What Is An Editorial Calendar?
[pullquote align=”normal” cite=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Editorial_calendar”]An editorial calendar is used by bloggers, publishers, businesses, and groups to control publication of content across different media.[/pullquote]
We are specifically talking about blogging at the moment but using an editorial calendar can (and should) be applied to social media as well as other channels like newspapers, magazines, and email newsletters.
Why Use an Editorial Calendar?
According to Joe Pulizzi of Content Marketing Institute, “…(editorial calendars) are utterly critical for any content marketing program to be successful.”
- Why? Content marketing is a long-term play that requires a strategy, planning, and follow through. An editorial calendar helps with the planning, follow through, and tracking of your content marketing efforts.
- In short, you lay out a plan and then schedule blog posts to accomplish the goals of the plan.
- Without an editorial calendar, your content marketing approach looks like “spray and pray” rather than a well thought-out plan.
- Bloggers are notorious for this haphazard approach, myself included.
- An editorial calendar helps immensely with planning, but also in tracking progress and results.
Best Practices with an Editorial Calendar
- Create a content marketing plan.
- Use the Editorial Calendar spreadsheet (link — sorry, password-protected, only for my Mastermind members).
- Plan around holidays and special events in your niche.
- Include “mini content marketing” campaigns in your plan.
- Use a WordPress plugin to assist.
Here's the full presentation: