Every great blogger knows that the key to growing an audience and continuously publishing fresh content is organization. This week we introduce you to the Editorial Calendar. Organizing your blog can happen in several key ways. Ready to get started? Let’s do this!
Use Your Brainstorm
The first things you need to do is create a daily practice of writing down blog post ideas. This will help you keep your creative mind sharp while you dream up new ways to tell your story to your readers. Keep short lists handy in a notebook or on an app like Evernote on your smartphone.
Block out writing time
Using your editorial calendar, block out writing time every day even if it is only for 15 minutes at a time. The more you practice the easier blogging becomes.
Write headlines in your calendar
This is a great practice for two reasons. First, it helps you nail down your headlines writing skills and second you will have a quick glance notation on your calendar about what types of posts you are going to publish each week.
It is smart to think about what time of year it is and how that pertains to your blog. Is there evergreen content that you can produce? Is there a season coming up that you can incorporate into your posts? Using the calendar to help guide what you write will help shape your brainstorming lists as well.
Don’t forget to be social!
When you assign blog post deadlines on your calendar don’t forget to also include dates and times when you share your blog content across your social media calendar. Here is a great example of how pro-bloggers do this:
MONDAY – Publish blog post at 8:00 a.m.
TUESDAY – Share Monday’s post on Facebook and Instagram
WEDNESDAY – Share Monday’s post on Twitter and Pinterest
THURSDAY – Share link to Monday’s blog post on share threads in writers groups on Facebook
By sticking to a calendar like this one above, you can stagger your content so that you have a constant stream of your work hitting the Internet every day.
A few resources to check out for getting organized:
Co-Scheduler Editorial Calendar
Check out this great YouTube video by Natalie Sisson of The Suitcase Entrepreneur. She created a great video that includes this free template of an Editorial and Blog Marketing Content Calendar http://bit.ly/1nnttiB.
