Even though we have editorial calendars in the magazine world (and "lineups" for each issue that we live and die by) it kind of never occurred to me to have one for this space. I'm sure that must be surprising considering how well-oiled a machine my blog tends to be (ha! #sarcasm), but I think it might be time.
Up until now, with occasional, well-planned exceptions, I've posted about whatever I happen to feel like posting that day. (And it's almost always a game-time decision!) This has probably helped my content feel more natural, more off-the-cuff, more "me." But it also has the side effect of making me forget to post about certain things until it's too late. It can also induce major panic when it's 10pm and I realize that the blog fairy hasn't yet visited to sprinkle me with some "genius blog post" inspiration dust.
So, my early New Year's resolution is to put together an editorial calendar. I won't be crazy about it--if I feel like posting something else (or nothing at all) one day, that's what I'll do. But hopefully it will make all of the content here better, me less panicked, and the blog a bit more reader-friendly since you all can come to expect certain things on certain days.
If you're a blogger with an editorial calendar, I would love to know: Has having the calendar helped you out? How far out do you plan? And where the heck to you keep/manage it? (Is there an app for that?) I'm thinking either old-school paper calendar or the calendar on my phone, but also thinking there has to be a better way. Would love to hear your thoughts!
I've always had an editorial calendar, but I wasn't very good about using it or following it until about three months ago. It really has helped simplify the process. Some weeks aren't as detailed as others, a day might just say "outfit post" and the next week it could be "ripped skinny jeans, oxblood turtleneck, riding boots etc." It does help me find holes in content or see that I'm posting on one topic too often. I find that I don't run out of ideas now either. It's really a great tool to add into blogging. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI use one! Of course, I move posts around depending on my mood, so it's not as though I adhere to any strict guidelines. I use a drag-and-drop calendar plug-in on Wordpress; not sure whether you can find anything similar on the Blogger platform.
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