Free Social Media Content Planner with Customization Guide

If you are new to social media planning, this free social media content planner will be a game-changer for managing your digital marketing efforts.

It doesn’t matter if it is free or paid, we all work a bit differently, so the key is a flexible template that, to truly maximize its potential, can be tailored to fit your specific needs.

And that is what I have created. It works great for me, and I’d like to share it with you.

Whether you’re just starting out or have a detailed content strategy in place, customizing your planner can help you stay organized, improve team collaboration, and ensure that every post aligns with your overall marketing goals.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the process of customizing this free social media content planner, specifically for Google Sheets.

Not interested in using Google Sheets? Not a problem!

I offer additional tips for Excel and Numbers users.

From adjusting drop-down menus and color-coding to adding team members and new columns, this article will show you how to personalize the planner to better suit your brand and content strategy.

If you’re new to social media content planning, I recommend starting with the pre-set template and gradually making adjustments as your needs evolve.

For those ready to dive deeper, you’ll get detailed steps to help you transform the planner into a powerful tool that supports your unique marketing objectives.

Download Your Free Social Media Content Planner

Before we dive into customizing your social media content planner, you’ll want to have the planner open so you can follow along and make adjustments as we go.

Click the button below to access the planner, which you can either copy to your own Google Drive or download as a CSV file for use in Excel or Numbers.

How to Access the Planner:

• Google Sheets: Click the button to open the planner in a new tab. Once it’s open, go to File > Make a copy to save it to your Google Drive. This will give you full editing access so you can customize the planner as you need.
• Download as CSV: If you prefer working offline or in Excel or Numbers, you can download the planner by selecting File > Download > Comma-separated values (.csv, current sheet). This format is compatible with Excel and Numbers, allowing you to use the planner on your desktop.

Having the planner ready will allow you to easily follow along with the steps and tips outlined in the article, making the customization process smoother and more efficient.

Start with the Basics: Use the Provided Template

If you’re new to social media content calendars, the idea of customizing one might seem overwhelming.

That’s why I recommend starting with the pre-configured template exactly as it is.

This free social media content planner is designed with general categories, drop-down menus, and color coding that work for a wide range of campaigns and content strategies.

This makes it an ideal starting point for beginners who need a structured, yet flexible, tool to organize their social media efforts.

Why Begin with the Default Setup?

Immediate Usability: The planner comes pre-populated with common content themes, types, and platforms, allowing you to start organizing your content right away without needing to set anything up.

Familiarization: By using the planner in its default state, you’ll get a feel for how it’s structured and how each element works together. This hands-on experience is invaluable for understanding how to best customize it later on.

Adaptability: As you work with the planner, you’ll begin to see where adjustments might be necessary to better fit your specific needs. This could be as simple as adding a new category to a drop-down menu or as complex as redesigning the color-coding scheme to align with your brand colors.

How to Get Started

Fill in Your Current Content:

Begin by inputting your upcoming social media content into the planner. Use the existing drop-down options to categorize your posts, set deadlines, and assign tasks to team members. This process will help you see how well the default setup meets your needs.

Review and Reflect:

After using the planner for a few days or weeks, take some time to review how it’s working for you.

• Are there content types or themes that don’t apply to your strategy?
• Are there new categories you find yourself consistently adding?
• These insights will guide you in the customization process.

Identify Gaps:

As you become more comfortable with the planner, you might notice gaps in its current setup—perhaps a specific content theme isn’t represented, or a certain platform you use frequently isn’t listed. Identifying these gaps is the first step in making the planner truly your own.

Gradually you will build a content planner that’s perfectly suited to your needs.

Now let’s discuss how to modify the drop-down menus to better fit your content strategy, whether you’re using Google Sheets, Excel, or Numbers.

An excellent starter camera for social media content!

Customizing Drop-Down Menus

One of the most powerful features of my social media content planner is the use of drop-down menus, which allow you to quickly categorize content, assign tasks, and streamline your workflow.

While the default options cover a broad range of scenarios, customizing these menus to better fit your specific needs can significantly enhance the planner’s functionality.

Modifying the drop-down menus is straightforward, no matter if you’re using Google Sheets, Excel, or Numbers, and this allows you to easily tailor the planner to reflect your unique content strategy.

Google Sheets: Customizing Drop-Down Menus

Google Sheets makes it easy to edit drop-down menus, allowing you to adapt the planner to your particular campaigns and workflows.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Select the Cells:
• Highlight the cell or range of cells where you want to modify the drop-down menu. This could be under content themes, content types, platforms, or any other category you want to customize.

2. Access Data Validation:

• Go to the menu and click on Data > Data validation. This will open a sidebar where you can edit the existing drop-down menu options.

3. Edit the Options:

• In the “Criteria” section, you’ll see the current list of drop-down options. You can add new options, remove ones that aren’t relevant, or rearrange the order to better suit your workflow. For example, if you frequently run holiday campaigns, you might want to add options like “Holiday Promotions” or “Black Friday Sales.”

4. Save and Apply:

• Once you’ve customized the list, click “Save.” The updated drop-down menu will now be available in the selected cells, ready to use with your tailored options.

Example Customizations:

• Content Themes: Add specific themes such as “Webinars,” “Live Events,” or “User-Generated Content.”
• Platforms: Include emerging platforms like TikTok or niche social media channels relevant to your industry.
• Task Statuses: Customize task statuses to reflect your project stages, such as “Pending Approval” or “Scheduled for Review.”

Excel: Modifying Drop-Down Menus

If you’re using Excel, the process of customizing drop-down menus is similar but involves a few different steps:

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Select the Cells:
• Highlight the cells where you want to adjust the drop-down menu options.

2. Access Data Validation:

• Go to Data > Data Validation in the Excel ribbon. This will open a dialog box where you can edit the drop-down options.

3. Edit the List:

• Under the “Settings” tab, you’ll see the current source list for the drop-down menu. You can directly edit this list by adding, removing, or reordering items. For instance, if your content strategy includes a lot of video content, you might want to add specific types like “Product Demos” or “Tutorials.”

4. Save and Apply:

• Once your changes are made, click “OK” to save them. The updated menu will now appear in the designated cells.

Example Customizations:

• Content Types: Add categories like “Short-Form Video,” “Polls,” or “Infographics.”
• Team Assignments: Customize the drop-down to include all relevant team members or departments for easy task delegation.

Numbers: Modifying Drop-Down Menus

While Numbers (Apple’s spreadsheet app) doesn’t offer the same level of data validation as Google Sheets or Excel, you can still create and modify custom drop-down menus through cell formatting:

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Select the Cells:
• Highlight the cells where you want to create a drop-down menu.

2. Add Drop-Downs via Cell Formatting:

• Go to the “Format” sidebar and select “Cell.” Choose “Pop-Up Menu” under the Data Format section. This will allow you to create a list of options that function as a drop-down menu.

3. Edit and Customize:

• Add your custom options to the pop-up menu. For example, you might add platforms like “Instagram Stories” or content types like “Q&A Sessions.”

4. Apply the Format:

• Once your options are set, they will appear as a drop-down menu in the selected cells. Customize further by adding different options based on the needs of your campaigns.

Example Customizations:

• Campaign Phases: Break down complex campaigns into phases like “Planning,” “Execution,” and “Follow-Up.”
• Content Sources: Add specific content sources like “Blog Posts,” “Client Testimonials,” or “Industry Reports.”

Customizing the drop-down menus in your social media content planner allows the tool to better reflect your unique content strategy and workflow.

This will not only streamline your planning process but also ensure that the planner grows and adapts alongside your evolving marketing needs.

Now let’s learn how to adjust color-coding within the planner to match your brand identity and make your content organization even more intuitive.

Adjusting Color-Coding to Match Your Brand

Customizing the color-coding in your social media content planner can make a huge difference in how visually organized and intuitive your planning process feels.

By aligning the planner’s colors with your brand identity, you not only create a more personalized tool but also make it easier to quickly identify different categories, tasks, and statuses at a glance.

Google Sheets: Customizing Colors via Data Validation

Google Sheets offers a straightforward way to adjust both tag colors and font colors directly within the data validation options. This feature allows you to visually differentiate between various elements of your content strategy.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Access Data Validation:
• Click on the cell or range of cells you want to modify.
• Go to Data > Data validation to open the settings for the drop-down menu.

2. Open Color Options:

• Within the data validation settings, look for the color options link next to the drop-down menu items. Click on it to open the color customization panel.

3. Choose Your Colors:

• Select your preferred tag color and font color for each drop-down option. For instance, you might choose your brand’s primary color for key content themes or a neutral shade for general categories.

4. Apply Changes:

• Once you’ve selected your colors, save the changes. Your customized color-coding will now appear in the cells with drop-down menus, making it easier to visually organize your planner.

Practical Tips:

• Content Themes: Use distinct colors for different content themes to make them instantly recognizable. For example, use a bold color for high-priority campaigns and a softer shade for routine posts.
• Task Statuses: Assign specific colors to task statuses like “In Progress” (yellow), “Completed” (green), and “Pending” (red) to easily track the progress of your content creation.

Excel: Customizing Colors with Conditional Formatting

In Excel, you can adjust colors using the conditional formatting feature, which allows you to highlight cells based on specific criteria. This method is particularly useful for color-coding different aspects of your content planner.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Select the Cells:
• Highlight the cells you want to apply color-coding to.

2. Access Conditional Formatting:

• Go to Home > Conditional Formatting in the Excel ribbon. Choose the type of rule you want to create, such as “Highlight Cell Rules” or “Color Scales.”

3. Set Your Rules:

• Define the criteria for your color-coding. For example, you could set a rule that changes the cell color based on the content type or task status. Choose colors that align with your brand or make it easier to differentiate between categories.

4. Apply and Save:

• Once you’ve created your rules, click “OK” to apply them. The selected cells will now reflect your customized color-coding, making the planner more intuitive to navigate.

Practical Tips:

• Platforms: Assign different colors to each social media platform to quickly identify where content is being posted.
• Deadlines: Use color gradients to highlight approaching deadlines, with darker shades indicating urgency.

Numbers (Pages): Customizing Colors

In Numbers, you can customize colors using the cell style options, which allow you to apply specific color schemes to different parts of your planner.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Select the Cells:
• Click on the cells you want to color-code.

2. Apply Cell Styles:

• Open the “Format” sidebar and select “Cell.” Choose a predefined style or create a custom style that includes your preferred background and text colors.

3. Customize Further:

• For more advanced customization, you can manually adjust the fill color, text color, and borders to match your branding or make certain data points stand out.

4. Save the Style:

• If you create a custom style that you like, save it as a new cell style for easy application across the planner.

Practical Tips:

• Campaign Phases: Use a gradient of colors to represent different phases of a campaign, from planning to execution.
• Team Assignments: Color-code tasks by the team or individual responsible, helping you quickly see who’s handling what.

Customizing the color-coding in your social media content planner, allows you to create a visually cohesive and easy-to-navigate tool that reflects your brand identity.

This not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of the planner but also improves your ability to manage and track your content strategy at a glance.

Now let’s look at how to add staff names for task assignments, further personalizing your planner for team collaboration.

Adding Staff Names for Task Assignments

One of the key benefits of a social media content planner is the ability to delegate tasks efficiently, ensuring that every aspect of your content strategy is managed by the right person at the right time.

Customizing your planner to include staff names for task assignments not only helps in keeping track of responsibilities but also enhances collaboration within your team.

Here’s how to add and manage staff names in your planner, whether you’re using Google Sheets, Excel, or Numbers.

Google Sheets: Adding Staff Names to Drop-Down Menus

Google Sheets makes it easy to create and customize drop-down menus that include the names of your team members, allowing you to assign tasks quickly and clearly.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Select the Cells:
• Click on the cells where you want to include the staff names (typically in a column designated for task assignments).

2. Access Data Validation:

• Go to Data > Data validation to open the data validation settings.

3. Create a List of Staff Names:

• In the “Criteria” section, choose “List of items” and enter the names of your team members, separated by commas (e.g., “Jane Doe, John Smith, Sarah Lee”). Alternatively, you can link to a range of cells that contain the names.

4. Save and Apply:

• Click “Save” to apply the drop-down menu. Now, when you click on the cell, you’ll see a drop-down list with the names of your team members, making it easy to assign tasks.

Practical Tips:

• Role-Specific Assignments: You can create multiple assignment columns, each for different roles (e.g., “Content Creation,” “Editing,” “Approval”), and customize the drop-down menu in each column to include only the relevant staff members for that role.
• Collaboration: Encourage team members to update the status of their tasks directly in the planner, providing real-time visibility into the progress of your content strategy.

Excel: Adding and Managing Staff Names

In Excel, you can add staff names to drop-down menus using the data validation feature, which works similarly to Google Sheets.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Select the Cells:
• Highlight the cells where you want to assign staff names.

2. Access Data Validation:

• Go to Data > Data Validation in the Excel ribbon.

3. Set Up a List of Staff Names:

• Under the “Settings” tab, select “List” from the “Allow” drop-down menu. You can then either enter the names manually or refer to a range of cells that contain the names.

4. Save and Apply:

• Click “OK” to apply the drop-down menu. This will allow you to assign tasks to team members with ease.

Practical Tips:

• Dynamic Lists: Use Excel’s range feature to create a dynamic list of names. If you add a new team member to the source list, the drop-down menus will automatically update to include them.
• Task Tracking: Combine this with conditional formatting to highlight tasks assigned to specific team members, making it easier to manage workloads and ensure accountability.

Numbers (Pages): Adding Staff Names

While Numbers (Apple’s spreadsheet software) doesn’t have built-in data validation like Google Sheets or Excel, you can still create a functional system for assigning tasks.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Create a Pop-Up Menu:
• Select the cells where you want to assign tasks and go to the “Format” sidebar. Choose “Pop-Up Menu” under the Data Format section.

2. Add Staff Names:

• Enter the names of your team members as items in the pop-up menu. This will allow you to choose a staff member for each task directly from the cell.

3. Apply and Use:

• After setting up the pop-up menu, use it to assign tasks. The pop-up menu in Numbers functions similarly to a drop-down menu, helping you organize responsibilities.

Practical Tips:

• Role-Specific Menus: Like in Google Sheets and Excel, you can create multiple pop-up menus for different roles within your team. This helps to ensure that tasks are assigned to the right person based on their expertise.

By adding staff names to your social media content planner, you can create a clear and organized system for task delegation.

This customization enhances team collaboration, improves accountability, and ensures that all aspects of your content strategy are handled efficiently.

Now let’s explore additional customization options, such as adding new columns and integrating the planner with other social media content planning tools, to further tailor the planner template to your needs.

Additional Customization Tips

Customizing your social media content planner doesn’t have to stop at modifying drop-down menus and color-coding.

There are additional ways you can tailor the planner to better suit your unique workflow, improve your content management, and integrate it with other tools you use regularly.

Here are some advanced tips for further customization:

Adding New Columns for Enhanced Tracking

Depending on the complexity of your content strategy, you might find that the default columns in the planner don’t cover all the data points you need to track. Adding new columns can help you monitor additional aspects of your campaigns, such as budget, ROI, content approval stages, or any other metrics relevant to your business.

Google Sheets:

• Adding Columns: Simply right-click on a column header (e.g., between columns B and C) and select “Insert column left” or “Insert column right” to add a new column. You can then label this column according to the new data point you want to track (e.g., “Budget” or “Approval Status”).
• Custom Data Validation: You can apply data validation rules or drop-down menus to these new columns, just as you did with the original columns, to keep data entry consistent and organized.
• Using Formulas: Leverage Google Sheets’ powerful formula features to create calculations in these columns, such as automatically summing up budgets or calculating the average ROI for different campaigns.

Excel:

• Inserting New Columns: Similar to Google Sheets, you can add new columns by right-clicking on a column header and selecting “Insert.” Label the column with the new metric or data point you wish to track.
• Conditional Formatting: Use Excel’s conditional formatting to highlight specific cells or rows based on the new data you’re tracking, such as flagging items that exceed the budget or content that is pending approval.
• Pivot Tables: For more complex data analysis, consider using PivotTables to summarize and analyze the data in these new columns, providing you with deeper insights into your content performance.

Numbers (Pages):

• Adding Columns: Click on a column header and select “Add Column” from the menu that appears. You can label the new column for whatever additional data you need to track, such as “Engagement Rate” or “Team Member Feedback.”
• Custom Formatting: Use Numbers’ formatting options to set up specific data formats, such as percentage for engagement rates or currency for budgets, ensuring consistency in your data entries.

Creating New Tabs for Specific Campaigns

If you manage multiple campaigns simultaneously, creating separate tabs within your planner for each campaign can help keep everything organized and prevent your main planner from becoming too cluttered.

Google Sheets:

• Duplicating the Planner Tab: Right-click on the current sheet tab at the bottom of your Google Sheets planner and select “Duplicate.” Rename the new tab to reflect the specific campaign (e.g., “Summer Sale 2025”).
• Linking Tabs: Use cell linking to connect data across tabs. For example, you might have a “Summary” tab that aggregates key metrics from each campaign-specific tab, giving you an overview of all campaigns at a glance.

Excel:

• Creating Multiple Worksheets: Use Excel’s “Move or Copy Sheet” function to create multiple worksheets within the same workbook. Each worksheet can be dedicated to a different campaign, with a summary sheet providing an overview.
• Data Consolidation: Use Excel’s “Consolidate” function to combine data from multiple sheets into one, allowing you to analyze overall performance across all campaigns without needing to manually aggregate the data.

Numbers (Pages):

• Adding New Sheets: Numbers allows you to create multiple sheets within the same document. Click the “+” button at the top of the screen to add a new sheet, and customize it for a specific campaign.
• Organizing with Categories: You can use Numbers’ categories feature to group similar data points across different sheets, making it easier to compare campaigns side by side.

Integrating the Planner with Other Tools

For those who work with multiple tools and platforms, integrating your social media content planner with other software can further streamline your workflow.

This is particularly useful if you’re using project management tools, scheduling apps, or analytics platforms in tandem with your planner.

Google Sheets:

• Google Workspace Integration: Google Sheets integrates seamlessly with other Google Workspace tools like Google Calendar and Google Drive. For example, you can set up Google Calendar events directly from your planner to remind your team of upcoming deadlines.
• Zapier Integration: Use Zapier to connect Google Sheets with other apps, such as automating task creation in Trello or Asana based on data entered in your planner.

Excel:

• Microsoft Teams Integration: Excel integrates well with Microsoft Teams, allowing you to share your planner within team channels and collaborate on content planning in real time.
• Power Automate: Microsoft Power Automate (formerly Microsoft Flow) can be used to create automated workflows between Excel and other Microsoft services, such as setting up email alerts when certain criteria are met in your planner.

Numbers (Pages):

• Apple Ecosystem Integration: Numbers integrates well with other Apple apps, such as linking reminders in the Reminders app or syncing with Calendar. This helps keep your tasks and deadlines in sync across all your Apple devices.
• Export Options: While Numbers doesn’t have as many direct integrations, you can export your planner to Excel or PDF formats for use with other tools or for sharing with non-Mac users.

By adding new columns, creating campaign-specific tabs, and integrating your planner with other tools, you will greatly enhance its functionality and its use for your specific needs.

These additional customization options ensure that your social media content planner isn’t just a static tool, but a dynamic resource that evolves with your content strategy.

Maximizing Your Social Media Content Planner’s Potential

Customizing your free social media content planner is an investment in your marketing strategy that pays off in better organization, more efficient workflows, and ultimately, more effective campaigns.

By tailoring the planner to fit your specific needs—whether through adjusting drop-down menus, color-coding, adding staff names, or integrating it with other tools—you create a resource that works precisely for you and your team.

Recap of Key Customization Steps:

• Start with the Basics: Begin with the provided template to get familiar with its structure and functionality. As you grow more comfortable, identify areas where customization could enhance your workflow.
• Customize Drop-Down Menus: Adjust the drop-down options to reflect your unique content themes, platforms, and task statuses. This ensures that every element of your content strategy is accurately represented and easily accessible.
• Adjust Color-Coding: Align the planner’s visual elements with your brand identity, making it easier to navigate and more visually cohesive. Use conditional formatting or cell styles to highlight important tasks, deadlines, and statuses.
• Add Staff Names: Personalize the planner by adding staff names to the task assignment sections, improving team collaboration and accountability. This helps ensure that everyone knows their responsibilities and can track their progress in real-time.
• Additional Customization: Enhance the planner further by adding new columns for tracking extra metrics, creating separate tabs for different campaigns, and integrating it with other tools for a seamless workflow.

Finally …

Taking the time to customize your social media content planner transforms it from a generic tool into a powerful, personalized resource that supports your specific marketing goals.

Whether you’re managing a small business or overseeing a large team, these customizations will help you stay organized, save time, and execute your content strategy with greater precision.

Now that you’re equipped with the knowledge to fully customize your planner, it’s time to start personalizing it.

As you make these adjustments, you’ll find that the planner becomes an indispensable part of your marketing toolkit—one that evolves alongside your business needs.

So, make the planner your own, and watch as your social media strategy becomes more streamlined and effective than ever before.

One last note: if you found this planner helpful, please share the article with friends and social media followers.  I’d appreciate it!

Tom Crowl – professional product photographer from Westminster, Maryland USA.

One of my services is providing social media visual content for clients in the way of product photography, stop motion animations and product video shorts.

If you are in need of social media images or commercial photography, reach out using the form below to discuss your social media plans and find out how he can help.

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