The Importance of Editorial and Content Calendars

Staying organized and maximizing content for your audience should be your top priority when pitching stories to traditional and digital media and posting on social media platforms. It is easy to become overwhelmed with the amount of information you want to share with your audience.  Not being strategic or thoughtful in communicating your message can also be a challenge. Careful planning through calendars and schedules can be the answer to using your time wisely and making your voice heard to the correct audience.

In addition to helping you stay focused, using calendars for content help propel success. According to the Content Marketing Institute, only 32% of B2B companies have a formal process for placing content. Furthermore, companies with a content plan will be 60% more successful than companies that do not. I think the evidence is clear, using editorial calendars and content calendars are essential to success.

Editorial Calendars

Editorial Calendars were created for the journalism industry before social media and blogging were established. Editorial calendars help magazines and newspapers stay organized and plan ahead. They include the big picture for content for the month or year. Journalistic teams work off the editorial calendar to make assignments. Additionally, businesses use the publications’ editorial calendars to create their own strategies for pitching stories and buying advertisements. For example, a month of May Mother’s Day-themed magazine may be a perfect time to purchase advertising space for a florist or pitch a story about flower arranging.

However, editorial calendars are used by non-journalists, too. They serve as a blueprint for stories to pitch to the media or for content to share on social media platforms. By utilizing an editorial calendar, a business, blogger, or influencer will stay organized and provide a better purpose to pitches, posts, and branding.

Think creatively outside of the box when adding items to your editorial calendar. Look for holidays, events in your community, or upcoming product launches to create your editorial calendar.  For example, the month of May brings not only Mother’s Day, but Memorial Day and National Chocolate Chip Day as well. The National Day Calendar can be an excellent resource for looking for fun days to gear your content.

Content Calendars

Content calendars are more specific than editorial calendars. These calendars drill down on the particular ideas to post. This organizational tool will help you be specific in what you are planning to post. It’s easy to feel the pressure to post regularly, and that can easily lead to mistakes and inconsistencies.

By utilizing a schedule of when and what to post, you are more likely to collaborate with your team or strategic partners. You can also avoid “writer’s block” when you cannot think of something creative to post on the spot. Content calendars lead to higher quality content and greater consistency in your message.

Let editorial and content calendars take your vision for your company, blog, or social media accounts and guide you into the future by staying organized, consistent, and creative.