In the unlikely event that I decided to start going to a gym to get fit or build some muscle, I’d need a goal and a plan of what to do each week. Otherwise, I’d wander round the weights and cardio machines, not getting anything done, with nothing to show for it after six months.
The same is true for writing regular blog posts. Without a purpose and a schedule to follow, you’d sit at your desk with a blank page and not a clue what to write about.
The key planning device for any news room is the editorial calendar which ensures everyone knows what to do and that no important event gets missed; the same tool works for blogging.
Benefits to running a blogging calendar
• You can make sure you write about events before they happen so you post late, such as world back health day if you’re a physiotherapist or a launch date for your new product.
• If you’re re-using a blog post as a media release (and why not?), you can hit the editor’s deadline too.
• You can ensure you’re writing for all your target audiences, rather than focusing on a few.
• You can record results so you can go back and do more of what worked well or tweak what didn’t.
• It saves a lot of time sitting staring out of the window and allows you to collect ideas and material ahead of the game, as events occur. And more people can input into this at the beginning.
• You can plan a long term blogging campaign rather than just reacting from week to week.
What does an editorial calendar look like?
Firstly, you can call it what you want: blogging schedule, web content plan or editorial calendar. It can also look however you want, with columns for information tailored to what’s useful to you. However, here are some common elements:
• Publishing date
• Drafting date
• Title
• Topic
• Main message
• Audience
• Media to be used (eg website blog page, Twitter, media release)
• Results
What do I blog about?
I discussed in a previous article the importance of having an aim for your blogging but people are too savvy now to bother with a blatant advert. You need something informative and entertaining to write about, to sugar coat your main message.
I’ll look at where I get ideas from in my next post, but if you have any questions in the meantime, or you’d like to know more about how blogging can help drive customers to your website, don’t hesitate to contact Bill Blogs or ring 07981 269162.
Editorial calendars – what do you put in yours?
