Table Structures & Columns (Data Types)

Content Calendar Sheet

• Date (Date): Target publish date (DD/MM/YYYY).
• Platform (Text): Platform name (e.g., Instagram, LinkedIn, Blog).
• Content Type (Text): Type of content — e.g., Video, Blog Post, Infographic, Story.
• Title/Headline (Text): Catchy or descriptive title.
• Keywords (Text): 3–5 SEO or discoverability keywords.
• Asset ID (Text): Links to the Asset Inventory sheet via unique ID (e.g., ASSET-001).
• Status (Dropdown: Draft, Review, Approved, Scheduled, Published): Tracks progress.
• Owner (Text): Person responsible for creation or approval.
• Due Date (Date): Internal deadline before publishing.
• Publishing Time (Time): Ideal time slot for post publication.

Asset Inventory Sheet

• Asset ID (Text, Unique): Auto-generated ID (e.g., ASSET-001) using a formula: `="ASSET-"&TEXT(ROW()-1,"000")`.
• Asset Name (Text): e.g., "Q3 Product Demo Video", "Logo_Final_Vectors.ai".
• Type (Dropdown: Image, Video, Audio, Document, Font, Template)
• Location (Text): File path or cloud storage link (e.g., Google Drive URL).
• Format (Text): e.g., .jpg, .mp4, .pdf.
• Date Created (Date)
• Created By (Text): Name of designer or producer.
• Last Modified (Date)
• Used In Content ID(s) (Text): Comma-separated Asset IDs from Content Calendar.
• Status (Dropdown: Available, In Use, Archived, Outdated)
• License Info (Text): For third-party assets — e.g., “Stock Photo – Adobe Stock License #123”.

Formulas Required

• In the Content Calendar, column F ("Asset ID") links to Asset Inventory using a simple text input, but is validated via Data Validation > List from Asset Inventory!A:A.
• In Asset Inventory, "Asset ID" auto-generates: `="ASSET-"&TEXT(ROW()-1,"000")` (assumes header row is row 1).
• In Content Calendar, a formula in column G ("Status") triggers conditional formatting based on due date: =AND([@Due Date]"Published") — flags overdue tasks.
• On the Status Dashboard, use SUMIFS to calculate total assets by status: `=SUMIFS(AssetInventory[Status],"Available",AssetInventory[Asset ID],">0")`.

Conditional Formatting

• Content Calendar:
  • Dates past due: Red fill if Status ≠ "Published" and Due Date < TODAY().
  • Status = "Published": Green fill.
  • Status = "Scheduled": Light blue fill.
• Asset Inventory:
  • Assets marked “Outdated”: Red text on yellow background.
  • No license info: Orange border around License Info column if cell is blank.

Instructions for the User

1. Open the template and save a copy with your business name (e.g., “AcmeCo_ContentPlan_2024.xlsx”).
2. In the “Asset Inventory” sheet, begin entering all existing marketing assets — even if unused.
3. When planning content, assign each post an Asset ID from the inventory to ensure traceability.
4. Update the Status column daily. Use dropdowns for consistency.
5. Check the “Status Dashboard” weekly for bottlenecks: Are too many assets “In Use”? Are there outdated items cluttering storage?
6. Never delete rows from Asset Inventory — archive by changing status instead.
7. Use the Notes & Guidelines sheet to store brand voice rules, color codes, or copyright disclaimers.

Example Rows

Recommended Charts & Dashboards

1. Pie Chart: Content Type Distribution — Shows what % of planned content is video, blog, etc. Helps balance asset usage.
2. Bar Chart: Asset Status Overview — Displays how many assets are Available vs. Archived vs. Outdated to reduce waste.
3. Gantt-style Timeline (Conditional Formatting Grid) — Rows represent content pieces, colored bars show planned dates between Due Date and Publish Date, helping visualize workload distribution.

This template transforms chaotic content workflows into a structured, asset-aware process. For the small business owner juggling multiple roles, it prevents duplication of effort (e.g., re-buying stock images), ensures brand consistency across platforms, and provides audit trails for future reporting or scaling. By integrating Content Planning with granular Asset Tracking, this Excel solution is not just a spreadsheet — it’s a strategic asset management system built for the realities of lean operations. Use it daily, update religiously, and watch your content ROI soar.