Social Media Calendar

SKILL.md

---
name: Social Media Calendar
version: 1.1.0
description: Build weekly or monthly social media content calendars for ecommerce brands, aligned with product launches, holidays, seasonal promotions, flash sales, and platform-specific trends.
category: ecommerce
tags:
  - social-media
  - content-calendar
  - ecommerce
  - content-strategy
  - scheduling
  - marketing
  - instagram
  - tiktok
  - pinterest
  - product-launches
---

# Social Media Calendar

## Introduction

Social media is the storefront window of modern ecommerce. Every post is an opportunity to attract, engage, and convert, but only when it is part of a deliberate, commercially aligned plan. Random posting wastes creative resources, confuses the brand voice, and leaves revenue on the table during the moments that matter most: product launches, seasonal peaks, and flash sales.

This skill transforms scattered posting habits into a disciplined content engine. It covers every stage from auditing the current presence and defining content pillars, to mapping commercial milestones, selecting platform-specific formats, writing post briefs, and building a measurement framework. The output is a structured, week-by-week calendar a social media manager can execute immediately.

Designed for ecommerce brands of all sizes, from solo Shopify sellers to multi-channel retailers coordinating across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest, and X.

---

## Quick Reference

| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| **Skill Name** | Social Media Calendar |
| **Version** | 1.1.0 |
| **Category** | Ecommerce |
| **Primary Output** | Structured weekly or monthly content calendar |
| **Target Users** | Ecommerce brand owners, social media managers, marketing teams |
| **Platforms Covered** | Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest, X |
| **Planning Horizons** | Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly |
| **Key Inputs** | Brand info, product catalog, commercial calendar, target audience |
| **Deliverables** | Calendar grid, post briefs, hashtag sets, visual direction notes |
| **Time to Complete** | 30-60 minutes per month of calendar |

---

## What This Skill Solves

### 1. Inconsistent Posting Frequency
Brands post in bursts then go silent. Algorithms penalize inconsistency and audiences lose trust. A structured calendar enforces a sustainable cadence.

### 2. No Content Mix Strategy
Accounts that post only product photos with discount codes lose followers. A proper mix balances educational, entertaining, promotional, community, and UGC content.

### 3. Missed Seasonal Opportunities
Black Friday, Valentine's Day, back-to-school: these windows drive outsized revenue but require content planned weeks ahead. Without a forward-looking calendar, brands scramble with last-minute posts.

### 4. Platform Mismatch
Content that works on Instagram fails on TikTok or Pinterest. Aspect ratios, caption lengths, and audience expectations differ drastically. A platform-aware calendar prevents wasted effort.

### 5. No Commercial Alignment
Posts that do not tie to business objectives are noise. Every piece of content should serve a purpose: awareness for a new line, traffic to a landing page, or warming up an audience before a sale.

### 6. Content Fatigue and Creative Burnout
The daily "what do I post?" question leads to decision fatigue and repetitive content. A pre-planned calendar with briefs removes the guesswork.

### 7. No Measurement Framework
Posting without tracking what works means the brand never improves. A calendar with KPIs and review cadences ensures each month builds on lessons from the last.

---

## Step-by-Step Workflow

### Step 1: Audit Current Social Presence

Review each platform account and document:
- **Account health**: follower count, engagement rate, growth trend (90 days)
- **Posting frequency**: average posts per week, most/least active days
- **Content performance**: top 5 posts by engagement, reach, and saves
- **Audience demographics**: age, gender, location, active hours
- **Competitor snapshot**: 2-3 competitors' frequency, content mix, engagement

### Step 2: Define Content Pillars

Establish 4-6 recurring themes:
1. **Product Spotlight**: hero shots, feature highlights, new arrivals
2. **Educational**: how-to guides, styling tips, care instructions
3. **Behind the Scenes**: production, team, packing orders, sourcing
4. **Community / UGC**: customer photos, reviews, unboxing videos
5. **Lifestyle**: aspirational imagery, mood boards, seasonal aesthetics
6. **Promotional**: sales, discount codes, flash sales, launch countdowns

Define each with a description, target frequency, and primary platform.

### Step 3: Map the Commercial Calendar

Overlay milestones onto a timeline:
- Product launches (drops, collections, collaborations)
- Sales events (BFCM, Prime Day, flash sales)
- Holidays (Valentine's, Mother's Day, Christmas, etc.)
- Cultural moments (back-to-school, Earth Day, awareness months)

Note each date, lead-up window, event window, and follow-up window.

### Step 4: Plan the Content Mix

Assign pillars and formats to each weekday:

| Day | Pillar | Format | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Educational | Carousel or Reel | Instagram, Pinterest |
| Tuesday | Product Spotlight | Feed Photo or Video | Instagram, Facebook |
| Wednesday | Community / UGC | Story or Repost | Instagram, TikTok |
| Thursday | Behind the Scenes | Reel or TikTok | TikTok, Instagram |
| Friday | Promotional | Feed Post or Story | All platforms |
| Saturday | Lifestyle | Pin or Carousel | Pinterest, Instagram |
| Sunday | Engagement | Story Poll or Thread | Instagram, X |

During launch weeks, shift toward promotional while keeping at least 60% non-promotional.

### Step 5: Create the Weekly Schedule

Fill the calendar grid with: date, platform(s), pillar, content type, topic/hook, caption brief, visual direction, CTA, hashtag set, and posting time. See `references/output-template.md` for the full format.

### Step 6: Write Post Briefs

Expand each entry into an executable brief: post objective, key message, caption outline, visual requirements, cross-posting adaptations, and approval status.

### Step 7: Build the Measurement Framework

- **KPIs by pillar**: engagement rate, CTR, save rate, reach
- **Weekly review**: every Friday, 15 minutes, note over/under-performers
- **Monthly retrospective**: compare against targets, identify top themes, adjust next month
- **Commercial metrics**: social-attributed revenue, link clicks, code redemptions

---

## Full Examples

### Example 1: Home Decor Brand — 4-Week Holiday Calendar

**Brand**: Ember & Oak — candles, ceramics, woven textiles. Instagram (45K), Pinterest (22K), Facebook (12K). Goal: drive holiday gift purchases in December.

**Key Moments**: Gift Guide launch (Dec 1), Flash Sale (Dec 12-13), Last-Chance Shipping (Dec 18), Boxing Day (Dec 26).

**Pillars**: Product Spotlight, Gift Guide, Behind the Scenes, Customer Stories, Seasonal Lifestyle, Promotional.

**Week 1 (Dec 1-7): Gift Guide Launch**

| Day | Platform | Format | Topic | CTA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | IG, Pinterest | Carousel (10) | Holiday Gift Guide: 20 Ideas Under $75 | Save, link in bio |
| Tue | Instagram | Reel (30s) | Bestselling candle close-up with crackling audio | Shop now |
| Wed | Instagram | Story Series (5) | Customer holiday decor setups | Tag us |
| Thu | TikTok, IG | Reel/TikTok (45s) | Packing 200 orders time-lapse | Follow for BTS |
| Fri | IG, Facebook | Carousel (5) | Gifts for---
name: Social Media Calendar
version: 1.1.0
description: Build weekly or monthly social media content calendars for ecommerce brands, aligned with product launches, holidays, Her: Top 5 | Tap to shop |
| Sat | Pinterest | Pin (1000x1500) | Winter Tablescape styling ideas | Save and shop |
| Sun | Instagram | Story Poll | Which gift set to restock? | Vote now |

**Week 2 (Dec 8-14): Flash Sale**

| Day | Platform | Format | Topic | CTA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Instagram | Carousel (7) | Candle Care 101 | Save for later |
| Tue | IG, Facebook | Carousel (5) | Gifts for Him: Top 5 | Tap to shop |
| Wed | Instagram | Story + Feed | Flash Sale teaser | Turn on notifications |
| Thu | TikTok, IG | Reel/TikTok (30s) | Team prepping for sale | Stay tuned |
| Fri | All | Feed + Stories + Pin | Flash Sale LIVE: 25% off, code HOLIDAY25 | Shop now |
| Sat | IG, Facebook | Story + Feed | Flash Sale final hours | Last chance |
| Sun | Instagram | Repost + Story | Customer flash sale hauls | Share your haul |

**Weeks 3-4**: Shipping deadline urgency, gift card pivot, Boxing Day clearance, year-in-review.

**Targets**: 4.5% IG engagement rate, 2,500 Pinterest clicks, $18K social-attributed revenue.

---

### Example 2: Fitness Apparel — Monthly Launch Calendar

**Brand**: VoltFit — performance leggings, sports bras, shorts. Instagram (120K), TikTok (85K), Facebook (30K). Goal: launch "Spring Surge" collection Mar 15, $50K first-week revenue.

**Phases**: Teaser (Mar 1-7), Influencer Seeding (Mar 8-14), Launch (Mar 15-21), Sustain (Mar 22-31).

**Phase 1: Teaser (Mar 1-7)**

| Day | Platform | Format | Topic | CTA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 1 | IG, TikTok | Reel/TikTok (20s) | Color swatch reveal, no full product | Guess the palette |
| Mon 3 | Instagram | Carousel (3) | Design sketch progression, blurred product | Coming 3.15 |
| Wed 5 | TikTok | TikTok (30s) | Fabric stretch test close-up | Follow for reveal |
| Fri 7 | IG, Facebook | Feed + Story | Collection name reveal: SPRING SURGE | Save the date |

**Phase 2: Influencer Seeding (Mar 8-14)**

Six influencers receive early product on a staggered schedule. Brand reposts to Stories, creates a "First Look" highlight, and continues workout Reels with blurred glimpses. Early access email sign-up launches Mar 13.

**Phase 3: Launch (Mar 15-21)**

Multi-platform blitz: IG Reel (lookbook), TikTok (try-on haul), Facebook (link post), Pinterest (product Pins). All-day Stories with countdown, order reactions, and BTS. Post-launch: styling Reels, workout challenges, restock updates.

**Phase 4: Sustain (Mar 22-31)**

Normal cadence with Spring Surge integrated. UGC takes center stage. "Complete the Set" bundle promo Mar 25. Month closes with community stats recap.

**Targets**: 500K launch-day IG reach, 1M TikTok views, $50K social revenue, +8K IG followers.

---

## 10 Common Mistakes

1. **No commercial calendar overlay** — posts that do not support launches or sales waste prime windows
2. **Ignoring platform formatting** — same image everywhere without adapting ratios or caption length
3. **Over-promoting** — more than 30% promotional content kills engagement; maintain 80/20 value-to-promo ratio
4. **No content batching** — daily creation leads to inconsistent quality; batch shoots and copy sessions
5. **Vague post briefs** — "post about new product" is not actionable; specify hook, visual, caption, CTA
6. **Stale hashtag sets** — identical hashtags every post signals spam; rotate 5-8 sets by pillar
7. **Ignoring Stories** — ephemeral content drives engagement and suits time-sensitive promos
8. **Wrong posting times** — schedule based on audience analytics, not team convenience
9. **No flex slots** — rigid calendars miss trending moments; leave 1-2 open slots per week
10. **No performance review** — weekly 15-minute reviews and monthly retrospectives drive continuous improvement

---

## Resources

### Internal References
- `references/output-template.md` — Structured output template for the content calendar
- `references/content-strategy-guide.md` — Content pillars, platform best practices, seasonal planning
- `references/platform-specs-reference.md` — Dimensions, character limits, algorithm signals by platform
- `assets/quality-checklist.md` — 50+ item quality checklist for calendar review

### Recommended Tools
- **Scheduling**: Later, Hootsuite, Buffer, Sprout Social, Meta Business Suite
- **Design**: Canva, Adobe Express, CapCut
- **Analytics**: platform-native insights, Google Analytics 4, Sprout Social
- **Hashtag Research**: Flick, Hashtag Expert, RiteTag
- **Trend Monitoring**: TikTok Creative Center, Google Trends, Pinterest Trends