The Bloggerly Life How to
Setup An Editorial Calendar
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One of the most frequently asked questions I get from both my blogger and non blogger friends alike is “how do I come up with such unique and fresh content”? While the question might seem a bit intimidating at first, I promise that once you fully adopt the routine of sitting down and coming up with fabulous content then the process will get easier the more you work with your calendar. This post offers ways to create content by utilizing a method that professional magazines around the world have used throughout the ages… an editorial calendar.
When starting your editorial calendar focus on these five aspects:
1. Software that creates a calendar for you
2. Brainstorming Sessions
3. Choosing a day of the week for organizing content
4. Make sure to stay within your theme & categories
5. Treat Your Blog As A Business
Have you chosen your categories and sub-categories for your blog’s niche? If not, then stop and read this article by Darren Browse which explains how to organize your blog into categories based on the niche you’ve chosen. The Bloggerly Life covered this part of blogging in the post so take a moment to read it and then head back over to this post so we can continue with this tutorial.
1. Download Editorial Calendar Software. You want an editorial calendar that suits your needs. Here at LiWBF, we use the WordPress Editorial Calendar. It’s free and works perfectly for holding your ideas in either draft or published form until you’re ready to send your post out into the world. I’d recommend this calendar for anyone who’s just starting out on their bloggerly journey. However, somewhere along the way, you and your awesome new team you’ve developed throughout the years may decide you need social media integration in your calendar. No worries. Several software programs will carry out these actions as well. This detailed and super informative post from
http://writtent.com offers a review of the
Top 15 Life Changing Editorial tools Hopefully, you’ll find one that works for your style and needs.
2. BRAINSTORM SESSION – If you’re reading this post then I’m going to assume you’ve already done the legwork associated with starting your blog. Mainly, you’ve worked out the three most important aspects of moving ahead with your publishing schedule: 1) choosing a niche 2) a Category and 3) at least 5-6 subcategories based on bullet points 1 and 2. LiWBF’s Bloggerly Life series covers the
Basics of Starting Your Blog and offers a few tips and pointers to help you grasp the concept of choosing a niche/category/sub-category. Take one of your subcategories and think of ideas centered around that group. Once you understand the identity of your reader and pinpoint the things that she wants to see from your blog then this will turn into one of the most interesting and fun aspects of your blogging adventures.
3. Set aside time – Set aside a block of time at the beginning of each month to come up with ideas to cover at least three months worth of posts. Now, I know this sounds like a lot of work. It was for me at first. However, once I started picking topics covered by my subcategories, I found this became less of a task and more like the job of a true creative director.
4. Mix an ongoing series with new posts – Keep in mind that you only have to focus on entering the titles for your posts in the WordPress Editorial Calendar. Don’t stress yourself out by trying to write large chunks of snippets that may or may not ever become real posts. Something I find extremely useful is to fill the slots for my ongoing series first and then fill in the blanks with brainstorm content. That’s the beauty of coming up with ideas to cover three months or more. You’ll have an abundance of material to choose from and your bloggerly well should never run dry. I’m now at the point where I try to cover six months of content in my editorial calendar. Since Live Well…Be Fabulous has now taken a turn toward fully establishing ourselves as a blogazine versus a traditional blog structure the ability to produce a steady stream of content has become a crucial aspect of our operation.
5. Treat your blog as a Business – The success of your blog depends on how you decide to view the endeavor. Large magazines and even super popular blogs such as A Beautiful Mess, The Blonde Salad, and Refinery 29 all have one thing in common… They post something every single day. Although you no longer need to follow the 30-day posting model to be successful, you most certainly should have some way to organize your blog’s content so that you can do what you do best… Writing and creating even more rich and valuable content. For me, the art of learning how to organize and use an editorial calendar has been one of the main reasons LiWBF has grown so well. I would be a total wreck if I had to come up with post ideas at the last-minute along with all the editing and photo staging and promotion that goes along with the birth of a great post.
The last tip I’d like to offer isn’t necessarily a bullet point. The most important part of the process of transitioning to the use of an editorial calendar is to have fun! If you’re not enjoying what you do then all the organization in the world won’t make your bloggerly life any easier.
**The post The Bloggerly Life How to Setup An Editorial Calendar first appeared on Live Well…Be Fabulous**
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Want to learn how to start your own blog? Then head over to this tutorial How to Setup A WordPress Blog on Hostgator and get started today!
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Great tips. I like the idea of brainstorming up to 3 months worth of topics. Have a lovely weekend darling.
http://fashionablyidu.com/
Thanks so much for stopping by and supporting me my lovely friend. The content schedule keeps this blog rolling. Otherwise, I’d panic if I had to come up with a topic every day. Have a great weekend hun! KaSonndra
Hello, thank you for this guide, its very clear. I followed it and now I have everything ready. I got this site from my friends since I clearly can’t do this by myself. I depend on these guides. So if a guide tells me that this is the thing I have to try it. As mentioned I followed everything step by step, it is very explanatory and easy to get. Such a great work you’ve done in putting this together.
Hi Stalwart and welcome back! i’m glad to hear that the steps worked out for you. Feel free to stop by anytime and fill us in on your progress! 😀
I attempted to start my own blog not just once but for the fourth time now. My previous failure is because of lack to time to establish it and fear of losing contents to write in the middle of it all. Your post have encouraged me to try again and gave me significant knowledge in setting up an editorial calendar. Indeed, the strategies you mentioned in this post could lead into a successful blogging business.
Hi Lovelyn… I’m so glad to hear that the strategies I’ve shared have encouraged you to try again. If you do decide to get going again then please swing back through and leave your blog address so I can visit! Hugs!