# How to Build a Marketing Calendar That Drives Accountability
Most Australian small business owners treat marketing like a 'spare time' activity. They post to social media when they remember or send an email blast only when sales are slow. Without a structured calendar, marketing becomes reactive rather than proactive, and accountability usually falls through the cracks.
A robust marketing calendar isn't just a list of dates; it is a strategic roadmap that ensures every team member knows exactly what they are responsible for, when it's due, and how it contributes to your bottom line. At Local Marketing Group, we believe that consistency is the secret sauce to digital success.
Prerequisites
Before you start, ensure you have:- A clear understanding of your business goals for the next 12 months.
- A list of your primary marketing channels (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Email, Blog).
- A tool to host the calendar (Google Sheets, Trello, or a dedicated tool like Monday.com).
- Your ABN and official business details handy for setting up any new platform accounts.
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Step 1: Define Your Marketing Pillars
Before you plot a single date, you need to decide what you are talking about. Marketing pillars are 3–5 core themes that align with your business. For a Brisbane-based real estate agency, these might be 'Local Market Updates', 'Client Success Stories', and 'Home Maintenance Tips'. What you should see: A simple document or list with 3–5 broad categories that represent your brand’s expertise.Step 2: Choose Your Management Tool
Don’t overcomplicate this. If you are a solo operator, a colour-coded Google Calendar or Excel sheet works perfectly. If you have a small team, use a project management tool.- Google Sheets: Best for those who love data and customisation.
- Trello: Best for visual thinkers who like 'cards' moving through stages.
- Asana/Monday.com: Best for larger teams requiring strict deadline tracking.
Step 3: Identify Key Australian Dates and Seasons
Open your calendar and mark down the 'non-negotiables'. These include public holidays (remember that Ekka Wednesday or the AFL Grand Final vary by state!), school holidays, and major retail events like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and End of Financial Year (EOFY).Pro Tip: In Australia, EOFY is a massive psychological trigger for B2B businesses. Mark out June 1st as the start of your 'EOFY Countdown' campaigns.
Step 4: Determine Your Posting Frequency
Decide on a realistic cadence. It is better to post twice a week consistently for a year than five times a week for a month before burning out.- Blog: 1-2 times per month.
- Email Newsletter: Once a month or fortnight.
- Social Media: 3 times per week.
Step 5: Map Out Your 'Big Rock' Content
Start with your most intensive content—usually a long-form blog post or a video. Everything else should flow from this. If your 'Big Rock' is a guide on 'Preparing Your Brisbane Home for Summer', your social media posts for that week should all be snippets or tips taken from that main guide.Step 6: Assign Clear Ownership
This is where accountability is born. Every entry in your calendar must have a 'Primary Owner'. If 'Social Media' is the task, but no one is named, it won't get done. What you should see: A column in your spreadsheet titled "Owner" or "Assigned To" with a specific name next to every task.Step 7: Create a Content Production Workflow
Marketing doesn't just happen on the day of posting. You need to account for the 'Work in Progress' (WIP). Your calendar should show:- Ideation/Briefing (Due 2 weeks before)
- Drafting/Creation (Due 1 week before)
- Review/Approval (Due 3 days before)
- Go Live Date
Step 8: Set Up Automated Reminders
If you are using a digital tool, set up notifications. A reminder 48 hours before a deadline is often the difference between a high-quality post and a rushed, low-value one. If you're using Google Sheets, you can use 'Conditional Formatting' to turn cells red if a date has passed and the status isn't marked as 'Complete'.Step 9: Include a 'Status' Column
Visibility is key to accountability. Use a dropdown menu with the following options:- Not Started
- In Progress
- Awaiting Approval
- Scheduled
- Published
Step 10: Schedule a Monthly Review Meeting
On the last Friday of every month, spend 30 minutes reviewing the calendar for the month ahead. This is the time to adjust for any local events you missed or to pivot if a particular product line needs more support.---
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Over-scheduling: Don't fill every single day. Leave 'white space' for reactive content (like sharing a local news story or a spontaneous 'behind the scenes' photo).
- Ignoring the Data: If your calendar says 'Post on LinkedIn every Tuesday' but your analytics show no one engages on Tuesdays, change the calendar! Use your analytics to inform the schedule.
- Setting and Forgetting: A marketing calendar is a living document. If it sits in a folder and is never opened, it’s useless.
Troubleshooting
"We keep missing deadlines even with the calendar." Solution:* Your lead times are likely too short. Move your 'Drafting' phase back by another week. Accountability fails when people feel they are already 'behind' before they even start. "The calendar feels too rigid for our creative process." Solution:* Use the calendar for the 'What' and 'When', but leave the 'How' to the creative process. The calendar ensures the work exists; your creativity ensures the work is good. "I don't know what to write about for 12 months." Solution:* Start with a 90-day window. Trying to plan a full year in detail is overwhelming and often inaccurate. Plan your themes for the year, but only detail the specific posts for the next 3 months.---
Next Steps
Building the calendar is the first step; executing it is where the magic happens.- Download a Template: Start with a basic spreadsheet to get your ideas down.
- Audit Your Assets: See what photos and videos you already have that can fill the gaps.
- Check Your Analytics: Look at your past 3 months of data to see which days performed best.
If you find that managing a marketing calendar is taking too much time away from running your business, the team at Local Marketing Group can help. We specialise in taking the 'guesswork' out of digital marketing for Brisbane businesses.
Ready to get your marketing on track? Contact Local Marketing Group today.