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Why Every Business Blogger Needs An Editorial Calendar

December 6, 2009
Recently I helped a client launch his first business blog. In the beginning it was oh so shiny and new and the possibilities were endless. He commited to updating it twice weekly, regularly adding photographs and news, and encouraging conversation among prospects and customers with probing questions and provocative commentary. But now, just three weeks later, the blog sits idle, neglected like last year's must-have holiday toy.

First his phone rang, then opportunity knocked. Shortly thereafter, life happened. And so goes a day in the life of a busy entrepreneur. You tackle the most urgent and pressing items first; everything else must wait. Enter the Editorial Calendar.

An Editorial Calendar is a very basic tool that can help keep any business blogger on track. Think of it as a 'content plan' with due dates and milestones to ensure your blog doesn't fall neglected by the wayside. Your editoral calendar should include the following:

• Topic
• Location (if you manage more than one blog or web property)
• Author (if someone other than you)
• Due date
• Go Live date

Paper or digital, it doesn't matter one bit. Just select a medium that is comfortable to you. I sometimes like to use Excel so I can sort the content by due date or topic depending on my needs. Most business blogs aim for new content at least once or twice each week, and that time commitment can quickly add up when you factor in edits, approvals and the time required to login and post the content.

I advise my clients that to get a real sense of the content requirements within their organization, they should include not just their blogs but all the content they need to create throughout the year including white papers, reports, collateral etc. In this way you can spot opportunities to leverage new content in more than one plae. For example, a white paper or press release can become fodder for one or more blog posts.

In some cases, just the act of creating the calendar and recognizing the amount of effort is  a necessary wake-up call. It was for my client. He emailed me over the weekend asking for help. He wants to chase new business and leave this blog/monster he created to someone else. 

I'm pretty sure we'll be able to work something out.

Posted by Sima Dahl on December 6, 2009 | Comments (1)