Editorial calendars are a fantastic tool for any communicators or organizations that want to create a consistent output to communicate with their audiences. Developing a calendar ahead of time can help you gain a big picture of your communications output, ensure that you have a balance of different topics, help you think about the different seasons that are important in your industry, and plan out content creation ahead of time. Here are a few elements I think about when creating an editorial calendar:
Consider all platforms
Ideally, an editorial calendar flows from a communications plan, so that you already know all about your audience, the channels you want to use and why. I like to list all of my channels, whether they be longform like blogs and annual reports (or even email blasts) and then all social channels. Having them in front of me means I’m able to consider them all at once.
Think about existing calendars
Of course, having a real calendar in front of you can also be a good reminder of important holidays (sometimes good to prepare content around these too). Also consider what are busy times for your organizations and how you want to handle content at those times, either lightening up on your output or creating it ahead of time. Are there any important times of year for your industry, for instance, Valentine’s Day for the flower shop? Consider what extras you could create to celebrate.
Schedule content creation times
As well as my content output, for my own editorial calendar I also try to schedule content creation time. I batch my blog posts and some evergreen social media posts so I have a bunch to draw on when I get busy. I try to schedule their creation near the end of the quarter so I have a deadline to continue posting them. Of course, I am always prepared to swap out something more evergreen with something timelier as needed.
