SEO
How To Plan Your Quarter (With Template)
Planning social media content seems to be an area of struggle for many marketers and business owners.
From researching topics to creating images – not to mention, the wide catalog of platforms to post on – there’s quite a bit that goes into social media planning.
And while many social media planning tools like Hootsuite and Loomly aim to make social media marketing even easier, sometimes all you need is a good ol’ Google Sheet.
In this guide, you’ll find a simple, easy-to-use social media planner template for Google Sheets – plus, some tips on how to plan your quarterly social media content.
What Is A Social Media Planner?
A social media planner is a tool, system, or process that organizations or individuals can use to plan, schedule, publish, and manage their social media content.
A social media planner makes it easier to plan content in advance and manage posts across multiple platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
There are many social media planning software options available, as well as more simplified templates, tables, checklists, and the like.
Many of these tools include features such as post-scheduling, tracking and analytics, multi-platform management, and more.
Why Use A Social Media Planner?
There are many perks to using a social media planner – you know, instead of just wingin’ it.
Planning ahead is one of the best ways to build a consistent social media presence, track results, and improve your strategy over time.
Here are just a few of the many benefits of using a social media planner:
Improve Productivity
Using a social media planner allows you to schedule and publish content in advance, freeing up time for other tasks.
This can increase your overall productivity by giving you more time to focus on other aspects of your business or personal life.
Additionally, the ability to manage multiple social media accounts from one central location can save time and reduce the effort required to maintain your presence on different platforms.
Publish Content More Consistently
A social media planner helps you publish content consistently by allowing you to schedule posts in advance.
This helps ensure that your social media presence remains active, even when you are busy or unavailable.
Consistent posting can help maintain engagement with your followers and improve the visibility of your content.
Keep Organized
A social media planner helps you stay organized by allowing you to plan and track your content calendar.
This allows you to keep track of what you’ve published, when you’ve published it, and what’s coming up next.
The ability to view your content calendar in one central location can help you stay on top of your social media presence and avoid missing opportunities to engage with your audience.
Develop Your Strategy
A social media planner allows you to track the success of your content. This information can be used to inform future content strategy, making it easier to identify what works and what doesn’t on each platform.
The ability to see the impact of your content can help you make data-driven decisions and improve the effectiveness of your social media presence.
Collaborate With Your Team
A social media planner can also help facilitate collaboration between team members.
For example, by allowing multiple people to access your social media planner document, it is easier to share responsibility for maintaining a consistent social media presence.
This can help ensure that content is published regularly, and reduce the risk of missing opportunities to engage with your audience.
Free ‘Social Media Planner Template’ For Google Sheets
Planning your social media content doesn’t have to be complicated – or require the use of expensive tools.
With the free Social Media Planner Template for Google Sheets, you’ll find an easier way to plan, organize, and schedule your social media content.
Whether you are an individual or a small business, this template is designed to help you publish content consistently, stay organized, and make better decisions about your social media strategy.
With this Google Sheets template, you can:
- Plan your content calendar in advance, see what you’ve published, and know what’s coming up next.
- Schedule posts for multiple social media accounts from one calendar.
- Track the progress of your content and use the information to inform your future strategy.
- Collaborate with others by sharing access with your team.
Note: Click on “File” > “Make a Copy” to edit your template. You do not need to request Edit access.
Make a copy: Social Media Planner Template for Google Sheets
How To Plan Your Social Media Content In 2023
Plan your quarterly social media content in a matter of minutes – not days – with the Social Media Planner Template.
This Google Sheet template makes it easy to see your schedule well in advance and save all of your social media assets in one place.
Here’s how to plan your social media content for 2023.
Step 1: Create A Copy Of The “Social Media Planner Template”
Once you have access to the template, click “File” and then “Make a Copy.” This will create a new copy of the template that you can edit.
Next, give your copy a descriptive name, such as “[Business name] – Social Media Plan Q1-Q4 2023,” and save it to Google Drive.
Step 2: Identify Your Current Quarter/Month
Depending on when you’re reading this article, you will want to identify the quarter and/or month in which you plan to start your social media planning.
The bottom of the template includes tabs spanning from “Q1: January” to “Q4: December” of 2023.
Open the tab for the month in which you want to start planning your content.
Screenshot from Social Media Planner Template, February 2023For simplicity, we started with “Q1: January” and began filling out the first two topics.
Screenshot from Social Media Planner Template, February 2023You will also see in the left-hand columns that there is a calendar for each month.
This is simply meant as a go-to reference for the correct days of the month/week, based on the 2023 calendar.
You can, of course, update this for 2024, 2025, and so forth.
Step 3: Choose Your Social Media Platforms (“Format”)
Column K includes a dropdown of various social media platforms to which you may be publishing your content.
You can select from this list of options (Blog, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Tik Tok, or Other) or you can add your own by clicking the “edit button” i.e., the pencil icon.
Screenshot from Social Media Planner Template, February 2023This dropdown allows you to easily identify which platform you plan on publishing to.
Whether it be Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other platform, this will help you keep your content organized.
Step 4: Plan Your Topics
Now, it’s time to fill in your topic ideas!
There are quite a few ways to think of engaging social media topics, which we covered in our How To Create A Social Media Content Plan guide.
However, the research process doesn’t have to stop there. Here are a few ways to come up with social media posts:
- Conduct competitor research: Look at what your competitors are doing on social media and use that as inspiration for your future social media posts.
- Look at industry trends: Stay up-to-date on industry trends and news, and use this information to create relevant and timely posts for your audience.
- Utilize user-generated content: Encourage your followers to share their own experiences and use that content as inspiration for your own posts.
- Look at hashtags: Research and use relevant hashtags to increase the visibility of your posts and reach a wider audience. This can also be a way to find content ideas.
- Schedule regular promotions: Share your promotions and discounts to drive engagement and increase sales.
Once you think up some ideas, you can start filling out your social media planner.
Just fill out Columns J through O with your “Title/Topic,” “Description,” and the like.
Step 5: Fill In Your Needed Columns
Start editing the template by adding your own content, such as your social media accounts, post types, and content topics.
You can also change the design and format of the template to fit your needs.
Screenshot from Social Media Planner Template, February 2023Add the “Image” you plan to include with your social media posts. You can do this by adding a link to a Google Drive folder or Digital Asset Manager (DAM).
Step 6: Add Due Dates
Next, use the template to schedule your posts in advance by adding the date, time, and platform for each post.
Then, update the “Status” column as you go along.
You can even use the template to track the success of your content by adding metrics such as likes, comments, and shares.
Step 7: Add Content And Publishing Notes
If you are working with a team, share the template with your colleagues and give them access to edit the template.
This will allow you to collaborate and work together to maintain a consistent social media presence.
The “Notes” column is for any miscellaneous notes you have about your upcoming content, drafts, due dates, etc.
Step 8: Plan Ahead And Repeat
Planning your social media content in advance offers numerous benefits that can greatly enhance your social media presence.
By taking the time to plan your content, you can ensure that you are consistently publishing relevant posts that engage your audience and drive results.
With a clear content plan in place, you can focus on creating high-quality content that is aligned with your overall marketing strategy, and avoid the pitfalls of impulsive, unplanned posting.
I recommend using the social media planner to plan at least one quarter’s worth of content, so you’re not scrambling to write the copy, collect the assets, schedule the posts, etc.
You can breathe easy knowing your exact strategy months in advance.
Get Ahead With Social Media Content Planning
A social media planner is a powerful tool when it comes to planning, scheduling, and managing your social content.
Don’t let “idea block” get the best of you; start planning your Q1-Q4 content now!
Using a social media planner also empowers you to be proactive in producing content about your industry or market – rather than just reactive.
This can help you stay ahead of the competition and maintain a strong presence on social media.
Plus, when you plan your content in advance, you can allocate resources and budget more effectively, ensuring that you are using your time and resources in the most efficient way possible.
More Resources:
Featured Image: ESB Professional/Shutterstock
SEO
brightonSEO Live Blog
Hello everyone. It’s April again, so I’m back in Brighton for another two days of Being the introvert I am, my idea of fun isn’t hanging around our booth all day explaining we’ve run out of t-shirts (seriously, you need to be fast if you want swag!). So I decided to do something useful and live-blog the event instead.
Follow below for talk takeaways and (very) mildly humorous commentary. sun, sea, and SEO!
SEO
Google Further Postpones Third-Party Cookie Deprecation In Chrome
Google has again delayed its plan to phase out third-party cookies in the Chrome web browser. The latest postponement comes after ongoing challenges in reconciling feedback from industry stakeholders and regulators.
The announcement was made in Google and the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) joint quarterly report on the Privacy Sandbox initiative, scheduled for release on April 26.
Chrome’s Third-Party Cookie Phaseout Pushed To 2025
Google states it “will not complete third-party cookie deprecation during the second half of Q4” this year as planned.
Instead, the tech giant aims to begin deprecating third-party cookies in Chrome “starting early next year,” assuming an agreement can be reached with the CMA and the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
The statement reads:
“We recognize that there are ongoing challenges related to reconciling divergent feedback from the industry, regulators and developers, and will continue to engage closely with the entire ecosystem. It’s also critical that the CMA has sufficient time to review all evidence, including results from industry tests, which the CMA has asked market participants to provide by the end of June.”
Continued Engagement With Regulators
Google reiterated its commitment to “engaging closely with the CMA and ICO” throughout the process and hopes to conclude discussions this year.
This marks the third delay to Google’s plan to deprecate third-party cookies, initially aiming for a Q3 2023 phaseout before pushing it back to late 2024.
The postponements reflect the challenges in transitioning away from cross-site user tracking while balancing privacy and advertiser interests.
Transition Period & Impact
In January, Chrome began restricting third-party cookie access for 1% of users globally. This percentage was expected to gradually increase until 100% of users were covered by Q3 2024.
However, the latest delay gives websites and services more time to migrate away from third-party cookie dependencies through Google’s limited “deprecation trials” program.
The trials offer temporary cookie access extensions until December 27, 2024, for non-advertising use cases that can demonstrate direct user impact and functional breakage.
While easing the transition, the trials have strict eligibility rules. Advertising-related services are ineligible, and origins matching known ad-related domains are rejected.
Google states the program aims to address functional issues rather than relieve general data collection inconveniences.
Publisher & Advertiser Implications
The repeated delays highlight the potential disruption for digital publishers and advertisers relying on third-party cookie tracking.
Industry groups have raised concerns that restricting cross-site tracking could push websites toward more opaque privacy-invasive practices.
However, privacy advocates view the phaseout as crucial in preventing covert user profiling across the web.
With the latest postponement, all parties have more time to prepare for the eventual loss of third-party cookies and adopt Google’s proposed Privacy Sandbox APIs as replacements.
Featured Image: Novikov Aleksey/Shutterstock
SEO
How To Write ChatGPT Prompts To Get The Best Results
ChatGPT is a game changer in the field of SEO. This powerful language model can generate human-like content, making it an invaluable tool for SEO professionals.
However, the prompts you provide largely determine the quality of the output.
To unlock the full potential of ChatGPT and create content that resonates with your audience and search engines, writing effective prompts is crucial.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the art of writing prompts for ChatGPT, covering everything from basic techniques to advanced strategies for layering prompts and generating high-quality, SEO-friendly content.
Writing Prompts For ChatGPT
What Is A ChatGPT Prompt?
A ChatGPT prompt is an instruction or discussion topic a user provides for the ChatGPT AI model to respond to.
The prompt can be a question, statement, or any other stimulus to spark creativity, reflection, or engagement.
Users can use the prompt to generate ideas, share their thoughts, or start a conversation.
ChatGPT prompts are designed to be open-ended and can be customized based on the user’s preferences and interests.
How To Write Prompts For ChatGPT
Start by giving ChatGPT a writing prompt, such as, “Write a short story about a person who discovers they have a superpower.”
ChatGPT will then generate a response based on your prompt. Depending on the prompt’s complexity and the level of detail you requested, the answer may be a few sentences or several paragraphs long.
Use the ChatGPT-generated response as a starting point for your writing. You can take the ideas and concepts presented in the answer and expand upon them, adding your own unique spin to the story.
If you want to generate additional ideas, try asking ChatGPT follow-up questions related to your original prompt.
For example, you could ask, “What challenges might the person face in exploring their newfound superpower?” Or, “How might the person’s relationships with others be affected by their superpower?”
Remember that ChatGPT’s answers are generated by artificial intelligence and may not always be perfect or exactly what you want.
However, they can still be a great source of inspiration and help you start writing.
Must-Have GPTs Assistant
I recommend installing the WebBrowser Assistant created by the OpenAI Team. This tool allows you to add relevant Bing results to your ChatGPT prompts.
This assistant adds the first web results to your ChatGPT prompts for more accurate and up-to-date conversations.
It is very easy to install in only two clicks. (Click on Start Chat.)
For example, if I ask, “Who is Vincent Terrasi?,” ChatGPT has no answer.
With WebBrower Assistant, the assistant creates a new prompt with the first Bing results, and now ChatGPT knows who Vincent Terrasi is.
Screenshot from ChatGPT, March 2023You can test other GPT assistants available in the GPTs search engine if you want to use Google results.
Master Reverse Prompt Engineering
ChatGPT can be an excellent tool for reverse engineering prompts because it generates natural and engaging responses to any given input.
By analyzing the prompts generated by ChatGPT, it is possible to gain insight into the model’s underlying thought processes and decision-making strategies.
One key benefit of using ChatGPT to reverse engineer prompts is that the model is highly transparent in its decision-making.
This means that the reasoning and logic behind each response can be traced, making it easier to understand how the model arrives at its conclusions.
Once you’ve done this a few times for different types of content, you’ll gain insight into crafting more effective prompts.
Prepare Your ChatGPT For Generating Prompts
First, activate the reverse prompt engineering.
- Type the following prompt: “Enable Reverse Prompt Engineering? By Reverse Prompt Engineering I mean creating a prompt from a given text.”
Screenshot from ChatGPT, March 2023ChatGPT is now ready to generate your prompt. You can test the product description in a new chatbot session and evaluate the generated prompt.
- Type: “Create a very technical reverse prompt engineering template for a product description about iPhone 11.”
Screenshot from ChatGPT, March 2023The result is amazing. You can test with a full text that you want to reproduce. Here is an example of a prompt for selling a Kindle on Amazon.
- Type: “Reverse Prompt engineer the following {product), capture the writing style and the length of the text :
product =”
Screenshot from ChatGPT, March 2023I tested it on an SEJ blog post. Enjoy the analysis – it is excellent.
- Type: “Reverse Prompt engineer the following {text}, capture the tone and writing style of the {text} to include in the prompt :
text = all text coming from https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-bard-training-data/478941/”
Screenshot from ChatGPT, March 2023But be careful not to use ChatGPT to generate your texts. It is just a personal assistant.
Go Deeper
Prompts and examples for SEO:
- Keyword research and content ideas prompt: “Provide a list of 20 long-tail keyword ideas related to ‘local SEO strategies’ along with brief content topic descriptions for each keyword.”
- Optimizing content for featured snippets prompt: “Write a 40-50 word paragraph optimized for the query ‘what is the featured snippet in Google search’ that could potentially earn the featured snippet.”
- Creating meta descriptions prompt: “Draft a compelling meta description for the following blog post title: ’10 Technical SEO Factors You Can’t Ignore in 2024′.”
Important Considerations:
- Always Fact-Check: While ChatGPT can be a helpful tool, it’s crucial to remember that it may generate inaccurate or fabricated information. Always verify any facts, statistics, or quotes generated by ChatGPT before incorporating them into your content.
- Maintain Control and Creativity: Use ChatGPT as a tool to assist your writing, not replace it. Don’t rely on it to do your thinking or create content from scratch. Your unique perspective and creativity are essential for producing high-quality, engaging content.
- Iteration is Key: Refine and revise the outputs generated by ChatGPT to ensure they align with your voice, style, and intended message.
Additional Prompts for Rewording and SEO:
– Rewrite this sentence to be more concise and impactful.
– Suggest alternative phrasing for this section to improve clarity.
– Identify opportunities to incorporate relevant internal and external links.
– Analyze the keyword density and suggest improvements for better SEO.
Remember, while ChatGPT can be a valuable tool, it’s essential to use it responsibly and maintain control over your content creation process.
Experiment And Refine Your Prompting Techniques
Writing effective prompts for ChatGPT is an essential skill for any SEO professional who wants to harness the power of AI-generated content.
Hopefully, the insights and examples shared in this article can inspire you and help guide you to crafting stronger prompts that yield high-quality content.
Remember to experiment with layering prompts, iterating on the output, and continually refining your prompting techniques.
This will help you stay ahead of the curve in the ever-changing world of SEO.
More resources:
Featured Image: Tapati Rinchumrus/Shutterstock
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