Creating a blog editorial calendar in 5 easy steps
You’ve decided to start a blog for your business. Excellent. But now you actually have to post.
At the start, you have a few great ideas and a lot of enthusiasm. By week five, you’re tapped out of topics and time.
Developing an editorial calendar will help keep you on track with ideas and a schedule to keep you going all year long.
Before you get started, what are your goals?
Decide where you want to accomplish with your blog. This will give you a sense of the types of posts to include. Your goals may include:
- Establishing credibility in a specific subject area.
- Dispelling myths about the services you offer.
- Educating customers so they understand how your service works.
If you go in with a goal to increase sales, you run the risk of sounding like a carnival barker, yelling at people to buy your products or services. That won’t win you readers.
A calendar, some sticky notes and a lot coffee is some of what it takes.
Step 1: Decide how often you want to post
A blog takes work. A 400-word post may not seem like a big deal, but a well thought out, well-written post takes a few hours to compose. Decide the frequency that will work for you to post consistently. I usually recommend no less than one post per month. More than a couple of times per week may be too much for your followers.
Step 2: Identify the holidays and special events that matter in your business
Remember, this isn’t about yelling “Sale, Sale, Sale” at Christmas. Instead you may post about unique gift ideas for the hard-to-buy-for crowd.
Some occasions to keep in mind may include:
- Scheduled product launches.
- Recapping an annual conference or event for your readers.
- Commenting on an annual report or review related to your industry.
- Celebrating a special anniversary for your business or industry.
Step 3: Think about your busy and off-season
Every business has a busy season and slower times. Just try calling a landscaper for a “quick” quote in July.
Your blog can be a powerful tool for redirecting business to quieter times. Brainstorm posts that convince customers to do something in the off-season. Come up for tips that make the busy season more manageable for you, while saving your customer money.
For example, a pool company can give tips on how to prepare for a pool opening that saves the customer money while making the job faster and easier for the technician.
If your customers have questions, what blog posts can you develop as answers?
Step 4: Brainstorm ideas
The final step involves good old fashion brainstorming. By coming up with ideas in advance, you don’t have to scramble every week.
- Your customers are probably giving you ideas every day. Take note of their questions. Can you turn them into posts?
- Read articles and posts and look for new angles or give more information.
- Include topics you want to learn more about. This is your chance to develop and share what you learn.
Step 5: Keep an open mind
Just because you have a calendar of ideas, doesn’t mean you have to follow it religiously. Be open to ideas that come up in conversation. Take advantage of topics in the news and write about how it relates to your business.
The beauty of a calendar is that once you have it scoped out, you’ve won half the battle for posting regularly. There’s no looking for an inspiration for a topic or struggling to come up with an idea. The topics are set. Pick up your pen and go.
Ready to get started but need some help? Contact us today: info@writeapproach.ca