You start with the best intentions.

You create a Google Sheet. You add columns for Date, Platform, Post Text, Status, Link. You color-code rows by category. You add a dropdown for "Scheduled / Posted / Failed."

It feels organized. It feels professional.

Then reality hits.

You're managing LinkedIn, X, Threads, Bluesky, and Mastodon. Your spreadsheet has 150 rows. You can't remember which posts went where. You accidentally post the same content twice. You miss a scheduled post because you forgot to check row 87.

Spreadsheets aren't bad. They're just the wrong tool for content planning.

Here's why they fail—and what actually works.

Why Spreadsheets Feel Like the Right Choice

Before we talk about why they fail, let's acknowledge why everyone starts here:

  1. They're free (Google Sheets, Excel)
  2. They're flexible (you can structure them however you want)
  3. They're familiar (everyone knows how to use them)
  4. They feel "organized" (rows, columns, filters—it looks like a real system)

These are all true. And for the first 10-20 posts, a spreadsheet works fine.

But then you scale. And the cracks appear.

The 7 Ways Spreadsheets Break Down

1. No Visual Calendar View

You can't see your content strategy.

You can add a "Date" column and sort by it. But you can't see:

  • Gaps in your posting schedule
  • Clustering (did you post 5 times on Monday and zero times Thursday?)
  • Multi-platform overlap (did you post the same content on LinkedIn and X on the same day?)

Spreadsheets are linear. Content planning is spatial.

You need to see the shape of your content calendar, not just a chronological list.

2. Multi-Platform Is a Nightmare

How do you track one post going to 3 platforms?

Option A: One row per post-platform combo

  • Result: Your spreadsheet has 500 rows for 100 posts
  • Editing the same post text across 3 rows is error-prone

Option B: One row per post, with a "Platforms" column

  • Result: You can't filter by platform
  • You can't see LinkedIn-only posts vs multi-platform posts

Neither scales.

3. No Draft / Scheduled / Posted Workflow

A spreadsheet can track status ("Draft", "Scheduled", "Posted").

But it can't enforce the workflow.

  • You have to manually update the status
  • You have to manually copy the post text to the actual platform
  • You have to manually mark it "Posted" after it goes live

It's a checklist, not a system.

4. Images and Media Are a Mess

How do you attach an image to a post in a spreadsheet?

Option A: Add a Google Drive link in a column

  • Result: You click the link, download the image, upload it to the platform
  • Extra steps every time

Option B: Embed a thumbnail

  • Result: The sheet becomes slow and hard to scroll

Option C: Just write "[IMAGE: sunset_photo.jpg]"

  • Result: You forget which image it was, or the file is renamed

Spreadsheets weren't designed for visual content.

5. Collaboration Is Chaotic

If you're working with a team, spreadsheets turn into version-control nightmares.

  • Someone edits row 47 while you're editing row 48
  • You accidentally overwrite their changes
  • You can't see who wrote what or when it was last edited (unless you dig through version history)

Google Sheets has comments, but no real task assignment or approval flows.

6. No Automation

You can't schedule a post directly from a spreadsheet.

You have to:

  1. Copy the text from the sheet
  2. Open LinkedIn (or Buffer, or Hootsuite)
  3. Paste the text
  4. Add the image
  5. Schedule the post
  6. Go back to the sheet
  7. Mark it "Scheduled"

Manual copy-pasting introduces errors. You'll miss a line break, forget an emoji, or paste the wrong text.

7. It Doesn't Scale Past 100 Posts

A spreadsheet with 100 rows is manageable.

A spreadsheet with 500 rows is unusable.

You can't:

  • Find a specific post quickly
  • See patterns in your content (which topics perform best?)
  • Archive old posts without deleting them

You could create tabs by month, or by platform, or by category. But now you're managing 12 spreadsheets instead of 1.

The solution to spreadsheet chaos is always "add more spreadsheets." That's a red flag.

What Works Instead?

You need a tool purpose-built for content planning.

Here's what that actually means:

✅ Calendar View

You should see your posts laid out by day/week/month, not in a list.

✅ Multi-Platform Support

One post should map to multiple platforms without duplicate rows.

✅ Draft → Scheduled → Posted Workflow

The tool should enforce the workflow, not just track it.

✅ Media Attached to Posts

Images should live with the post, not in a separate folder.

✅ Fast Navigation

Keyboard shortcuts to jump between dates, filter by platform, or search for a post.

✅ Scheduled Publishing

You shouldn't have to copy-paste into 5 different tools.

The Real Choice: Notion vs. Dedicated Schedulers

Most creators who outgrow spreadsheets go one of two directions:

Option 1: Notion (or Airtable)

Pros:

  • Flexible database views (calendar, table, board)
  • Good for brainstorming and drafting
  • Can link to other workspaces (tasks, notes, research)

Cons:

  • Still no native scheduling (you'll need a Zapier integration)
  • Slower than a dedicated tool
  • Not optimized for publishing

Best for: Teams who want planning + drafting + documentation in one place.

Option 2: Dedicated Scheduler (Buffer, Hootsuite, Broadr, etc.)

Pros:

  • Native scheduling to all platforms
  • Calendar view built for content
  • Fast performance (keyboard shortcuts, quick edits)
  • Analytics integrated

Cons:

  • Less flexible than Notion (you can't turn it into a CRM)
  • Might feel "over-engineered" if you only post once a week

Best for: Creators who post 3+ times per week across multiple platforms.

Why We Built Broadr

We tried spreadsheets. We tried Notion. We tried Buffer and Hootsuite.

Here's what frustrated us:

  • Notion was too slow. Great for planning, terrible for execution.
  • Buffer was too clunky. Too many clicks to schedule a post.
  • Spreadsheets were too manual. We spent more time updating the sheet than creating content.

So we built Broadr around three principles:

  1. Fast, keyboard-driven workflows. No clicking through 5 menus to schedule a post.
  2. Calendar-first view. You should see your content strategy at a glance.
  3. Multi-platform by default. One post should go to LinkedIn, X, Threads, Bluesky, and Mastodon with one click.

If you're posting 1-2 times per week, a spreadsheet is fine.

If you're posting 3+ times per week across multiple platforms, you need a real tool.

The Migration Guide (Spreadsheet → Scheduler)

If you're ready to leave spreadsheets behind, here's how to transition:

Step 1: Export your existing content

  • Copy all "Scheduled" and "Draft" posts from your spreadsheet
  • Don't worry about migrating old "Posted" content (you won't need it)

Step 2: Choose your tool

  • If you want flexibility + drafting, try Notion
  • If you want speed + scheduling, try Broadr (or Buffer/Hootsuite)

Step 3: Batch-import your posts

  • Most schedulers let you import via CSV or manual paste
  • Schedule everything in one session (don't trickle-migrate)

Step 4: Archive the spreadsheet

  • Don't delete it (you might need reference data)
  • But stop updating it immediately
  • If you keep "maintaining" both, you'll revert to the spreadsheet

When Spreadsheets Do Work

To be fair, spreadsheets aren't always the wrong choice.

Use a spreadsheet if:

  • You post 1-2 times per week max
  • You're only on one platform
  • You're in the brainstorming phase (not execution)

Don't use a spreadsheet if:

  • You're managing 3+ platforms
  • You're posting daily (or near-daily)
  • You're working with a team

The Real Cost of Spreadsheets

The problem isn't that spreadsheets are "bad."

The problem is that they create invisible friction.

Every time you:

  • Copy-paste a post into 3 different tools
  • Manually update the status column
  • Scroll through 200 rows looking for next Tuesday's post

...you're adding 30 seconds of cognitive overhead.

Do that 10 times per week, and you've lost 5 minutes.

Do it for a year, and you've lost 4 hours—time you could've spent creating better content.

Spreadsheets don't fail catastrophically. They fail slowly.

And by the time you realize you're burned out from managing the system instead of using it, you've already wasted months.

The Bottom Line

Spreadsheets are great for tracking. They're terrible for executing.

If you're serious about content, use a tool built for it.

Your future self will thank you.