Editorial Calendar: What is it, why is it important and how to create your own?
Posted: Mon Dec 23, 2024 5:00 am
The Editorial Calendar is the heart of Content Marketing. With it, you can organize ideas, agendas, measure production time, distribution, formats, materials, etc. Just like communication planning , the Editorial Calendar, which is part of the planning, is something floating and flexible, where we also work on what we call the editorial line*.
The benefits of an editorial calendar are many. But basically, it is like having a navigation map or compass to help you reach solid ground; that is, your goal. With the advantage of being able to adapt to unforeseen events or external factors in a way that is not harmful to your overall planning .
To help you better visualize what will be described here, imagine whatsapp mobile number database free download a large spreadsheet that gives you an overview of your communication and marketing actions . Put everything in the spreadsheet. All the actions in your planning. Meetings, campaign launches, etc.
Attention! Image for illustrative purposes only to facilitate visualization of the material described.
Editorial Calendar – How to make yours?
After reading this content to the end, find the tool that makes the most sense to you and develop your strategy planning. “Write down” your advertising possibilities, tools and team that you can count on to make it happen. Writer, designer, customer service, network manager, etc.
Make a schedule, follow it and monitor it. This monitoring, with research and reading the comments, will help you measure the results . In addition to the tools that provide reports with analytical data, if that is an option for you.
So before we get into the how, let’s recap: what is an editorial calendar?
It is a large spreadsheet that will organize your guidelines, tools and actions for distributing your content within your communication and marketing strategy.
What is its importance?
The importance of creating a calendar is simply because it makes it easier to visualize the actions to meet deadlines and also helps a lot when there is a need to make changes due to external factors that dominate the topics and the top trends on the web that directly interfere with the visibility of a campaign, for example. In addition, it contributes substantially to increasing website traffic , lead qualification and conversion rates. And also:
Organizes the planning vision
Facilitates control of content strategy
Provides a better view of the results assessment
Awakens triggers and new ideas
Facilitates understanding of the strategy by providing a broader overview of marketing actions
Now that you understand what an editorial calendar is and its importance, let's move on to some practical tips on how to create your own.
Once you have defined how many posts, actions and tools are included in the “monthly contracted fee” , it is important to define your editorial line. This considerably speeds up the entire process.
editorial calendar
Attention! Image for illustrative purposes only to facilitate visualization of the material described.
There is no need to describe the format of the post in the editorial calendar. This detailed information should be included in the briefing for the creative team (art/text). On the other hand, it is important to include the theme or themes that are part of the planning so that the entire team can follow the topics and campaigns that are being worked on. For example: Publication of the Planning Ebook Landing Page. In other words, everyone who looks at the calendar will know that the ebook launch campaign has started… Other relevant points that should be included in the Editorial Calendar are:
Blog publication dates
Website Updates
New contracts that have been closed (if this is part of the communication strategy)
Relevant promotional dates that should be worked on social media
Keywords are not included in the editorial calendar. In theory, they were defined in the planning phase and can and should be updated periodically, based on research, but they are not included in the editorial calendar . They are included in the briefings for the pieces that will be developed; this information is extremely relevant there. Studying the persona, funnel stage and purchase journey are the same thing. They are in another phase of the planning phase and do not need to be included in the Calend ar, especially since it should be based on this information and data previously studied.
Ebook - Digital Marketing for times of crisis
Editorial Line
Everything is fluid. After all, formats are evaluated over time according to reach and engagement . However, it is no secret that audio and video are what engage the most on the web. Therefore, out of three weekly posts at least one should be in this format.
When the client approves the editorial line, it can be extensive and therefore, month by month, adjustments will be made to which formats and types of posts approved in the editorial line will be used.
Basically, the importance of the editorial line is to set the tone of the communication language. For example, if the client's editorial line has actions, posts, etc. related to commemorative dates, the editorial calendar will define which dates are relevant to this client; and, in the month that “doesn't have any”, there will certainly be another possibility already approved in the editorial line that will make up the calendar with another theme for posts, actions, campaigns, etc. Another example that is defined in the editorial line is, for example, clients who don't like to use giphys in their communication. Therefore, this format is not included in the calendar, and so on...
The number of posts dedicated to commemorative dates is also something that should be taken into account. Some months have (relevant) dates almost every day and others have no relevance at all. Remember that in this case it has to be related to the business and the persona . The recommendation, based on experience, strategy and good practices, is to follow a maximum of 3 commemorative date posts per month – of course, depending on the contract. If you post every day, this average increases. But having relevant content every day, let's agree that only news portals, right people! The most important thing here is to be relevant! And, preferably, make the commemorative date bring content that generates value to the post.
The benefits of an editorial calendar are many. But basically, it is like having a navigation map or compass to help you reach solid ground; that is, your goal. With the advantage of being able to adapt to unforeseen events or external factors in a way that is not harmful to your overall planning .
To help you better visualize what will be described here, imagine whatsapp mobile number database free download a large spreadsheet that gives you an overview of your communication and marketing actions . Put everything in the spreadsheet. All the actions in your planning. Meetings, campaign launches, etc.
Attention! Image for illustrative purposes only to facilitate visualization of the material described.
Editorial Calendar – How to make yours?
After reading this content to the end, find the tool that makes the most sense to you and develop your strategy planning. “Write down” your advertising possibilities, tools and team that you can count on to make it happen. Writer, designer, customer service, network manager, etc.
Make a schedule, follow it and monitor it. This monitoring, with research and reading the comments, will help you measure the results . In addition to the tools that provide reports with analytical data, if that is an option for you.
So before we get into the how, let’s recap: what is an editorial calendar?
It is a large spreadsheet that will organize your guidelines, tools and actions for distributing your content within your communication and marketing strategy.
What is its importance?
The importance of creating a calendar is simply because it makes it easier to visualize the actions to meet deadlines and also helps a lot when there is a need to make changes due to external factors that dominate the topics and the top trends on the web that directly interfere with the visibility of a campaign, for example. In addition, it contributes substantially to increasing website traffic , lead qualification and conversion rates. And also:
Organizes the planning vision
Facilitates control of content strategy
Provides a better view of the results assessment
Awakens triggers and new ideas
Facilitates understanding of the strategy by providing a broader overview of marketing actions
Now that you understand what an editorial calendar is and its importance, let's move on to some practical tips on how to create your own.
Once you have defined how many posts, actions and tools are included in the “monthly contracted fee” , it is important to define your editorial line. This considerably speeds up the entire process.
editorial calendar
Attention! Image for illustrative purposes only to facilitate visualization of the material described.
There is no need to describe the format of the post in the editorial calendar. This detailed information should be included in the briefing for the creative team (art/text). On the other hand, it is important to include the theme or themes that are part of the planning so that the entire team can follow the topics and campaigns that are being worked on. For example: Publication of the Planning Ebook Landing Page. In other words, everyone who looks at the calendar will know that the ebook launch campaign has started… Other relevant points that should be included in the Editorial Calendar are:
Blog publication dates
Website Updates
New contracts that have been closed (if this is part of the communication strategy)
Relevant promotional dates that should be worked on social media
Keywords are not included in the editorial calendar. In theory, they were defined in the planning phase and can and should be updated periodically, based on research, but they are not included in the editorial calendar . They are included in the briefings for the pieces that will be developed; this information is extremely relevant there. Studying the persona, funnel stage and purchase journey are the same thing. They are in another phase of the planning phase and do not need to be included in the Calend ar, especially since it should be based on this information and data previously studied.
Ebook - Digital Marketing for times of crisis
Editorial Line
Everything is fluid. After all, formats are evaluated over time according to reach and engagement . However, it is no secret that audio and video are what engage the most on the web. Therefore, out of three weekly posts at least one should be in this format.
When the client approves the editorial line, it can be extensive and therefore, month by month, adjustments will be made to which formats and types of posts approved in the editorial line will be used.
Basically, the importance of the editorial line is to set the tone of the communication language. For example, if the client's editorial line has actions, posts, etc. related to commemorative dates, the editorial calendar will define which dates are relevant to this client; and, in the month that “doesn't have any”, there will certainly be another possibility already approved in the editorial line that will make up the calendar with another theme for posts, actions, campaigns, etc. Another example that is defined in the editorial line is, for example, clients who don't like to use giphys in their communication. Therefore, this format is not included in the calendar, and so on...
The number of posts dedicated to commemorative dates is also something that should be taken into account. Some months have (relevant) dates almost every day and others have no relevance at all. Remember that in this case it has to be related to the business and the persona . The recommendation, based on experience, strategy and good practices, is to follow a maximum of 3 commemorative date posts per month – of course, depending on the contract. If you post every day, this average increases. But having relevant content every day, let's agree that only news portals, right people! The most important thing here is to be relevant! And, preferably, make the commemorative date bring content that generates value to the post.