The Best Free Editorial Calendar Tools for Your Business
Managing your content creation and distribution can be a complex task, especially if you're juggling multiple projects and team members. While there are many premium tools available in the market, some of them come with hefty price tags. Fortunately, if you're looking for a cost-effective and user-friendly alternative, Google Sheets can be a great starting point. This article explores Google Sheets as a free editorial calendar tool and introduces other free alternatives that might suit your business needs.
Why Google Sheets for Editorial Calendar?
Google Sheets is one of the simplest and most accessible options out there, and it's incredibly popular. If everyone in your team is already familiar with it, then there's a good chance it will be the best fit for your needs. Google Sheets is one of the most intuitive tools out there, and it's completely free to use, requiring no initial or recurring costs. The tool allows collaboration in real-time, which means you can have everyone work on the same document simultaneously without the need for version control or extra software installations.
How to Use Google Sheets as an Editorial Calendar
To set up an editorial calendar in Google Sheets, start by creating a new Google Sheet and organizing the columns to suit your needs. Below is a suggested layout:
Suggested Layout for Google Sheets Editorial Calendar
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 | Column 4 | Column 5 | Column 6 | Column 7 | Column 8 | Column 9 | |----------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|--------------| | **Date** | **Title** | **Category** | **Author** | **Status** | **Promoted** | **Links** | **Notes** | **Actions** |Date: The release or publish date of the content
Title: The title of the content
Category: The type of content (e.g., blog posts, social media, emails, etc.)
Author: The person responsible for the content
Status: The status of the content (e.g., drafted, reviewed, approved, published)
Promoted: A column to indicate if the content was promoted and how (e.g., social media, email, SEO)
Links: Any links related to the content (e.g., to a resource, to a landing page, to download a file)
Notes: Additional notes or comments regarding the content
Actions: Any tasks or action items related to the content
Other Free Options for Editorial Calendar
While Google Sheets is a versatile tool, there are other free options that can provide additional features and functionalities that might be beneficial for your business. Here are a few notable free alternatives:
Trello
Trello is a popular project management tool that can be used for editorial calendars as well. Its visual interface makes it easy to organize tasks and deadlines. Simply create cards for each piece of content, add due dates, and track progress. While Trello is not specifically designed for editorial calendars, it offers flexibility and can be custom configured to suit your needs.
Asana
Asana is another project management tool that can be used for editorial content planning. It offers a more robust set of features than Google Sheets, such as customizable workflows, task dependencies, and the ability to set notifications. Asana is more structured than Google Sheets, making it a good choice for teams with more complex content planning needs.
Planboard
Planboard is a web-based tool that can be used for editorial calendar management. It offers a clean interface and advanced features, such as Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and time tracking. Planboard also supports user collaboration and role-based access control, which can be beneficial for larger teams.
Conclusion
When it comes to choosing a free editorial calendar tool, Google Sheets is often the go-to option due to its simplicity, wide user base, and real-time collaboration features. However, for more complex requirements, Trello, Asana, or Planboard can be excellent alternatives. Whichever tool you choose, the key is to find one that fits your specific needs and workflow, allowing you to plan, organize, and distribute your content more effectively.