The Editorial Calendar

Article 3 in the 7-part series on The Definitive Guide to Content Marketing

You’ve put a stake in the ground marking your brand position and have created a message ladder. Now it’s time to create an editorial calendar. You have all the pieces. It’s just a matter of assembling them. Let’s start by creating a content matrix that aligns your audience personas and their purchase cycle with the content they need to move forward.

Each box represents content tailored for that specific audience at that specific stage in their purchase cycle. Per our earlier article, The Power of Empathy, your audience is looking for the next step in their journey. Hence, a content matrix addresses all audiences and all “steps” in their journeys. Something for everyone. Your job is to create content that addresses the questions, concerns, goals, and tasks they have at each stage. Arm them with what they need to move to the next step.

Once you’ve created your content matrix then you can tackle the editorial calendar which depicts when the content will be published and where it will be amplified. It should also include event and promotional calendars, your product roadmap, competitor activity, and current events. You also have to consider that your audience is not evenly spread out across the content matrix. Coca Cola does not have very many consumers in the Awareness phase. It’s not a considered purchase. In fact, the purchase cycle is often instantaneous. On the other hand, if your brand and solution are new to the market, think AI applications, then you have most of your audience in the Awareness, Consideration, and Search phases. They have a lot to learn before making a decision. Make sure your editorial calendar and investment in content are aligned with your biggest and best audiences to maximize impact and returns.

Finally, it’s important to note that most of us don’t operate in stable business environments that have little to no fluctuations over time. Therefore, it does not make sense to plan beyond 90 days. We recommend a rolling 90-day editorial calendar. Let the data and market dynamics guide you and make adjustments accordingly. 

Think of your editorial calendar as a living and breathing narrative. The story evolves. If there is any constant, then it’s the need to always be aligned with your audience. Give them what they want. Give them what they need to buy.

Next article in this series: Content: How To Win On Value