What's the Plan?
Posted by December 30th 09
As you head into to 2010, no doubt you'll be thinking about business goals. Perhaps you already have a mental to-do list: blogging and Tweeting more, networking more, starting a Facebook group or uploading video content. Once New Year's has worn off, you just want to jump in and get started.
They're great intentions, but you'll never achieve them without a plan. Start your year off on the right foot with an editorial calendar that breaks your blogging and social media agenda down into manageable tasks. The calendar should plot out at least a month, and up to six months of content.
Here are five reasons for having an editorial calendar:
1. To stay on track with your topic, audience and purpose
Plotting out an editorial calendar forces you to think ahead about what's relevant, timely and marketable. Coming up with posts spontaneously on a daily or weekly basis means that there's no long-term strategy in place, and you're likely to veer away from your goals.
2. Help maximize content and effort
Taking the time to plan means that you're thinking about how to expend your energy and resources wisely. You're less likely to squander a great idea in one post if you've thought about it ahead. Get more out of less effort.
3. Target networking and social media efforts
Lots of great blog posts go unread because they're not promoted. If you know that at the end of the month you'll be writing about a particular subject, you'll have the lead time you need to promote the relevant post among the people who will be interested.
4. Improve your relationship with your audience
If a blog offers an educational series of how-tos, or an insightful breakdown of a particular process, it looks and feels authoritative. Your audience will respect that. They can tell the difference between a blog that wants to serve its audience, and one that is there for the sake of being there.
5. You can get ahead
Once your first calendar is planned out, it's a great idea to set aside time to get ahead on it. Then you have the breathing space you need to spend more time on other valuable tasks, like social networking, tweaking your blog design, or developing an idea for an eBook.
Right now, the year is a blank slate - get it started on the right foot.
posted in Tips and Techniques
March 2010
