Six reasons why you need an editorial calendar

Using an editorial calendar for your blog is definitely a time saver. I am preaching as a converted person. 

I kept everything written in a small handbook, or in my head till recently. This worked for a while, but the more things l learned and wanted to implement, the harder it got to keep everything straight.

Since this whole site is dedicated to you not having to experience the same mistakes that l made, I’ll go ahead and tell you now. Yes, you should get one for your site. Here are some reasons why.

Why use an Editorial Calendar for your blog?

Organization

Unless you have a photographic memory, you will need to have everything neatly in the same place.

Whether you are running your blog as a hobby or business, there are quite a few things you have to keep up with, everything from scheduling new posts, to your social media to blog topics.

You grow tired of having  things in different places. This can cause a bit of stress and forgetfulness which is eliminated by a simple calendar. Hard lesson learned.

Grand Overview

An editorial calendar allows you to see what you have planned in black and white so to speak. I especially like the fact that l can schedule timely posts, maybe around a specific holiday.

For instance, Thanksgiving is coming up soon enough. Looking at the calendar, l can make some time to come up with an appropriate post for the occasion, thereby increasing traffic to the blog.

How many times has it happened where you wake up, and realize that it’s Valentine’s or some other day that you could have taken advantage of editorially?

Regularity

A lot of bloggers have problems with setting a routine when it comes to blog posts. Getting into the habit of using your editorial calendar, and mapping out what needs to be done for the week or month ahead of time makes you accountable.

Having even a rough idea of what your blog post will be gives you an advantage over most. It prevents a lot of procrastination.

Strategy

An editorial calendar is also good to help you develop a game plan for your blog or posts. It can for instance, help to figure out how often you should be posting and adjust as needed.

It might help you diversify your content. I know I’m guilty of going off on one tangent and writing posts that focus on that.

Looking at the calendar, l can tweak what l write so it doesn’t become monotonous. It’s a lot easier to visualize your strategy.

Time Management

It’s a given. An editorial calendar will help you put your precious time to good use. It lets you execute the plan of action effectively.

If you’re old fashioned and still use a hand written calendar, you might not be getting the full benefits of an electronic editorial one.

A lot of editorial calendars like the one offered by CoSchedule for instance will let you schedule your tweets, pins, etc. automatically, and at the best possible times leaving you free to take care of other things.

It will also display analytics in real time, so you have an idea of your most popular posts and tweets.

Build Anticipation

There’s a reason why all the big companies put their editorial calendars online. First, it holds them accountable.

It also serves the purpose of building anticipation. It is a way to make sure people will come back and check out the post because it’s something there have interest in. Imagine having a blog about food and you tease in your calendar “Scrumptious dessert! Exploding chocolate strawberry bomb balls” or something equally mouth watering.

Will your viewers come back when it’s published? You bet! I would look forward to it personally, and even mark it on my calendar.

What kind of Editorial Calendar?

That is the million dollar question! If you’re good at DYI, you can make your own. If you prefer the old fashioned way, you can get nice calendars on Amazon or Staples for cheap.

If you prefer digital, you can use the free Google Calendar. It’s easy to use and is perfect as a starter. You can use the app. No bells and whistles, but it;s great for syncing across devices other peoples calendars.

There is a WordPress plugin called “Editorial Calendar” that you can install and activate. It is also free. It doesn’t have a lot of options either, but it does work.

We have talked about how to install plugins previously. Do make sure it’s compatible with your version of WordPress before installation to keep your blog safe from harm.

I am currently using the CoSchedule calendar on a two week trial basis. You might want to do the same if you want to step up your game like me. I have yet to decide on the investment, but l do see the good.

Have l convinced you to invest in an editorial calendar for your blog? I hope so. You can send the champagne to me later. As always, please share this post if you find it helpful.