dabbles in non-fiction. He is also focused on helping and inspiring others. It is his firm belief that this world of ours can never have too much fantasy fiction in it, but for that to happen we need authors to write it and readers to find it.

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Written by: Jesper Schmidt

Jesper Schmidt is a Danish bestselling fantasy author who also dabbles in non-fiction. He is also focused on helping and inspiring others. It is his firm belief that this world of ours can never have too much fantasy fiction in it, but for that to happen we need authors to write it and readers to find it.

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