Though my editorial calendar has been shifted for this redesign 😉 I wished to share a bit extra in regards to the planning that goes into working a weblog and corresponding social media, in addition to ideas I’ve discovered through the years on find out how to plan weblog content material!
Posting Schedule
The very first thing you really want to do earlier than creating any content material is decide a posting schedule. I put up 3x every week on my weblog, normally Monday, Wednesday and Friday. There are after all exceptions for illness, journeys and holidays. I usually put up 5x every week on Instagram, however have Every day Offers daily on tales. My viewers is well-versed in my posting schedule, and this additionally offers me a set variety of content material slots to fill each week. Initially of 1 / 4, I sit down with my planner and try to fill each single one. Right here’s how.
Decide Concrete Protection
To me, concrete protection are belongings you sort of HAVE to cowl. Your concrete protection will possible differ from mine, as a result of our audiences are completely different. Some examples of issues I contemplate concrete protection:
- main holidays
- begin of latest seasons
- buying occasions like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Nordstrom Sale
- my birthday
- my running a blog anniversary
These are all the time the primary issues I have a look at and schedule dates for weblog posts, IG posts, and so on. For instance, with fall formally starting on September 21, I should look weeks out in my editorial calendar to start prepping fall content material for my readers. Further sizzling spots that coincide with fall that I’ll possible need to cowl are the discharge of the Pumpkin Spice Latte (BASICCCCC) and Halloween. From there, I can begin to have a look at key dates and write these into my calendar. Halloween will possible be multiple put up. Possibly I’ll do a decor put up, possibly a dressing up put up, and a “Halloween in Chicago” put up. That’s three posts proper there off of 1 concrete protection concept!
Each time I schedule a weblog put up, I additionally be certain that the identical day or the day after to schedule social media posts selling it!
Fill In The Gaps
When you will have all of your concrete protection entered into your ed cal, it’s time to fill the gaps with different put up concepts! Take a look at your planner – do you will have any upcoming journeys or occasions that you might work into your weblog content material? EX: a marriage may result in a marriage visitor outfit information, a visit to Spain may result in a “packing listing” put up in addition to a journey information put up as soon as you come back.
Begin a New Sequence
Sequence in your weblog are a approach to attract readers in via repetitive but completely different content material. Some sequence I put up about are my month-to-month favorites posts, my If I Had $1,000 to Blow, and my present guides. These can also refill many slots, particularly in the event that they’re month-to-month! 24 weblog posts a 12 months will probably be devoted to 2 of my sequence alone.
Ballot Your Viewers
If I’ve slots to fill, I can simply ask my viewers, normally on IG tales, for some assist. This has all the time gotten me out of author’s block or simply given me contemporary concepts! I counsel you do the identical. Since they’re going to be those studying it, it must be one thing they really need to learn.
Instruments to Use
You’re solely human – you’re going to want some assist with preserving monitor of all the things.
Some sources I like to recommend utilizing:
- Editorial Calendar
- As much as you on if you would like this on paper or on Google Calendar. I exploit a bizarre mixture of the 2. I get a separate paper planner for my editorial calendar, and mark solely due dates for campaigns on my “regular” planner. This helps me with work/life steadiness.
- Planoly
- That is how I schedule Instagram posts in addition to decide which order to put up them in. Typically you don’t need three white background posts going up in a row! This app helps you “plan” the feed.
- Google Sheets
- I suppose good ol’ Excel works for this, too. I like to recommend preserving monitor of every put up’s efficiency in a sheet to know what your viewers is responding effectively to, and what they might moderately not see once more.
I hope that is useful! Let me know what running a blog matter you’d prefer to see a put up on subsequent 🙂
