How to create a 12-week content calendar

Use this information to brainstorm and complete a 12-week social media content calendar

Instructions:

Using a knowledge of your client's industry, intended audience, and with AI tools at your disposal, create a 12-week content calendar. 

Use your Core Messaging document to help guide the creation of your 12 week calendar. You can basically take the core messaging document and plug it in to Chat GPT to help you create an amazing content calendar. 

Step 1. Access the Social Media Calendar Template

• First, go to the client's Google Drive and select "+ New" > "Google Sheets" > "From a template".
• Select the Updated Social Media Calendar 2025 TEMPLATE. (LINK)
• Name it: "[Client name] Content Calendar".

Step 2. Select a platform

• Content will be different for different platforms. Before drafting posts or creating a content calendar, select the social media platform with the highest density of target consumers for your client. You don't need to do every single platform do some research and decide which platform based on their audience would be best for the client. 

Step 3. Identify applicable content pillars

• Posts should be centered around one of four selected themes, called content pillars. Content pillars help keep posts organized while allowing for creativity and adaptation to trends. For example, if a client was a cosmetics company, content pillars could be:
  • Pillar 1: Beauty and self-care rituals
  • Pillar 2: Trendy looks and inspiration
  • Pillar 3: Behind-the-scene and brand history
  • Pillar 4: Community and user-generated content

Step 4. Brainstorm content ideas

• Using the content pillars to guide your thinking, come up with ideas for content. 
  • Use the ChatGPT prompt #1 (below) to spark content inspiration. 

Step 5. Place content into the content calendar

• Finally, assemble the content calendar in the "Month" tabs of the the document
  • Use the content brainstormed during Step 4. for the calendar
  • Use the ChatGPT prompt #2 (below) to help with this process
• Fill out the respective fields in the spreadsheet: 
  • Platform
  • Content Pillar
  • Content
  • Description
  • CTA
  • Hashtags

#1 ChatGPT prompt for content idea generation:

Can you create a table with content ideas for [company] in [industry]. 
Their brand voice is [description of brand voice]. 
Include an idea for content, a caption for the post, 
a simple CTA, and 2-4 relevant industry hashtags.

#2 ChatGPT prompt to create content calendar:

Feed Chat your Core Messaging Doc along with this prompt. 👇

ChatGPT Prompt:

Create a 12-week social media content calendar for the (Insert Client name), focusing on the brand’s core messaging, target audience, and mission. Based on the provided core messaging document, please define 3-5 main content pillars (key themes or topics) for the calendar.

Also, give me recommendations on 1-3 social media platforms where the content focuses on the target audience and where the audience is most likely to engage, such as Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook.

For each of the 12 weeks, create a table with the following information:

Content Name: A catchy title or theme for the post.
Type of Content: Specify the format (e.g., Reel, Post, Video Content, Story).
Purpose: The main goal of the content (e.g., educate, engage, promote).
Post Location: The social media platform(s) the post will be on (e.g., Instagram, Facebook).
Caption: A thoughtful and engaging caption for each post.
Hashtags: Relevant hashtags to help the post reach a wider audience.

Please ensure that each post:

Aligns with the brand’s mission to offer research-backed relationship insights.
Focuses on one or more of the following goals: self-awareness, communication improvement, relationship growth, and emotional intelligence.
Varies in content type to keep the audience engaged (educational, actionable tips, stories, personal testimonials, engagement-driven content).