Editorial calendar

Editorial/marketing calendar quarterly for Emma Blogs LLC

By Emma Palova

EW Emma’s Writings

In response to Blogging 201 assignment Day 4, add a new feature and /or editorial calendar. I’ve already put this calendar together in January for the first quarter of 2015. I use these as guiding themes which allows me to stay flexible in changing conditions, but focused on the target.

In my quest to find guest writers, writers and sales representatives for Emma Blogs LLC, a portfolio of 11 blogs with the main flagship site EW Emma’s Writings, I find the calendar indispensable.

It is a valuable resource when looking back and analyzing what did the Emma Blogs LLC accomplish as well as strategizing into the next quarter.

Print magazines usually have an annual editorial/advertising calendar with two months lead time. That means if you have a story fit for April publication, you must submit it by the beginning of February, the latest.

With Internet, I find that everything moves faster with unexpected events such as Blogging 201. I am glad I registered for it, but since I haven’t planned for it, it threw me completely off the track. So, from now on I must include blogging/writing events in the calendar. But still, the two months outlook is very helpful.

I use both Simplenote by WordPress and the good old-fashioned wire bound notebook for every writing/blogging day. I write down contacts that I have to make, posts & stories that I have to write, schedule stories with other writers and inevitably design & update tasks.

Editorial calendars — Tempus fugit. Time flies or timing is everything.

I always aim to publish twice a week: Tuesday or Wednesday, and then for the weekend on Fridays.

It sounds like a lot of work and routine, but it really is not that bad, if you have figured out for yourself how to work it. Are you a morning or a night writer? How many hours can you put in? What kind of results have you had so far? No matter what, the key to growing traffic and engagement with our blogs, remains regular and enticing content.

This is the note to my EW team that I sent out in the beginning of January.

Hello, I put together these themes to guide us through March. It is a very busy month, so we need to plan for it now. The Inspiring Women series is leading up to women’s events including International Women’s Day on March 8.

2015 Editorial/Marketing themes

January
Health and wellness

IW Inspiring women series

Women’s Expos previews

Winter recreation and snowbirds

February

Blogging 201

Women’s Expo Lansing Feb. 6-Feb. 8, 2015

IW Inspiring women continues

Valentine’s & love

Lenten soups Feb. 18

Winter recreation & snowbirds continues