If you have ever run an online business or blog, you know that there's more to it than just creating a new product or publishing a new post. There's so much behind-the-scenes work that has to be done, and it can be pretty overwhelming when you're trying to do it all by yourself. That's the great thing about having an editorial calendar for your blog! It takes away the pressure of worrying about having something to post on your blog or social media platform. If you're looking for a way to organize and keep track of your posts, an editorial calendar is a perfect tool for you! Here's everything you need to know to create an editorial calendar for your blog.
What is an Editorial Calendar?
An editorial calendar is a super helpful tool that bloggers use to keep track of what (and when) they want to post on their blog/social media. This makes it easier to create and schedule your content in advance. It is helpful as a blogger because it means you don't have to focus on creating content every day (or even every week!)
Let's say you go on vacation, for example. Thanks to your editorial calendar, you already knew what needed to be published on your blog and social media platforms while away. You know what images you need to take and where to promote. So you wrote and scheduled all of your content weeks ago. Now, you get to sit back and relax while still putting out high-quality content for your readers! Because let's face it- life happens! There are going to be days or weeks where you have absolutely no time to write for your blog, and that's totally okay!
You shouldn't feel guilty about not being able to post something all the time.
That's what your editorial calendar is there for! It helps you keep track of your posts and help you to consistently post for your readers. Not only does posting often help with SEO (and please the algorithm gods), it helps build trust with your readers! This is because people love to follow blogs that are posting new info. If your blog hasn't been updated in a few months, people likely aren't going to check in on your blog very often.
How to Create an Editorial Calendar
Now that we know what an editorial calendar is, we can get into how you can create one for your own blog! I'd recommend picking an afternoon where you can sit down and properly plan your content. Some bloggers do it monthly, but you could content plan for the whole year if you wanted to! If you're just starting or don't know where you'll be in a few months, start with a month or two ahead.
Pick a Platform to Use
While you can just use a regular calendar to keep track of your posts, you definitely don't have to! There are many different options out there for you to pick from. Personally, I like to keep up with my editorial calendar on a spreadsheet in Excel.
Here's a quick look at what my editorial looks like:
Right now, I only use my editorial calendar for my blog posts. However, I could also use it to keep up with Instagram, Facebook, etc. Even though it doesn't look like a traditional calendar, it helps me keep track of a ton of stuff for every post. I use my editorial calendar to keep up with my keywords, links to my posts and even make sure I have a call-to-action in every post! Although Excel isn't the prettiest option, I think it's one of the best to use because it's very basic/easy to understand!
Here's a list of other apps you can use to track your editorial:
- Trello
- Evernote
- Google Calendar
- Notion
- Excel
- Bullet Journal/Planner
- Desk planner/wall calendar
Some of these platforms (Evernote, Notion, etc.) also have an app on your phone that you can use to access your calendar from anywhere. That's the biggest reason I prefer to use an online tool. It makes for quick and easy access! Find what works best for you, though. Some people just like the feel of having a physical planner in front of them, which is fine too!
Decide on a Posting Schedule
The whole point of creating an editorial calendar is to help you post more consistently. So, for your editorial calendar to really work, you must decide how often you want to post new content- and stick with it! Also, make sure your posting schedule is manageable. You don't want to create so much content every week that you end up losing quality. Because, when it comes to increasing blog traffic, quantity does not equal quality.
Sure, you can publish a new blog post 5 days a week. If those posts are just meh, you're not going to see any progress in your blog, especially if your goal is to make money blogging. People read your posts to learn something. They want to solve a problem they're having, and your blog is meant to be the solution! It makes it much easier to create products for your readers. If they don't find your posts helpful, they're not going to look to you as an authority in your niche.
If you can create and publish high-quality blog posts 5 days a week, then go for it. But for most bloggers, that's a pretty impossible task. Don't be afraid to post less often. It's better to post a high-quality post once a week or once every 2 weeks than to publish 5 posts a week of lesser quality. Once you decide how often you want to publish content, you can consider what days to post. I like to publish content once every Sunday.
Brainstorm Post Ideas
You can start putting ideas onto your editorial calendar now that you have more of a scheduling plan! It's up to you how far in advance you want your editorial calendar to go. Personally, I've got my editorial calendar set up for the whole year, so I don't really have to worry about brainstorming content. As the publishing date gets closer for a post, I'll start researching keywords, links to add, etc.
- create a mind map/brain dump
- research trending topics
- think about seasonal content ideas
- Think about things you wish you had known
- Find a gap in blogging that you could fill
If you're new to blogging or feel overwhelmed, I recommend just planning enough content ideas for the next 1-2 months. Then, you can revisit your editorial every few months to brainstorm ideas again! If you're looking for specific content, here are over 500 posts that you can use for blog post planning!
150+ Fall & Autumn Themed Blog Post Ideas
120+ Halloween Blog Post Ideas
250+ Blog Post Ideas For All Year Round
120+ Christmas & Blogmas Content Ideas For Every Niche
100+ Valentine's Day Ideas For Every Niche
When Should You Schedule Seasonal Content?
Seasonal content is holiday-themed content that you can write for your blog as the season approaches. For example, Christmas, Easter, back to school etc. Seasonal content is a great way to bring more readers to your blog as there will be a surge in people looking for related content! You can also link back to more evergreen content to boost interlinking traffic. It's important to publish them at the right time to help you gain the most traffic. I've found that the best time to post seasonal content is actually 1-2 months before the actual holiday. This gives your post plenty of time to start circulating around social media and start reaching people who are searching for your post before the holiday arrives. Make sure you schedule promotions for older seasonal content that you have published previously!
How Often Should You Update Your Editorial Calendar?
Ideally, you'll be checking your editorial calendar every few days/weeks, depending on how often you're writing new content for your blog! Even though I have all of my post ideas for the year already, I still regularly check my calendar. It means I can keep up with any changes I want to make (new ideas for seasonal content, updating the keyword I want to use, etc.)
I'd recommend updating and checking your calendar weekly to ensure you're not missing things. Trends and feelings change, so you may not want to post certain things a few months after you scheduled them. I love to look at my calendar on a Sunday evening after my weekly post, as I can decide how I want the rest of the week to look. When you have your calendar, you can also build from it. Write your to-do list for the week by checking your editorial and deciding what needs to be done first!
Everyone has their own way of doing things, and your editorial calendar is no different! Finding what works best for you may take some time, but it's going to save you so much in the long run! I hope this guide makes it super easy for you as you begin creating your own editorial calendar for your blog! Feel free to comment below or reach out to me if you have any questions!
About The Guest Writer
Brandi runs a lovely blog called by Brandi Renee! She helps other women earn an income online through tried-and-true strategies and easy-to-understand tutorials! You can check out more of her blog here!
Hi there! I'm Emily, and welcome to my little corner of the internet. You can find me preaching sustainability, hustling hard or working on my endless to do list! Together, we can make a productive, happy lifestyle!