Content Calendar & Editorial Planning Workflow
A structured way to turn goals, themes, and capacity into a realistic publishing plan
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Workflow Name: Content Calendar & Editorial Planning Workflow
Created by prompts.tinytechguides.com
What This Workflow Does
This workflow helps a B2B marketing team (or a single, brave IC) create a clear, strategy-led content calendar for a defined planning period. It turns goals, audiences, and themes into a realistic publishing plan that aligns content, channels, and capacity — without chaos, guessing, or last-minute scrambles.
This workflow decides:
What to publish
Why it matters
Where it goes
When it ships
Workflow Steps Summary
Step 0: Define Inputs
Step 1: Establish Planning Horizon & Content Goals
Step 2: Select Core Themes & Narratives
Step 3: Map Themes to Content Types & Channels
Step 4: Sequence Content Into a Calendar
Step 5: Validate Against Capacity, GTM, and Priorities
Step 6: Lock, Publish, and Review
Step 0: Define Inputs
{planning_horizon} = time period covered by the calendar (e.g. 30, 60, 90 days)
{business_objectives} = primary goals this content should support
{target_audience} = ICPs, personas, or buying committee
{core_channels} = where content will be published
{content_capacity} = realistic production bandwidth
{key_dates} = launches, events, announcements, deadlines
{content_pillars} = high-level themes or focus areas
{success_metrics} = how content success will be evaluated
Step 1: Establish Planning Horizon & Content Goals
Goal:
Align the content calendar to business priorities so content supports real outcomes, not vibes.
# Role
You are a B2B marketing strategist responsible for aligning content planning with business goals.
# Context
Content is most effective when it is intentionally planned around clear objectives, audiences, and timelines. This step ensures the content calendar is anchored to real priorities for the defined planning horizon.
# Task
Using {planning_horizon}, {business_objectives}, {target_audience}, and {success_metrics}, define the primary purpose of content for this period and the outcomes it should support.
# Format
- Planning horizon summary
- Primary content goals (3–5 bullets)
- Audience focus for this period
- Success definition for the calendar
# Tone
Clear, pragmatic, and focused on outcomes over output.
Step 2: Select Core Themes & Narratives
Goal:
Decide what you will talk about before deciding what you will publish.
# Role
You are a content strategist translating business priorities into clear editorial themes.
# Context
Strong content calendars are built around a small number of repeatable themes that reinforce positioning and credibility over time.
# Task
Using {content_pillars}, {business_objectives}, and {target_audience}, identify 3–5 core themes and the key narratives or points of view within each theme.
# Format
For each theme:
- Theme name
- Why it matters to the audience
- Key narrative or POV
- Example topics this theme could produce
# Tone
Strategic, opinionated, and focused on clarity over breadth.
Step 3: Map Themes to Content Types & Channels
Goal:
Ensure each theme shows up in the right formats and places.
# Role
You are a B2B content planner responsible for aligning themes to channels and formats.
# Context
Not all content belongs everywhere. This step ensures themes are expressed through the most effective content types and channels.
# Task
Map each core theme to appropriate content formats and {core_channels}, considering audience behavior and intent.
# Format
Table with columns:
- Theme
- Content type (essay, post, video, etc.)
- Primary channel
- Secondary channel (if any)
- Intended audience action
# Tone
Practical, audience-aware, and execution-ready.
