As you likely know by now, I’m all about organization, systems, and planning ahead.
But strangely enough, there was one piece of the efficiency puzzle that I kept dodging. Like, hands-over-my-ears-shouting-NO level avoidance.
The offending party? Editorial calendars.
In case you’re not sure what an editorial calendar is, I’ll tell you! It’s a plan of what you’ll publish for your business. At the most basic level, it’s your blog post topics and dates they’ll go live. Taking it one step further, it includes other emails you’ll send to your list. Even further, it includes your social media activity and everything else that goes out into the world related to your business, such as blog posts or interviews where you’re featured.
Why I Avoided Them
When it comes to blogging, I fought the editorial calendar. I was resistant to assigning myself topics ahead of time and wanted to write based on what moved me. (Sound familiar?) So I never planned ahead. And it was, honestly, working just fine.
But one day I was visited by a little fairy. For real. Her name is Mayi Carles and she gifted me some cute little planners. Then, something absolutely magical happened.
I printed out one of her enchanting calendar templates from her Life is Messy Planners, and suddenly I was consumed by an overwhelming urge to plan out several months worth of blog posts and emails to my list. Goodness, what had come over me?!
Within an hour, I had the rest of January, plus all of February, March, and April completely mapped out. The next day, May was done, too. And it was still January!
Why I’m Absolutely Charmed
Crafting that calendar did more than just get my thoughts in order. It gave me the motivation to write post after post, months in advance. The result? Incredible peace of mind – the kind that made going on vacation for most of March completely stress-free.
Now, I can’t imagine not using an editorial calendar. It’s brought so much more order and sparkling clarity to my business… and more order = more free time!
To celebrate my latest revelation in organizational awesomeness, here’s everything you need to know about creating and using your own editorial calendar plus how to do it fast. (Consider this your visit from a little fairy!)
Editorial Calendars: The Basics
Getting your topics in order
Set aside 30 minutes and do a mega brainstorm of every blog post topic you can think of. Stumped on topics? Here are 6 no-fail strategies for having endless blogging ideas.
Need more ideas? Consider these questions during your brainstorm:
What are you aiming to discuss over the next few weeks or months?
Is there a theme you’d like to run through your future posts?
A story arc you want to create for your audience?
Helping you stay ahead
You calendar shouldn’t just include the deadlines for posting content. Make sure you also add in deadlines for creating content. This way, if you’re heading out on vacation, you can set yourself up to be prepared well in advance. Of course, the trick is sticking to your own deadlines! But when it means a day spent in the hotel room versus basking in the sunshine on your vacation, make yourself make it work.
Keeping you in check
In addition to helping me plan my blog three months out, using an editorial calendar also helped me avoid overwhelming you with my emails.
When I was populating my calendar, I was balancing follow-up emails for members in my program, Get Your First 1000 Subscribers (now retired) with promotional emails for Marie Forleo’s B-School, plus my normal weekly email updates. It’s a lot of stuff, and I try to avoid overwhelming you with too much at once.
I make a conscious effort to send out no more than two emails each week, whenever possible. The calendar helped me schedule things accordingly — so I got the info out that I wanted to without flooding your inbox.
Using a calendar to keep you in check can be one of its biggest benefits.
Taking It Further
If editorial calendars are starting to sound appealing and you’re getting excited at the stress-reduction possibilities, consider taking your editorial calendar a few steps further. Here are some ideas.
Using your editorial calendar for launches
Thinking about launching a new product or service? Publishing related blog posts before and during your launch can add extra oomph to your sales efforts. As you plan out your launch, consider the blog topics that would help lure people into your offerings, and map them out on the calendar accordingly.
Coordinating your social media
In addition to syncing blog posts with launches, what topics for your social media presence would benefit your business? In the months before a launch, you may want to grow your list. As your launch is underway, you may want to promote your actual product or service.
Thinking this through ahead of time helps avoid the chaos many entrepreneurs find themselves in mid-launch (and who wants that?!).
Planning out your guest posting
Although guest posting is a good list-building strategy all the time, timing your guest posts with launches can add more sales to your bottom line when timed appropriately. Though not always possible, it’s beneficial if you can time your guest posts with the other activities in your business.
Keeping the Magic Alive
It turns out that the magic of the planners wasn’t a one-time enchantment. I used them to get me twinkling in January, and three months later I’m still mesmerized at their effectiveness. They’ve cast a spell on my business efficiency, one I hope never breaks.
Now, my questions for you!
Do you use an editorial calendar? Why or why not?
If you use one, I’d love to hear what a difference it’s made in your business. Have any extra tips to help the rest of us use ours more effectively?
I can’t wait to hear your ideas in the comments below.
I had a 6-month editorial calendar mapped out in December, using the wordpress ed cal plugin. However, once I really going, I started writing more about whatever I was inspired to write about at the time, not what was on the editorial calendar. I think it might be because my first editorial calendar was full of terrible ideas, but it didn’t really click. I’m planning to start from scratch soon and test what works best! Maybe I’ll pick up some of Mayi’s stuff in the process!
I definitely think there’s a balance we all find in our biz. Even though I’m mapped out through May, I do change my mind now and then. Like next week’s post came out of nowhere and I shuffled everything else around it. Having some ideas down is great, though, like a backup plan
Hurray for organization, systems & planning ahead! Will have to check Mayi’s calendars out. Figuring inspiring editorial calendars is always challenging. It is the one place where I feel disorganized.
Are you saying that when the calendar itself is inspiring, you’re inspired? Then you most definitely must find yourself inspiring calendars! I know it sounds silly, but the little things we can do to coax ourselves along are actually BIG deals for our business. Mission #1 for Sara – find inspiring calendar!
Jenny, thank you SO MUCH for writing about this! Total serendipity… I’m struggling big time with my own editorial calendar, sorting out topics, looking ahead to a launch… I tend to be a super organized person but for some reason all this stuff has me being a very messy entrepreneur right now! I definitely plan to check out Mayi’s planners and appreciate the additional links you included.
Sorting out launch calendars and merging it with your editorial calendar is definitely a challenge even for the most organized, so know you’re not alone, Stephanie! Especially if it’s your first time. You’ll get there. Grab a calendar, a pencil and eraser, and your favorite warm beverage. You’ll figure it out, I know you will!
I love Mayi’s website! I do feel quite overwhelmed with trying institute what I am learning in B school with my existing business as well as working to get something new launched (along with two small children and the inability to afford childcare….yet). I know that organization and planning ahead are going to be key. Thanks!
Calendars are most definitely your friend, especially the busier you are. It’s okay if you can’t put everything into action right now — plan out when you want to work on it instead, even if that’s in August. You’ll get there, Emily!
I use the Editorial Calendar plugin in WordPress, but I’m far from as organized as I should be 🙂
Do you like that plugin?
It’s not pretty, but it works. If I find a better way to schedule posts, I’ll probably switch.
What does it offer that’s different than using the “schedule” option within the blog post?
It gives and overview, much like a calendar. http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/editorial-calendar/
Jenny,
Thanks for introducing us to Mayi — she is ADORABLE! I love that video on her site. I just signed up for her newsletter.
I’m struggling to commit to an edit-cal right now. I had brainstormed ideas and felt all fired up, but when I went back to add them to my calendar, I realized that my ideas (that I thought were brilliant at the time of the brainstorm) were really just a half-formed pile of mush that I had little use for.
I did however just download Linda’s suggestion of the editorial calendar plug-in and did a rough outline for my upcoming weekly post, and I could totally see that working for me to pop in there when inspiration strikes so that I’ll be able to slowly populate an edit-cal over time as I’m moved to do so.
I’m really glad you brought this topic up, because today I had finally given up, thinking that I would just keep doing things at the last minute, but now I can see there are half-measures that can get me moving in the right direction.
–Katie
I’m familiar with those mush of ideas, too. Do those myself sometimes!
I’m so glad that just as you were giving up, you were saved. You are definitely headed the right direction!
Today seems to be a “make your business more productive” day because this is the 3rd piece of advice I’ve had on systemization today!
I think the universe is trying to tell me something 😉
An editorial calendar has always been something that I’ve tried, but sometimes I find it hard to stick to it. I always think, “Oh! That’d be a good idea to write about” and then forget about my editorial calendar.
But, that being said, one thing I always make sure to do is write down what I have written about on a I’ve-already-written-it “editorial calendar” so I’m not constantly talking about the same theme over and over.
I think I may just watch the communication section of B-School again and bust out something-of a editorial calendar and then I can always shift stuff around if I need to.
Thanks, Jenny!
I love when themes enter my life and biz like that, too, Jenna!
Smart thinking around and “already written” calendar. After several years of blogging, I know I’ve lost track of all that’s been shared on my site.
Cheering you on as you put more systems in place, cuz your business will love you forever when you do it!
Great Blog Jenny! Editorial calendars definitely help reduce stress, help communicate plans to our clients and most of all assist in making sure we keep a balance between great content and great offerings (without getting too salesy – what we call being a blockhead!) Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Love that you highlighted that they benefit more than just us as business owners. You’re right, it does help our clients and readers as well!
Thank you for this, Jenny! I was scheduling okay, but recently restructured my business and am getting super-clear on WHY I’m offering what I offer, and when I offer them. This means my business year is now divided into quarters. During each quarter, I will now focus on a different section of business (attracting clients, converting prospects to paid clients, etc), which makes it way easier to schedule my posts, talks, and programs.
This couldn’t have come at a more perfect time!
I always love perfect timing! 🙂
Hi Jenny — great post! I’ve been meaning to work on an editorial calendar for ages and will be clicking your affiliate link above as soon as I’m done writing this thank-you note!
Great resource!! Thank you for sharing Mayi with us, Jenny!
My editorial calendar, if I could call it that, is simply a brain dump of possible topics that I choose from and plan out a few weeks in advance. It feels very haphazard, but I’ve been resistant to doing it any other way because what if I’m not “feeling” what I have planned for any given week? But Mayi’s templates are so fun and engaging! And who doesn’t want to reduce stress and create freedom?
Thanks again for sharing!