Content · 6 min read
Content calendar template for UK small businesses (that you'll actually use)
A simple, sustainable content calendar template for UK small businesses — monthly themes, weekly rhythm, and channel-by-channel breakdown.
By Jack Frampton, Multi-Channel Marketer at Queen's College, Taunton · Published 1 July 2026
The content calendars people abandon are the ones with 60 fields per row. Here's the stripped-down version I actually use with clients and inside Queen's College, Taunton.
Monthly theme, not daily topics
Pick one theme per month tied to a business goal (e.g. "open day" or "summer sale"). Every piece of content that month ladders up to it.
One doc, five columns
Date. Channel. Format. Hook/title. Link/asset. That's it. Anything more collapses under its own weight.
Batch, don't drip
Write two weeks of content in a two-hour block. Schedule with Buffer, Later or Meta Business Suite. Frees you up to actually engage during the week.
Recycle relentlessly
One blog post = 3 LinkedIn posts + 1 newsletter + 1 short video + 4 quote graphics. Most small businesses under-recycle by 5×.
Frequently asked questions
- How far ahead should I plan content?
- One month locked, one month drafted, one month themed. Anything further is fiction.
- What tool should I use?
- Notion, Google Sheets, or Trello — whichever you'll actually open. The tool matters less than the habit.
- How often should I post per channel?
- LinkedIn 3–5×/week, Instagram 3×/week, email 1–4×/month, blog 2–4×/month. Adjust down to what you can sustain.
- Do AI tools help?
- Yes for first drafts and repurposing, but every piece needs a human edit for tone and accuracy.