Using A Blog Content Calendar: Do You Need One?
Is A Blog Content Calendar The Woman Behind A #GIRLBOSS?
If, like me, you love to plan your blog content ahead of time and you make a ‘To Do’ list for practically everything possible in your life. From finding the time to wash your hair. To putting a load of washing on. To listing what outfits you will be shooting at the weekend and which pieces you will be styling in each post….. (AND BREATHE)
If the above sounds like a familiar daily routine, then I am sure that you will have dabbled in creating a blogging schedule at some point. Whether this be planning certain days of the week that you will post content on and try to stick to every week. Or if you try to pre-plan and align your topics and posts with national holidays or popular events. Think Christmas gift guides and festival fashion pieces, so they reach your readers at the best time for the best impact.
I often find myself making lists, which are replaced by another list and another list. Sometimes it can seem never ending. And exhausting.
Have you wondered how effective your blog content calendar is?
In the past few weeks my life has been a bit more hectic than usual. With an influx of social events, wedding plans and appointments to organise alongside my usual 9-5 marketing job, housework duties, workouts for my desired bikini and wedding dress body. I have found that my blog currently ends up being left a little to the last minute of late.
Whilst I try not to freak out that I haven’t got my weekly posts on Tuesdays and Thursdays planned a full month ahead of time. And, that this Sunday I won’t have a video going up on my Youtube channel – as I simply have not had the time to fit it all in.
I feel somewhat of a failure.
But is that my blog content calendars fault, from staring at me with black pages for the month of June. Or, is it just me beating myself up over nothing?
Do You Need A Blog Content Calendar?
An editorial content calendar is pivotal for businesses who are planning their marketing campaigns 6-12 months in advance. Of course, a blog content calendar is also useful for planning your blog content ahead of the new seasons and big events in the marketing calendar such as Valentines Day, Christmas and then Summer holiday and festival seasons. Where you will want to co-ordinate your content to be published at a relevant time (usually in advance of the event hitting, especially if you are putting together style and gift guides to help maximise clicks and sales).
However, on a day to day basis. Although a blog content calendar will help you to keep on top of your organisation. It won’t necessarily help your blog to be more successful. Spontaneity can be infectious and there is nothing like writing a post in the heat of the moment. As I am now.
So, I guess that today’s post is more of a vehicle to open a debate on whether or not you think a blog content calendar is essential to running a successful blog or not? At this moment in time I would say YES and NO. It definitely is good to use a blog content calendar for important seasonal events and to keep you on top of your blogging timetable of what you need to post. But, I wouldn’t necessarily say that it is a neccesity to stick to one religiously.
