Why you need an editorial calendar… Like NOW!

I’m one of life’s planners. I like to be organised and hate the feeling of being out of control. There are many different types of blogger; some people prefer to fly by the seat of their pants; publishing as and when they want. Writing the night before the deadline and they thrive like this. I, however, do NOT. I like being organised. Knowing where I’m going and if possible have a plan to get there too.

Why is an editorial calendar so important?

• Allows for better planning for seasonal opportunities. You don’t start thinking about Christmas posts in December, you need to start planning them around September time.

• You can produce better content when you give yourself time.

• Better consistency –  which Google loves.

• Routine – which readers love. People like to know when your new posts will be live.

• Staying ahead of the game – Being ahead keeps you on top of upcoming trending topics and events, so you can plan content accordingly and reap the benefits.

• Accountability – It can be hard to motivate yourself to get stuff done.  Having dates (and a plan) to work to makes you accountable.

• Reduces chances of stress – Knowing what you have to get done and the deadlines you are working to reduces stress.

• Growth in traffic  – A calendar will improve your momentum and so traffic will build. If you blog regularly people will come looking for your new posts

• All your ideas on one place – Editorial calendars allow you to bring together all your ideas in one place. Everything you have pinned, made notes about and written in your diary, can all be added to your editorial calendar, which is a more focused and efficient way of working.

• Improves focus – There was a time when people thought multi tasking was the way forward; the way to get stuff done. However, this is no longer the case. Studies of really successful people have shown that focusing deep and narrow on one task at a time produces much more productivity. Having a calendar spells out to you where your focus should be.

• Increases organisation – I’m a visual person, having a visual representation in front of me with the ability to drag-and-drop posts is vital. I have all my drafts at the side and a whole month in view.

• Improves the balance of your posts – If you’re just publishing as and when you feel like it, you’re relying totally on your memory to ensure that your posts are balanced. Having a visual aid makes it so much clearer to see where the different types of posts are and helps you spread content out better.

• Make more money – If you’re organised and ahead of the game you can plan your posts better, include money making affiliate links and capitalise on key dates.

• See the big picture – Blogging can be hard and having the key dates, and your goals in front of you can help you keep things in perspective and allows you to plan content that will help you achieve your goals.