Content marketing with an editorial calendar
Modern technology has made it very easy for organizations to maintain a steady pattern of quality content via the web. A modern website is built on a Content Management System (CMS) which means that non-technical people have the ability to publish content very easily in a variety of formats, like blogs, press releases, events, etc.
The difficult part of maintaining a steady system of information is not the mechanics of publishing the content, but rather creating a process for making it happen. It's easy for busy marketing directors to have the best of intentions when it comes to maintaining a strong content marketing strategy but when other things get in the way, it can be difficult to keep up.
This is when an editorial calendar may come in handy. Rather than try to create and publish content when you find the time, it can be useful to block out time each week to consistently execute a system that sets the proper process in motion for your content publishing.
The key is to set up a process that you can follow each week and refer to in order to provide a framework and level of accountability. This helps you execute your content marketing plan consistently. Since gaps and interruptions in execution can dilute the effectiveness of your plan, it's important to stay on schedule.
Any good CMS will let you future-date content. This means that you can create and post all the blogs, event, press, and other content for the week in one sitting and then let your website auto-update on the schedule that you have determined in advance. Armed with this power, your next step is to set up a schedule, called an editorial calendar, which determines when you will publish.
For example, your content marketing plan may call for publishing a blog once a week, a press release once a month, a podcast every other week, and a webinar once a month. It also calls for various social media posts throughout each week tied to all of this content. You would want to look at your calendar and pinpoint exactly when each of these items will be published, and then create a checklist for yourself so that you can quickly create the content you need without worrying about it.
Since most work weeks start on Monday (unless you are a ROWE, like SpinWeb) it usually makes sense to block out some time each Friday to create content and then schedule everything for the following week. Then, when you get busy, you can rest assured that the basic level of content distribution is occurring occurring without your intervention. For social media posting, I like to use HootSuite (affiliate link) for everything since it offers a great publisher feature that makes this very easy.
Sound simple and obvious? In theory, yes. However, it's very easy to get too busy to publish information on a consistent basis which means your online presence can end up looking stale. Try creating an editorial calendar and see if that helps you stay on track. The combination of a strong plan plus tools for scheduling content can help you maintain a more effective content marketing strategy.
Tags
blog comments powered by Disqus
Register for our Next Webinar
Strategic Content Marketing
Free On-demand Webinar
Tags
"All of you have done a tremendous job on the design/layout of the site... I can't even imagine using any other team for this project... you guys knocked it out of the park!"- Chris Dellen, MBA, Communications Products, Inc.
"Superb design plus great processes give SpinWeb the ability to deliver websites on time and on budget. These guys are great, highly recommended!"- Mark Zeitler, Accrisoft Corporation
"We finally found someone who took our business as seriously as we do. Thank you, SpinWeb!"- June Kramer, Midwest Metal Fabrication and Custom Rolling
"FYI, Chris Antoine from SpinWeb is pretty awesome."- Allissa Haines, AMTA-Massachusetts Chapter (view original tweet)
"We had a customer come in today for an estimate. Her comment to me was… 'Wow, whoever designed your website did an outstanding job!' She then told me that was a deciding factor on where to get her car repaired."- Ted McClintic, Church Brothers Collision Repair
"The SpinWeb Team has performed at an exceptional level and I continue to boast of our success is due to the creativity of SpinWeb."- Fred Nichols, Astbury Environmental Engineering
"Since we have launched our newly designed website, we have been receiving more feedback from clients, potential clients and community members. Thanks again Spinweb for all of your great ideas, hard work and wonderful partnership!"- Brittani Richards, Horizon Convention Center
"Thank you so much for our new website! Your team has been incredible and very impressive to work with. You answer questions quickly and your team of experts solves problems or issues in a way that I have never experienced before. I have been part of another company that launched a new website, and it was such a headache, but this process has been seamless with you!"- Rachel Kimmell, WestPoint Financial Group
"I cannot thank you enough for the quick turn around time in getting back to me when I have a question or concern. That service is invaluable to me - along with so many other services you provide."- Amy Kitchen, Johnson County Public Library
"SpinWeb support ninjas strike again! Ridiculously amazing customer and technical support. Seriously. Thanks!"- Amanda Cook, CHPA (view original tweet)
""There is no company out there like SpinWeb. I'm loving the blueprint process with them and so excited about the new site. Great people.""- Sara Romanowski, Muncie Public Library (view original tweet)
"I'm glad I had the foresight to choose SpinWeb. I say that because I'm older and consider myself a dinosaur with this new technology. With the help of SpinWeb, I now have a better way to market myself. I'm more effective at attracting new patients and I'm able to educate people via our website."- Stephen J. Gant, DDS, Yorktown Family Dentistry
"SpinWeb is the essence of talent and professionalism."- Megan Hoover, Hillcroft Services
"Nap Gladu contacted SpinWeb seeking help in updating our existing website. Our website was very stale and did not reflect the image that we wanted for our company. We met with SpinWeb, laid out a plan and SpinWeb took it from there. We now have a website that is the most impressive in our industry with the image that our company wants. We have the ability to update our site on demand and have the tools to track the visitors to our site. The team at SpinWeb was great to work with...very professional!"- Holly Mundy, Nap Gladu
"SpinWeb simply makes managing your own website easy. Not only is the management software user-friendly, but it provides real time access to data which is vital to our sports business. We’ve been able to increase our sales, further strengthen the image of our brand, and grow other online resources through the website created by SpinWeb. SpinWeb provides a simple and affordable option to website development and management. With user-friendly software, real time access, archive libraries, and immediate execution, SpinWeb has provided us with a key component to our sport business that generates revenue."- Justin Hart, Indiana Ice
"I have worked on several web and digital projects in my career, and this one was one of the best."- Jeffrey W. Owen, Full-Fill Industries
"Thank you for the great experience with the Silver Companies website development. Your team was efficient, helpful, and a pleasure to work with. I will definitely pass your company on to prospective businesses in need of website development/work."- Justin Steill, Silver Companies
"SpinWeb makes my job SO EASY! Love them!"- Teresa Russel, Church Brothers Collision Repair
"Since we have launched our newly designed website, we have been receiving more feedback from clients, potential clients and community members. Thanks again Spinweb for all of your great ideas, hard work and wonderful partnership!"- Courtney Anderson, Fishers Pediatric Dentistry
"Since redesigning our web presence with SpinWeb, we have noticed an increase in our online contributions."- Jean Crosby, The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County
"On behalf of the AMTA-WI Chapter Board of Directors I would like to thank you for a most informative and entertaining presentation. I learned much more than I expected and your presentation far exceeded my expectations. It is my hope we can have you back another time once we get things rolling."- Kay Peterson, AMTA-WI Chapter