Creating an Editorial Plan for Your Site or Blog

As a Digital Marketing Agency, we preach the importance of developing a Content Editorial Plan for every website or blog.  An Editorial Plan functions much like a roadmap, keeping things on course and headed in the right direction.

But wanting an Editorial Plan and creating one are two different things.  And it’s the “creating” part that can run into some snags.

Here are some tips on making the most out of your Editorial Plan:

1. Decide how often you want to write and post/blog.  You may want to base this on who will be doing the writing.  If you’re doing the writing yourself, you might not be willing to commit to a regular, frequent schedule. If you have a reliable resource for content writing, it should only be a matter of how much time other team members have to assist in the production efforts (Proofreader to sign off on content, Graphic Designer for any infographics or illustrations, Manager for final approval.)  Most companies try to put up a new blog either once a week or twice per month.  Some companies with focused SEO/Content Marketing efforts post multiple blogs each day.  The choice is up to you.  The more frequent and relevant the content, the better.
2. What do you want to talk about?  And how are you going to produce it?  These are the two “biggie” issues that hold things up.  Let’s break it down: Who is your audience? What do you want to achieve? What do you want the blog to say?  For inspiration, read all the trade publications you subscribe to, and others you can find online and at the library.  Look for articles about new trends in your industry, regulations that may impact your customers, pricing changes, learning opportunities your customers could benefit from, etc.  Put yourself in the mind of your customer and think about what they would like to read.  Don’t be pushy with your content and don’t try to sell to your audience.  The purpose of your blog is to inform.
3. How are you going to write it?  At first, many companies think they can do this part themselves.  After all, how hard is it to write a few paragraphs about something you already know about?  Sounds easy.
4. Things go well for the first blog but can sometimes snag once the luster has worn off. It might be weeks or months before a second blog is written and eventually the whole plan is dropped altogether.  It may be a good idea to hire an outside agency or freelancer to help with the copywriting.  The writer can interview important people of interest to the story.  All of this takes time, ingenuity, curiosity and good reporting and writing skills, so look for someone with a degree in Journalism, English, Creative Writing or Marketing.
5. If the thought of developing an Editorial Plan overwhelms you, outsource it.  Let someone who is skilled in this come up with a Plan based on your company goals, available in-house talent, budget for outsourcing, and time.

It is important that you don’t give up.  Content takes time and so does the Editorial Plan but it is very rewarding.  Once you have your Content Editorial Plan, stick to it.  Post blogs regularly.  Monitor feedback and results and adjust the Plan accordingly.