How to Create an Editorial Calendar: Template and Example

Introduction

An editorial calendar is the unsung hero of content marketing. It acts as a central command center, organizing and scheduling your content creation activities. From blog posts and social media updates to infographics and videos, an editorial calendar ensures all your content pieces are planned, published, and tracked effectively. This comprehensive guide empowers you to create your own editorial calendar, complete with a downloadable template and practical examples.

What is an Editorial Calendar?

Think of an editorial calendar as the maestro of your content marketing orchestra. It keeps all team members in sync by outlining when and where content is published. This includes crucial details like topics, deadlines, and assigned responsibilities. Essentially, it's a roadmap that guides your content strategy and ensures everyone adheres to publishing schedules.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Your Editorial Calendar

Choosing the Perfect Format

• Small Teams (1-5 People): For smaller teams, a simple spreadsheet might be sufficient. Free options like Google Sheets or Excel allow for easy collaboration and can be accessed by everyone. Spreadsheets offer a familiar interface and basic formatting options, making them user-friendly for smaller operations.
• Larger Teams (5+ People): For larger teams with more intricate workflows, consider project management software like Asana or Trello. These tools offer features specifically designed for content management, such as task assignment, due dates, file sharing, and communication channels. This level of functionality promotes better organization, collaboration, and real-time progress tracking.

Determining Necessary Inputs

Your editorial calendar should be a treasure trove of information, reflecting the specific needs of your content strategy. Here are some typical inputs to consider including:

• Publishing Date: The scheduled date and time for your content to go live.
• Title: The working title for your content piece.
• Content Type: Whether it's a blog post, infographic, video, social media update, or another format.
• Author: Who is responsible for creating the content (internal writer, freelancer, etc.).
• Status: The current stage of the content creation process (planning, writing, editing, revision, etc.).
• Keywords: The SEO targets you're aiming to optimize the content for.
• Notes: Any special instructions, comments, or considerations related to the content piece.

Selecting the Right Tool

Once you've determined the format and necessary inputs, choose a tool that aligns with your team's workflow and preferences. Remember, the ideal tool should be user-friendly, accessible, and adaptable to your specific needs.

Populate and Share Your Calendar

Now comes the fun part: filling in your calendar with planned content! Base this on your content strategy and upcoming editorial themes. Once populated, share the calendar with all stakeholders, including writers, editors, designers, and marketing team members. This ensures everyone is aware of their assigned tasks, deadlines, and the overall content publishing schedule.

The Power of an Editorial Calendar

• Enhanced Organization: An editorial calendar keeps all team members aligned on content delivery schedules, fostering a culture of clarity and accountability.
• Increased Productivity: By streamlining workflows and managing deadlines effectively, editorial calendars help reduce last-minute scrambles and promote a more productive content creation process.
• Content Strategy Alignment: An editorial calendar ensures all content pieces are meticulously planned and aligned with your broader content marketing goals and brand voice. There's no room for random content creation!
• Improved Tracking and Analysis: Editorial calendars allow you to track the progress of your content efforts, identify areas for improvement, and analyze the performance of different content types and topics. This data-driven approach empowers you to continuously optimize your content strategy.

Example and Template

To kickstart your editorial calendar journey, we've created a downloadable template based on our own content planning practices. This template includes the following customizable columns:

Download Editorial Calendar Template

• Publishing Date
• Title
• Content Type
• Author
• Status
• Keywords
• Notes

Real-World Example

Let's take a look at a real-world example of how an editorial calendar entry might look:

• Publishing Date: July 1, 2023
• Title: 5 Trends Shaping the Future of Content Marketing
• Content Type: Blog Post
• Author: John Doe
• Status: In Editing
• Keywords: Content marketing trends, future of content marketing
• Notes: Focus on AI integration in content creation and the rise of short-form video content.

Final Thoughts

Creating and maintaining an editorial calendar can be a game-changer for your content marketing strategy. It streamlines the content creation process, keeps your team on track, and ensures all your content efforts are aligned with your business goals. By using the provided template as a starting point and tailoring it to your specific needs, you can unlock the full potential of your content marketing strategy and achieve consistent content production that resonates with your target audience. Remember, the key to an effective editorial calendar lies not just in the initial planning but also in maintaining flexibility to adapt to changes and updates in your content strategy.

As your content marketing efforts evolve, revisit and refine your editorial calendar to ensure it continues to serve as the cornerstone of your content creation success.