LOVE Using An Editorial Calendar!!

Have always recommended using an editorial calendar, especially to businesses where more than one person does online posting for the business.  And have suggested editorial calendars to those who do their own posting but struggle with knowing what to say and/or getting it done! 

Using an editorial calendar for myself never really came into the picture as I have no problem with taking on my online marketing with joy!  I "thought"  between a few notes here on my "to do's" and what was in my mind that all was just fine! However, when I wasn't fitting in what I wanted to include in my weekly online presence I thought that using an editorial calendar might be the solution.  AND it sure is!  What a difference it is making in more ways than I ever imagined!

Now, it hasn't been that long, BUT I can't say enough good things!!  Have been enjoying surprises daily/  Here are just a few: 

First ..  I couldn't believe that even when giving 100% of my attention to listing all the mediums I wanted to include on my calendar, that I still forgot one major one! Thank goodness for being able to "see" what I was including. No wonder when I was doing everything in my head that I would forget tasks that I wanted to take on but never got too!   Writing things down does work!

Second ... I found extra time!  This was a BIG surprise!  It was so weird .. kind of noticed that something was different on the first day but it was very apparent on day two that I had all this extra time!  It appears that writing and mapping out my online activity took it out of my head. ( isn't that what they say about making lists also?).   Anyway ... because I have never struggled with ideas for what to say or what I want to do, I never noticed how much background energy was going on in my head.  Creating the editorial calendar seems to have just automatically removed all the noise making me 100% ready to take on other tasks.  It simply made me feel like I had so much extra time!!! LOVE IT!

Third ...  there was much more depth in my daily posts!  Take note that I did not create the posts in my calendar.  I simply wrote down the purpose that I wanted each post to have. Maybe having the same topic made  them come together better?   I really don't know.

So, I hope you'll create an editorial calendar for yourself!  Would love to have you write some comments below after you try one for yourself. If you already use one, please share your experiences below also.  And of course questions are always welcomed! To know more about how I went about making mine click here!

It's for sure that I'm hooked! Can't wait to plan my next week's editorial calendar!  One more benefit is that I just feel more on top of my game!!   What business owner doesn't want to feel that way!?!

Hope to hear from you all soon! 

In the mean time ...

Keep Your Business Garden Growing ...
margie

Walking My Talk With An Editorial Calendar!

Hello, Hello!

Have you been blogging? I hate to admit it, but I've been bad about it.

But. this morning, there was a great article on LInkedin that included 3 great reasons to blog!  Not only were they great reasons, they were also inspiring reasons that  hit me front and center with questions!  Why haven't I been blogging?   I enjoy it when I do blog.  What is my problem?

Creating editorial calendars is how I coach clients who are in this type of situation.. Am a bit embarrassed to say that  I never thought "I personally" needed an editorial calendar, as creating online content is what I do and my mind is trained, right?   But, given when I did my last blog posting, the time  appears to be right for me to walk my talk with with an editorial calendar for myself! 

What is an editorial calendar you ask?  It is sitting down, planning and putting into writing on a calendar,  what you want to say in the next week, when you'll say it,  how you'll say it, to who and WHY!   There are fancy templates online that you can use.  They are probably best served if you are coordinating several people doing messaging for you.  However, if you are doing it all yourself, the basics are all you need.

So, today I am walked my own talk by creating my own  editorial calendar.  I am not using any of the fancy templates, Am just keeping it very simple!  I first listed all the ways I wanted to have online visibility via written messaging this week - for example, blog posts (of course), my weekly mailing, daily postings, etc. Then I assigned  a topic, a purpose and a day of the week for each message type!

One benefit immediately appeared.  After being sure I had made a finalized list of desired ways to be visible, I printed it up and THEN realized that I had forgotten one major way I wanted to be visible!  The benefits of writing everything down were immediately showing up for me! No wonder I don't get everything done when I keep it just in my head!

The entire process took me about 45 minutes.

As the day continued a second immediate benefit showed up for me  I felt like I had more time!  How often does that happen? Having all my online creative and marketing messaging already defined, written down in detail and assigned per day, for the week, appeared to have freed me up more than I ever thought I wasn't previously free ( if that makes sense to you?)   It was amazing to feel the calm, and to have a clear mind for other things that needed to be done.  I realized that prior to creating my first editorial calendar I had been keeping a percentage of my mind and energy busy with an ongoing undefined "thinking" .about my messaging... it was always on my mind as again, that is what I do!  Writing it down hasn't stopped the creativity it has just contained that part of it freeing me up for using it 100% in other aspects of my business.  Simply amazing the difference!!!

Now ... I realize this is only the first day.  So my next blog posting is on the calendar for this Thursday after my Garden Club call.  It's topic is to share with you how this week continues as I use my editorial calendar!  Should be a great post!

If you want more detail on how I created my calendar, join my mailing list by clicking here.  I will detail it in my weekly mailing going out tomorrow!!!  And check in this Thursday evening to see how this week goes!!

In the mean time ...

Keep Your Business Garden Growing,
margie