Editorial calendars: Plan your work; work your plan

Editorial Calendars

Plan your work; work your plan

By Angie Pedersen, KCGeeks.com

@angiepedersen/@kcgeeks

Agenda

○ Editorial calendars 101: What and Why

○ Creating an editorial calendar

○ Editorial calendar forms/formats

○ WordPress plugins

○ Incorporating an editorial calendar in your content marketing plan

@angiepedersen/@kcgeeks

Editorial calendars 101: What?

○ Tool used by bloggers, publishers, businesses, and groups to manage content publication across different distribution channels, including:

○ Blog(s)

○ Email newsletters

○ Social media

○ Paid media campaigns

@angiepedersen/@kcgeeks

Editorial calendars 101: Why?

○ Define the process and execution of creating content, such as:

○ Brainstorm content ideas

○ Research and writing

○ Editing

○ Publishing per calendar schedule

○ Promoting

○ Help ensure content is being published and promoted consistently

@angiepedersen/@kcgeeks

Plan the work: Creating an editorial calendar

Consider:

○ Monthly/weekly themes

○ Holidays (e.g. gift guides/recommendations, build awareness, offer resources, etc.)

○ Campaigns (e.g. conventions, ads, book/product/service launch, contests, etc.)

○ Frequency of posts

○ Vacation/scheduling posts

@angiepedersen/@kcgeeks

Editorial Calendar formats

○ Paper calendar printouts

○ Spreadsheets (e.g. Excel or Google Sheets)

○ Google calendar

○ WordPress plugin

○ 3rd party platform (e.g. Spreadfast, DivvyHQ, etc.)

@angiepedersen/@kcgeeks

Spreadsheet

@angiepedersen/@kcgeeks

○ Create separate tabs for each channel/property

○ blog○ social○ newsletter○ ebooks/case studies/etc.

○ Track various data - deadlines/status/etc.

○ Post date○ Author○ Tentative title○ Keywords○ Categories○ Call to action○ Status

Spreadsheet

@angiepedersen/@kcgeeks

Google Calendar

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○ associated with a Google account

○ may want to set up a unique account

WordPress calendar plugins

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Editorial Calendar plugin

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Editorial Calendar plugin

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○ Calendar item automatically creates new post

○ (even unscheduled/ “parked” posts)

Co-schedule:Plugin + Platform

○ Starts at $30/month, after 14-day free trial

○ WP plugin available

○ Also syncs with Google Docs, Google Analytics, & Evernote

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@angiepedersen/@kcgeeks

Third-party Platform: DivvyHQ

○ Starts at $30/user/month, after 14-day free trial

○ No WP plugin

@angiepedersen/@kcgeeks

Work the Plan

○ Incorporate an editorial calendar into your content marketing plan○ Blogs

○ Social posts

○ Email marketing

○ Campaigns

@angiepedersen/@kcgeeks

Links

○ Hubspot: Free Google calendar & Excel calendar templates

○ Includes how to set up Google Calendar

○ Content Marketing Institute: Editorial Calendar tips & templates

○ 15 Life Changing Editorial Tools

○ TimeandDate.com Fun Holidays

○ Bizarre & Wacky Holidays

@angiepedersen/@kcgeeks

BONUS Content Links!

○ 100 Blog Topics for Your Business

○ 100 Blog Topics I Hope YOU Write

○ I Brainstormed 180 Blog Post Ideas for You [PDF available]

○ 6 months of writing prompts (Problogger newsletter subscription)

○ 50 Can’t-Fail Techniques for Finding Great Blog Topics

@angiepedersen/@kcgeeks

Angie Pedersen

@kcgeeks

@angiepedersen

www.kcgeeks.com

[email protected]