Get out your calendar, or create a spreadsheet on the computer, and get your list of blog posts from yesterday’s challenge. Then, as Darren recommends in 31 Days to Build a Better Blog (affiliate link), start plugging the article ideas into the slots.
So if you plan to publish every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, you’ll put three articles per week in your spreadsheet until you’ve run out of article ideas. Don’t be surprised if new ideas come to you as you start filling in your calendar!
The other type of editorial calendar that Darren mentions is one I’ve worked out with a couple of my consultation clients, where each day is a specific type of post. You’ll notice that I loosely follow that type of posting schedule for the Examiner Blogging Column; Tuesday is a Blog Tip, Saturday is a resource or review, etc.
Readers will come to expect a certain level of consistency if you begin blogging in this fashion so keep that in mind when creating your calendar.
Challenge – Think about the type of schedule you want to have for your blog. Will you post seasonal material? Themed posts? An eclectic and varied collection? Create an Editorial Calendar for the next month’s worth of posts.
I have a running list of posts on a spread sheet. Then, at the end of the month I sit down and fill in the next month of my paper schedule book. I’m a pen & paper, not taking, cross tasks off a list type of person so this works best for me.
I’ve tried to do this, but I always end up finding something else that seems more important to write about than what is on my calender…LOL. But I do brainstorm ideas on a regular basis and write them down to review when I’m stuck on a topic to blog about. I find that works better for me. FWIW, I don’t often use the editorial calender on Examiner for the same reason 🙂