Six pillars, one month
With six pillars rotating across twelve posting slots, each pillar appears twice: enough repetition to build a recognisable mix without one theme dominating.
Social media editorial calendar template
An editorial calendar plans what each post is about, not just when it goes out. List your content pillars, pick your posting days, time and platforms, and this template rotates the pillars across every slot in the month. Download the CSV, write each caption to its pillar, then schedule the month in one upload.
Build your editorial calendar
Local wall-clock time for every slot. Adjust individual rows in your spreadsheet.
Optional. Written into the Account column of every row.
Separate with commas. The pillars rotate across your posting days so consecutive posts cover different themes.
Your calendar preview
Choose a month to build your calendar.
The file also has empty Caption, Media URL, First comment and Hashtags columns, plus a Status column starting at “Idea”, ready to fill in.
What is in the editorial calendar template?
One row per post and platform, with these columns. It opens in Excel and Google Sheets; for a sheet you keep online, see the Google Sheets content calendar.
| Column | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Date | The day the post goes out |
| Time | The posting time you picked |
| Platform | One row per platform, so each can get its own copy |
| Account | The page or profile it posts from |
| Content pillar | The theme this slot covers, rotated through your list |
| Caption | Left blank for you to write to the pillar |
| Media URL | A link to the image or video |
| First comment | Optional: links or an extra hashtag block |
| Hashtags | The tags for this post |
| Status | Starts at Idea; move it on as work progresses |
How do content pillars work in an editorial calendar?
A pillar is a recurring theme. The template assigns them to posting slots in the order you list them, then starts again, so a month of weekday posts cycles through every theme instead of repeating one. Pair each pillar with a caption pattern from the caption templates bank.
| Week | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Educational | Opinion | Product | Behind the scenes | Social proof |
| 2 | Seasonal | Educational | Opinion | Product | Behind the scenes |
How do you build an editorial calendar by content pillar?
- Define your content pillars first. Write down four to six recurring themes your content falls into, for example educational, opinion, product, behind the scenes, social proof and seasonal.
- Pick your posting days and time. Choose the weekdays and time you publish; the pillar rotation sits on top of this rhythm.
- Tick your platforms. Select every platform this plan covers; each gets its own row for every slot.
- Check the rotation in the preview. The live preview shows which pillar lands on which date, so you can see that consecutive posts do not repeat a theme.
- Download and write to theme. Download the CSV and write each caption to match its row’s pillar.
What does it look like in practice?
The same rotation across platforms
Ticking three platforms gives three rows per slot, each with the same pillar on the same date, so your themes stay consistent everywhere.
How do you schedule an editorial calendar?
Write the captions, add media links, then upload the CSV with bulk scheduling. SkedCast matches the columns in a review step, checks every row against each network’s rules, and schedules the month in one go.
Editorial calendar template FAQ
- What is the difference between an editorial calendar and a posting schedule?
- A posting schedule sets when you post; an editorial calendar sets when and what theme you post about, so the content stays varied and planned.
- How many content pillars should I use?
- Four to six is a common range: few enough to stay consistent, enough that the feed does not feel repetitive.
- Does the pillar order matter?
- Yes. Pillars rotate across slots in the order you list them, so put the one you want first in the month at the top.
- Can I plan more than one month at once?
- Generate one CSV per month and combine them in your spreadsheet; the generator plans one calendar month at a time.
- Is this the same generator as the content calendar template?
- Yes. This page pre-fills a broader pillar set and frames the plan around themes first.
- Can I import the finished editorial calendar into SkedCast?
- Yes. Fill in the captions and media links, then upload the CSV to SkedCast’s bulk import, which matches its columns in a review step and checks every row before anything is scheduled.
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