Editorial Calendar Planning

An editorial calendar transforms strategy into executable assignments. It balances aspiration with capacity, ensuring consistent output without burnout.

Calendar Structure

Effective calendars include: publish date, content title/topic, supporting pillar, target audience and funnel stage, content format, assigned owner, current status, and distribution channels. Week-by-week tables work well for execution visibility while monthly overviews show pillar distribution.

Cadence Principles

Sustainable cadence beats ambitious promises. Start conservative—you can always add capacity, but missed deadlines breed guilt and calendar abandonment. Common cadences: 2-4 blog posts per month for small teams, 1-2 per week for dedicated content operations, daily social across key platforms.

Leave 20-30% capacity unplanned for reactive content, timely opportunities, and inevitable delays. A fully packed calendar has no room for reality.

Tentpole Content

Start calendar planning with tentpoles—major pieces everything else supports. Tentpoles include product launches, seasonal campaigns, conferences or events, cornerstone guides, and webinars. Place tentpoles first, then fill supporting content around them. Supporting content builds anticipation before tentpoles and extends impact after.

Content Types by Effort

Low effort, high frequency: Social posts, newsletter editions, content repurposing. Daily to weekly cadence.

Medium effort, steady cadence: Blog posts, podcast episodes, short videos. Weekly to bi-weekly.

High effort, quarterly anchors: Comprehensive guides, webinars, research reports, interactive tools. Plan 4-8 weeks ahead.

Social Calendar Detail

Social content deserves explicit planning, not afterthought mentions. For each blog post, plan: LinkedIn post on publish day, Twitter thread with key points, follow-up posts 3-7 days later, quote graphics for visual platforms. Track social alongside blog in your calendar or maintain a dedicated social tab.

Asset Production Timeline

Content requiring design, video, or interactive elements needs production lead time built into the calendar. Add columns for: assets needed (hero image, screenshots, diagrams, video clips), design deadline (typically 1 week before publish), and design owner. Rushing asset production is the most common cause of missed deadlines.

Content Brief Requirements

Every planned piece should have a brief before writing begins. Brief timing: briefs due 1-2 weeks before draft deadline. Brief contents: target audience, primary keyword, search intent, outline with H2s, key points to cover, internal links to include, CTA, and success metrics.

Repurposing Strategy

Plan repurposing at calendar creation, not after publishing. For each substantial piece, identify: social posts extractable from key points, newsletter feature angle, video or audio adaptation potential, slide deck or infographic conversion, and quote graphics. A single blog post can yield 5-10 derivative pieces with planning.

Newsletter Integration

If you publish a newsletter, calendar it explicitly. Which blog posts will be featured? What exclusive content appears only in newsletter? Newsletter-first content can later expand into blog posts. Track newsletter content in the main calendar or a linked newsletter tab.

Buffer and Contingency

Build explicit buffer into timelines. Recommended: 20% capacity held for unplanned work, 1-week buffer between draft complete and publish date, backup content ready if primary piece slips. When deadlines slip: bump to next available slot, pull from buffer backlog, or adjust scope rather than rushing quality.

Success Metrics by Format

Define what success looks like before publishing:

Blog posts: Target pageviews (e.g., 500 in first 30 days), average time on page (3+ minutes indicates engagement), conversion actions (email signups, demo requests).

Social posts: Engagement rate (likes + comments + shares / impressions), click-through to linked content, follower growth contribution.

Webinars: Registration count, attendance rate (aim for 40%+ of registrants), post-webinar conversions.

Newsletters: Open rate benchmarks (20-30% typical), click rate on featured content, unsubscribe rate monitoring.

Track metrics monthly and feed learnings back into calendar planning.