How to (Easily) Make Perfect Content Calendars in Google Sheets

Maybe you create spreadsheets to gather information, monitor campaigns, or set up weekly assignments. However have you ever ever considered utilizing spreadsheets to make a calendar?

If not, let me inform you why Google Sheets is the right device on your content material calendar. Should you typically work on campaigns for various purchasers, creating particular person calendars in Google Sheets may also help each your groups keep on monitor. Alternatively, you may create a Google Sheet calendar to coordinate inner tasks.

Beneath, we’ll go over the best way to make a calendar in Google Sheets and embrace some ideas that’ll provide help to elevate the design. So, open up Google Sheets and prepare to create your very personal calendar.

Why Create a Calendar in Google Sheets?

Let’s be sincere: Google Sheets might not be the primary device that involves thoughts once you consider making a calendar.

However the fact is that there are numerous compelling causes to make use of Google Sheets as a calendar. Listed here are my favorites:

1. Straightforward Collaboration: Google Sheets makes it exceedingly straightforward to collaborate with staff members. By making a calendar in Google Sheets, you may share it along with your staff and permit everybody to contribute and make updates in real-time. This ensures that everybody is on the identical web page and might keep organized and knowledgeable.

2. Accessibility: With Google Sheets, your calendar is accessible from wherever with an web connection (and even offline! Here’s how to turn on offline access for your documents). Whether or not you are on the workplace, working remotely, or on the go, you may simply entry and replace your calendar on any machine. This flexibility ensures that you’re all the time up-to-date and might make adjustments as wanted.

3. Customizability: Google Sheets gives a variety of formatting and design choices to make your calendar absolutely yours (as compared with a premade calendar device, for example). You may select completely different colours, fonts, and kinds to make your calendar visually interesting and simple to navigate. This stage of customization ensures that your calendar aligns along with your staff’s branding or displays your distinctive model.

4. Integration with Different Instruments: Google Sheets seamlessly integrates with different Google instruments, equivalent to Google Calendar and Google Drive. This implies that you may simply sync your Google Sheets calendar along with your Google Calendar, and you can even hyperlink to and set up related information and paperwork throughout the spreadsheet, maintaining every part in a single centralized location.

5. Value-Efficient: My favourite cause to make use of Google Sheets as a calendar? It’s free. That is notably vital for small companies or people who might not have the finances for a devoted calendar device.

So, for those who’re in search of a easy but highly effective strategy to keep organized and handle your schedule, give Google Sheets a attempt. Subsequent up, we’re going to cowl the best way to create one in your Google account.

Making a calendar in a device that is generally used for spreadsheets sounds a bit of intimidating, however don’t be concerned, the method is definitely fairly intuitive. And with the assistance of some ideas, you may simply make a useful calendar that you may sync your schedule with.

On the finish, your calendar will look one thing like this:

1. Open a brand new spreadsheet and select your month.

First, open a new spreadsheet.

Then, select your month. For this instance, I did January [YYYY], so I stuffed that into the primary cell. What’s nice about Google Sheets is that it mechanically acknowledges dates, so typing in a month, adopted by the 12 months in YYYY format will inform Google that you will be working with dates.

2. Start to format your calendar.

Subsequent, format your calendar. I chosen the textual content, January [YYYY], in Column A, Row 1. I highlighted seven columns (A-G), and clicked Merge to make that cell span throughout your entire column. You’ll find this button to the fitting of the Fill device.

Right here, I additionally center-aligned my textual content utilizing the device subsequent to Merge. Afterward, I’ll enhance the font measurement and daring the month.

3. Use a method to fill within the days of the week.

Subsequent, fill within the days of the week in every column (A-G). You are able to do this manually however I made a decision to make use of a method. Sheets has a operate that allows you to kind in formulation to finish sure actions directly.

To fill in days of the week, within the cell the place you need your first weekday to be, kind: =TEXT(1, “DDDD”). What this tells Google is that your quantity shall be changed by a date or time and the format you are utilizing is weekdays.

Spotlight the #1 within the method and exchange it with: COLUMN(). Then, press enter and choose your first day. You are going to copy the method in Sunday’s cell by dragging the selector to the tip of your row, (A-G), and urgent enter once more.

Urgent enter ought to mechanically fill in the remainder of the week. Bear in mind, if this does not give you the results you want, you may all the time fill within the days manually.

4. Fill within the numbers.

Glorious! You will have your days of the week. Now we will fill within the numerical values. Earlier than this step, I took the time so as to add coloration to the times row and altered the font to 1 I favored a bit of extra.

For the numerical values, we’ll merely determine the primary day of the month and click on and drag to fill in the remaining.

How?

Place the #1 on the field proper beneath the primary day of the month, then click on and drag horizontally. Relying on the day of the week, you might must comply with this course of utilizing the second day of the month so you may click on and drag horizontally.

For this instance, we’ll use Sunday as the primary day of the month, however do not forget that the primary day will fluctuate from 12 months to 12 months.

5. Fill in the remainder of the numbers.

Observe: On this step, I stuffed within the calendar numbers each different row to assist with my formatting later.

Now that you simply’ve stuffed out your first row, it’s time to fill in the remaining. Manually insert the following quantity, then click on and drag horizontally to fill in the remaining.

Repeat the method for the following rows. You’ll insert the primary quantity manually, then click on and drag down the row. Right here’s what that appears like for the following row in January.

Observe: Ensure that to finish the month on the fitting quantity! For January, that will be the thirty first.

6. Reformat your calendar if needed.

Every part is beginning to appear to be a calendar, proper? At this stage, I reformatted issues to wash up the look of my calendar a bit of.

Bear in mind these further rows in between the numbered rows? I expanded these rows to create containers beneath the numbers. To do that, I merely dragged the rows all the way down to make these cells greater.

Listed here are some further formatting ideas:

• Choose the empty rows beneath your numbers and heart them utilizing the middle textual content alignment device.
• Choose your total calendar and vertically align all parts in order that they’re within the heart of their cells. To do that, use the vertical alignment device.
• Daring your day numbers.
• If desired, flippantly shade your numbered rows.
• If desired, grey out the Saturday and Sunday columns in order that your workdays stand out.

7. Add design parts to professionalize the look.

Lastly, you may add in some enjoyable design parts to personalize the appear and feel of your calendar. If it is for a shopper or upcoming mission, you may need to incorporate the mandatory launch days right here.

For this step, I added in a couple of enjoyable photos, included a couple of hypothetical calendar occasions, and performed with font sizes.

8. Repeat the method from February to December.

It’s time to repeat for the month of February to December. Merely duplicate your January calendar when you’ve designed it the way you need it to look. To do that, right-click the sheet’s tab and choose Duplicate from the menu.

To fill within the numbers, you’ll solely must know the start day, then click on and drag to fill in the remainder of the rows. Listed here are the primary days for each month for the 12 months 2024:

• January: Monday
• February: Thursday
• March: Friday
• April: Monday
• Might: Wednesday
• June: Saturday
• July: Monday
• August: Thursday
• September: Sunday
• October: Tuesday
• November: Friday
• December: Sunday

Subsequent, you’ll need to know what number of days you’ll must fill in. Listed here are the variety of days you’ll want for every month:

• January: 31
• February: 28 or 29
• March: 31
• April: 30
• Might: 31
• June: 30
• July: 31
• August: 31
• September: 30
• October: 31
• November: 30
• December: 31

After which, you are finished!

It is useful to make use of Sheets as a result of you may open your calendar proper in your browser. You too can preserve monitor of your schedule in a spot that is separate out of your telephone.

You may both make a calendar manually, as we coated above, or use a template, as we cowl under. You too can insert a calendar into Google Sheets utilizing an add-on.

Google Sheets has a built-in timeline view that might be helpful for calendar-making. By itself, although, it’s not as helpful. With the fitting add-on, you may insert a timeline-view calendar that incorporates all your occasions.

For this straightforward tutorial, we’ll be utilizing the add-on Calendar Timeline View.

1. Set up Calendar Timeline View into Google Sheets.

Be sure to’re logged into your Google account. Then, set up Calendar Timeline View into your Google Workspace. Merely click on Set up within the higher right-hand nook.

On a Google Sheets spreadsheet, you can even go to Extensions > Add-ons > Get add-ons. Seek for Calendar Timeline View and set up it from there.

2. Open the Calendar Timeline View sidebar.

On the Google Sheets sidebar, an icon will seem for the add-on we simply put in. Click on it to open up the sidebar.

3. Pull your Google Calendar occasions into Sheets.

With this add-on, you’ll pull your Google Calendar occasions right into a Google Sheets timeline view.

The very best half? You may create a Google Sheets timeline for any date vary, together with the following month, quarter, or 12 months. I like to recommend creating a distinct timeline for various quarters or half-years.

Within the sidebar, choose a particular calendar (like your calendar, the US vacation calendar, or one other calendar).

Then, on the backside, click on Pull Occasions.

5. Clear up your calendar information.

At first, the outcome would possibly look funky. The device pulls in every part out of your Google Calendar, together with Zoom descriptions, which might make your timeline look cluttered.

You may clear up the information that the device pulled in, instantly on the spreadsheet. For instance, I deleted the occasion descriptions in order that the descriptions didn’t present up on my timeline.

I additionally deleted the company, as a result of I didn’t want them.

6. Get pleasure from your timeline Google Sheets calendar.

After you pull your Google Calendar occasions, the add-on mechanically creates a timeline. I then modified the settings within the Timeline tab to the fitting begin dates, finish dates, and card titles.

We’re all finished! Right here’s the ultimate outcome.

Should you don’t have the time or the endurance to create a calendar from scratch or set up an add-on, under are Google Sheets calendar templates so that you can obtain without spending a dime.

Google Sheets Calendar Templates

Excellent news: You’re not simply restricted to Google Sheets’ built-in templates, which we share down under. Should you want a extra useful annual calendar, I’ve obtained you coated with these marketer-friendly choices.

1. Free Editorial Calendar Template for Google Sheets

Download the Free Template

This editorial calendar template is designed for Google Sheets and covers all your editorial planning wants. With this template, you may lay out a powerful editorial technique on a every day and month-to-month foundation in a single accessible, scannable sheet.

Designed for utmost usability and readability, it features a vertical format for the dates, in addition to columns the place you may add particulars such because the Writer, Subject, Content material Particulars, and Key phrases.

A vertical, year-long design like this one may also be used for different efforts, equivalent to skilled and private objectives. You may change the columns as want be to suit your and your staff’s aims for the upcoming 12 months.

2. Free Spreadsheet Social Media Content Calendar Template

Download the Free Template

This Excel-based social media calendar template is right for entrepreneurs who’d prefer to construct a powerful social technique for the upcoming 12 months. The very best half? It comes bundled with a person information for individuals who are new to social media strategy planning.

If you have already got a social plan, you can even use this calendar for any multi-channel effort, equivalent to content material advertising throughout a number of platforms and visitor running a blog on completely different publishers’ web sites. Merely change the titles on the tabs to suit your objectives.

This template can simply be transformed right into a Google Sheets doc. To add it into Google Drive, merely head to drive.google.com and drag the file out of your file explorer into your checklist of Google Drive paperwork.

Alternatively, head to sheets.new to create a brand new Google Sheets spreadsheet. Then, click on File > Import > Add. There, you’ll have the ability to import the Excel file with no loss in high quality.

The way to Make a Calendar Utilizing a Google Sheets Template

Google Sheets gives a built-in template for calendar-making. The one draw back is that customization choices are restricted — you may solely use Google Sheets’ themes. That mentioned, this is a wonderful possibility for those who’re in a rush.

1. Go to sheets.google.com.

Make sure you’re logged into your Google account, or log in when prompted. It will take you on to the Sheets residence web page, the place you may entry the templates.

Alternatively, go to drive.google.com, faucet New, click on the right-hand arrow subsequent to Google Sheets, and faucet From a template.

2. Entry the template gallery.

Should you accessed the Google Sheets templates by way of Google Drive, you received’t must take this step.

In any other case, within the high banner titled Begin a brand new spreadsheet, faucet Template gallery.

3. Discover the annual calendar template.

Templates are divided by classes equivalent to “Work” and “Venture administration.” Scroll down till you attain the Private part, then faucet Annual Calendar.

4. Change the formatting as wanted.

All finished! Your calendar has been created. Subsequent, it’s time to alter the formatting utilizing Google Sheets’ obtainable themes. You too can change the fonts as you’d choose.

An alternate choice to utilizing Google Sheets’ built-in template is utilizing third-party templates equivalent to HubSpot’s under, which might assist you to create vital business documents equivalent to social and editorial calendars.

Our editorial calendar helps you lay out a powerful technique every day. With a bit of little bit of customization, your editorial calendar shall be operating easily, leaving you extra time to deal with the standard of your content material.

Featured Useful resource: Free Editorial Calendar Templates

Download the Free Templates

Use a Google Sheets Calendar to Manage Your Duties

Should you’re useful with Sheets and need to give it a shot, create a Google Sheets calendar. It’s a terrific possibility if you want to create a clear calendar to trace an inner advertising marketing campaign, set up a shopper’s upcoming tasks, or share an occasion calendar with key stakeholders. However for those who don’t need to create one from scratch, use our editorial calendar template to jumpstart your planning and group efforts instantly.

Editor’s observe: This submit was initially revealed in Might 2020 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.