The Content Calendar Template for Lean Teams (2 People or Less)

If you're running content as a founder or solo marketer, HubSpot's 47-column calendar template is the wrong artifact. Here's what actually works.

The 4-column weekly sheet

| Day | Platform | Pillar | Working title | |---|---|---|---| | Mon | LinkedIn | Insight | "What we learned from Q1 churn" | | Wed | LinkedIn | Story | "Last Tuesday, 4pm..." | | Wed | X | Reaction | Commentary on industry news | | Fri | LinkedIn | Tactical | "5-step framework for X" |

Four posts per week. Two platforms. Three pillars. That's it.

The four pillars that work

Choose 3–4 content pillars that map to your brand's expertise:

1. Insight — data, frameworks, opinions
2. Story — specific moments, lessons, mistakes
3. Tactical — how-tos, templates, checklists
4. Reaction — commentary on news, trends, competitors

Rotating pillars prevents audience fatigue and keeps the generation easy — you always know what shape the next post takes.

The 20-minute weekly ritual

Every Sunday:

1. Pick next week's 4 topics (5 min)
2. Generate all 4 drafts via AI (5 min)
3. Edit in your voice (10 min)
4. Schedule them (done)

If step 3 takes more than 10 minutes per post, your brand voice is underspecified. Invest one hour tuning it.

The emergency slot

Leave one weekly slot empty. If the week brings breaking news, a customer story, or a take you must make — you have room. If not, skip it.

What not to do

• Don't calendar past 2 weeks. News cycles outrun you.
• Don't cross-post identical content. The algorithm punishes and your audience notices.
• Don't track 12 metrics. Impressions + replies + saves is enough.
• Don't schedule in advance if you can't reply in real-time. Post → go silent for 8 hours = algorithm kills reach.

The permission to skip

If your business is on fire, skip the week. Missing 3 posts won't kill your brand. Publishing trash in a panic will.