Your Company Must Have One

Have you ever gotten writer's block when it comes to social posts? Or have so much content that you aren’t sure what to write first? Or have multiple editors and writers but no plan about who is writing what, when?

You may need a social editorial calendar. Just like a traditional editorial calendar, a social schedule helps to plan out what to post on which dates and months. It gives you and your team a plan of attack.

So why a social editorial calendar instead of just jotting down ideas? Here’s why:

Content marketing is all about reaching an audience in places they are willing to listen to you. To contact the right audience, you have to deliver relevant content your customers care about consistently. Having a strategy on what to post, how often, where, and for how long are all critical factors in the success of your content marketing.

A calendar keeps your social, content, and public relations teams aligned. Blog posts, social posts, announcements, white papers, YouTube videos, and releases should be part to the calendar weeks in advance, so every team is aware of what to post, when. At the end of each week, send around the topics for the following weeks so everyone can make any last minute changes before writing content.

BUT, be willing and ready to push content if something urgent comes to the forefront. You should have two posting buckets: Posts that are urgent, immediate or breaking news and posts that are evergreen.

A well-planned out calendar keeps your message top-of-mind. It prevents you from spamming one media channel and neglecting another. It makes a tangible plan for your team to stick to and follow throughout the year. It ensures that you are posting consistently and pushing fresh content.

Many of our now clients used to post when they were able to do so. What they had for social was a "hot mess" - frequently posting for a few months and then being radio silent for months or even years on end. A great way to lose customers because if they see you are inconsistent with your postings, they might think you are inconsistent in other matters as well.

Use the calendar as an assignment for your writers. You can assign content to writers by strength, knowledge, and level of expertise, so you don’t have to scramble to find someone to write last minute. Hold each team accountable for their part in the social calendar. Send it out ahead of time so each group can ask questions or tweak the topics.

No one wants to read posts every day about how great your company is or what products and services you offer. Use the 70/30 approach: Make your content 70% about things your client’s care about relevant to your industry and 30% about you! Sprinkle the posts around. Post about things going on in the market, industry trends, and informational posts. Becoming a thought leader in your industry will build your credibility and show you care about more than making a profit.

We specialize in digital marketing. Visit our website at www.mulliganmanagementgroup.com or give us a call at 330-472-7673 to learn more about what we do and how we can help you!