{"id":22695,"date":"2022-12-12T11:47:16","date_gmt":"2022-12-12T11:47:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/12\/12\/editorial-calendar-tools-and-templates-for-content-marketing\/"},"modified":"2022-12-12T11:47:16","modified_gmt":"2022-12-12T11:47:16","slug":"editorial-calendar-tools-and-templates-for-content-marketing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/12\/12\/editorial-calendar-tools-and-templates-for-content-marketing\/","title":{"rendered":"Editorial Calendar Tools and Templates for Content Marketing"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"\"Quick: Name the tool most critical for effectively managing your content marketing program.<\/p>\n

No matter your role or responsibilities, the answer should be an editorial calendar.<\/p>\n

Why? Content creation involves a million small tasks. A reliable system keeps track of all those processes and each content piece\u2019s status as it moves through them.<\/p>\n

But content marketing editorial calendars can do much more than that.<\/span><\/p>\n

They can streamline strategic collaboration, track marketing performance, and identify content repurposing opportunities.<\/p>\n

With a thoughtful approach and proper configuration, editorial calendars can enhance team productivity and add clarity at every stage of your brand\u2019s content marketing journey.<\/p>\n

Learn how to build a customized content marketing editorial calendar \u2013\u00a0and how to maximize its benefits \u2013\u00a0with these tips, examples, and templates.<\/p>\n

1. Set the foundation for an effective editorial calendar<\/h2>\n

Gather key information from your\u00a0content marketing strategy<\/a> to inform your content creation plan<\/a>. Answer the following questions to help determine what to track in your calendar and stay focused on your marketing goals.<\/p>\n

Who are you creating content for?<\/h3>\n

You can\u2019t create the right content if you don\u2019t have a clear understanding of the target audience. Use the insights in your content personas<\/a> to focus on their informational needs and topical interests.<\/p>\n

What will your content help your business achieve?<\/h3>\n

Are you looking to generate leads? Increase your thought leadership? Drive attendance\u00a0to your events? Your content marketing mission<\/a> and goals<\/a> will impact what you publish, where you publish, how often, and how your team prioritizes, organizes, and categorizes\/tags its content creation efforts.<\/p>\n

What creative resources do you have?<\/h3>\n

Will you work with an in-house team of writers, designers, and videographers? A stable of industry pros sharing their insights? A mix of internal and external contributors? The tracked formats, frequency, and workflow stages likely depend on with whom you\u2019re collaborating and the nature of their expertise.<\/p>\n

TIP:<\/strong>\u00a0Need to enhance your creative capabilities to handle the workload? Follow\u00a0this complete guide to outsourcing content creators<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What will make your content distinct?<\/h3>\n

How can your brand deliver content with a unique mission<\/a>? What unmet industry needs can the content address? What gaps exist in your or your competitors\u2019 content? Can you tie your content to industry events for added exposure? Knowing how to attract a larger share of your audience\u2019s attention lets you fill the content marketing editorial calendar with impactful ideas and assets.<\/p>\n

What are the steps for producing quality content for your brand? What tasks and team members factor into your content workflow? Who manages each aspect, who else helps, and who needs to approve the pieces? Those insights determine what information to include in your calendar and how to structure it for optimal use.<\/p>\n

2. Build your content marketing editorial calendar<\/h2>\n

Multiple calendar-building options exist, from simple spreadsheets to project management software. You can also use calendar tools integrated into content workflow management platforms and access free templates online.<\/p>\n

Picking your calendar tool<\/h3>\n

Knowing some of the pros and cons of each option will help determine the best choice to build your marketing editorial calendar.<\/p>\n

Project\/task management software<\/h3>\n

Tools like Trello<\/a>, Airtable<\/a>, Basecamp<\/a>, or Asana<\/a> are great for organizing tasks, collaboration stages, and asset status. They include tagging, annotation capabilities, and drag-and-drop functionality that make them ideal for tracking content from ideation to execution.<\/p>\n

For example, Clare McDermott<\/a> recommends Airtable for content planning because it combines elements of spreadsheets and databases.<\/p>\n

@Airtable is amazingly useful for editorial calendar planning because it\u2019s an elegant combination of spreadsheet and database, says @clare_mcd via @joderama @CMIContent. <\/a><\/span>Click To Tweet<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

As shown in her editorial calendar template example, one calendar tracks multiple elements \u2013 the headline, author, deadline, topic\/category, and production status.<\/p>\n

You can use filters to zoom in on specific details about the content pipeline, such as articles by a particular author or assets that include visuals.<\/p>\n

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Image source<\/a><\/p>\n

However, some project management tools build templates with developer or marketing needs in mind. You need to adapt them to work well in an editorial environment \u2013 which could become more of a time-suck than a time-saver.<\/p>\n

Editorial workflow management platforms<\/h3>\n

Dedicated content management and editorial workflow software can offer editorial calendaring features better suited to the needs of content marketers. They are also more likely to integrate well with other enterprise content technologies, like your CMS (e.g., WordPress), email marketing systems, or asset management tools.<\/p>\n

All-in-one systems can be complex and pricey, so they may not be the best option for small teams or smaller-scale content marketing programs.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, some offer free editorial calendar templates without purchasing a software license. They may include advanced features that would be hard to build on your own.<\/p>\n

For example, ContentCal<\/a> asks a few questions, such as your types of content, publishing frequency, and target platforms. With that information, it creates an annual calendar with target publishing dates for each type of asset.<\/p>\n

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Image source<\/a><\/p>\n

Spreadsheets<\/h3>\n

You can always start with a simple Excel spreadsheet or a shareable Google Sheet. It\u2019s easy to configure them to track fundamental tasks like production steps and publishing dates for a blog or social media posts. Just label the columns and rows for all the information you need.<\/p>\n

For example, the CMI editorial team bases its editorial calendar on a template like this one for the blog. It details the production information for each day\u2019s article \u2013 headline, author, topic category, and workflow status. (Download your own copy<\/a> and adjust it as needed).<\/p>\n

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Uploading your spreadsheet to a cloud-sharing system (like SharePoint, Box, Dropbox, or Google Drive) makes it easy for your team to access and update the information as each asset moves through the process<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Spreadsheets lack advanced features that make complex workflows easier to manage (like content that involves sales or requires developer skills). They also can quickly get unwieldy when tracking multiple processes like creation and performance tracking or multi-channel content experiences.<\/p>\n

Also, spreadsheets don\u2019t always integrate well with other enterprise systems and processes, so consider your collaboration needs before choosing this option.<\/p>\n

Start with essential workflow details<\/h3>\n

How you fill out your editorial calendar ultimately depends on your goals, resources, and content plan. At the most fundamental level, it should include these fields for each content asset:<\/p>\n