You know you need to blog to maintain your audience, but do you have an organized system for what you want to create and when (and where) to publish? If not, let me introduce you to your new best friend - the editorial calendar. Learn what an editorial calendar is, different forms, templates and WordPress plugins you can use, and different ways to incorporate them in your content marketing plan.

1. Editorial Calendars
Plan your work; work your plan
By Angie Pedersen, KCGeeks.com
@angiepedersen/@kcgeeks

2. Agenda
○ Editorial calendars 101: What and Why
○ Creating an editorial calendar
○ Editorial calendar forms/formats
○ WordPress plugins
○ Incorporating an editorial calendar in your content marketing plan
@angiepedersen/@kcgeeks

3. Editorial calendars 101: What?
○ Tool used by bloggers, publishers, businesses, and groups to manage content
publication across different distribution channels, including:
○ Blog(s)
○ Email newsletters
○ Social media
○ Paid media campaigns
@angiepedersen/@kcgeeks

4. Editorial calendars 101: Why?
○ Define the process and execution of creating content, such as:
○ Brainstorm content ideas
○ Research and writing
○ Editing
○ Publishing per calendar schedule
○ Promoting
○ Help ensure content is being published and promoted consistently
@angiepedersen/@kcgeeks

5. Plan the work:
Creating an editorial calendar
Consider:
○ Monthly/weekly themes
○ Holidays (e.g. gift guides/recommendations, build awareness, offer resources, etc.)
○ Campaigns (e.g. conventions, ads, book/product/service launch, contests, etc.)
○ Frequency of posts
○ Vacation/scheduling posts
@angiepedersen/@kcgeeks

6. Editorial Calendar formats
○ Paper calendar printouts
○ Spreadsheets (e.g. Excel or Google Sheets)
○ Google calendar
○ WordPress plugin
○ 3rd
party platform (e.g. Spreadfast, DivvyHQ, etc.)
@angiepedersen/@kcgeeks

7. Spreadsheet
@angiepedersen/@kcgeeks
○ Create separate tabs for each channel/property
○ blog
○ social
○ newsletter
○ ebooks/case studies/etc.
○ Track various data - deadlines/status/etc.
○ Post date
○ Author
○ Tentative title
○ Keywords
○ Categories
○ Call to action
○ Status

8. Spreadsheet
@angiepedersen/@kcgeeks

9. Google Calendar
@angiepedersen/@kcgeeks
○ associated with a
Google account
○ may want to set
up a unique
account

10. WordPress calendar plugins
@angiepedersen/@kcgeeks

11. Editorial Calendar plugin
@angiepedersen/@kcgeeks

12. Editorial Calendar plugin
@angiepedersen/@kcgeeks
○ Calendar item automatically
creates new post
○ (even unscheduled/
“parked” posts)

13. Co-schedule:
Plugin + Platform
○ Starts at $30/month, after
14-day free trial
○ WP plugin available
○ Also syncs with Google
Docs, Google Analytics, &
Evernote
@angiepedersen/@kcgeeks

14. CoScheduleCalendar
@angiepedersen/@kcgeeks

15. Third-party Platform: DivvyHQ
○ Starts at $30/user/month,
after 14-day free trial
○ No WP plugin
@angiepedersen/@kcgeeks

16. Work the Plan
○ Incorporate an editorial calendar into your content marketing plan
○ Blogs
○ Social posts
○ Email marketing
○ Campaigns
@angiepedersen/@kcgeeks

17. Links
○ Hubspot: Free Google calendar & Excel calendar templates
○ Includes how to set up Google Calendar
○ Content Marketing Institute: Editorial Calendar tips & templates
○ 15 Life Changing Editorial Tools
○ TimeandDate.com Fun Holidays
○ Bizarre & Wacky Holidays
@angiepedersen/@kcgeeks

18. BONUS Content Links!
○ 100 Blog Topics for Your Business
○ 100 Blog Topics I Hope YOU Write
○ I Brainstormed 180 Blog Post Ideas for You [PDF available]
○ 6 months of writing prompts (Problogger newsletter subscription)
○ 50 Can’t-Fail Techniques for Finding Great Blog Topics
@angiepedersen/@kcgeeks

19. Angie Pedersen
@kcgeeks
@angiepedersen
www.kcgeeks.com
angie.pedersen@gmail.com