Picture this: you’re knee-deep in client work only to realize it’s been an entire week since you’ve posted on Instagram. More than that, your latest projects are still waiting to be pinned while your company blog is feeling more outdated by the minute. You know you have great content to share, but organizing a posting strategy keeps falling to the back-burner. This scenario is incredibly common for busy designers, and that’s where an editorial calendar comes in.
We know the label “editorial calendar” can feel intimidating, but the concept is far less overwhelming than it sounds. An editorial calendar is essentially a detailed outline of themes that help determine what content you’ll be posting on specific days and is scheduled weeks or months in advance. Today on the blog, we’ll cover why an editorial calendar is essential to your social media, blog, and newsletter strategy. In addition, we'll be sharing some practical tips to put those content plans into motion.
IDCO Studio | Photography by Madeline Harper
Why Use an Editorial Calendar?
We preach the importance of building a strong brand identity, and it all starts with telling your story. That means every image, caption, blog, and video add to a larger narrative of who you are and what sets your work apart. Editorial calendars are a way of organizing that messaging strategy with predetermined topics, themes, or series. This content could revolve around project installs, your signature style, or your design process, just to name a few.
The goal of a well-organized editorial calendar is to eliminate the practice of posting on the fly. Instead, you’ll have predetermined topics to guide every piece of content you share, ideally written and scheduled well in advance.
More to Read: 5 Signs it's Time for a Rebrand
What to Include in Your Editorial Calendar:
An editorial calendar isn't just for blog posts. While it’s important to map out which evergreen blog content you’ll be publishing on your website, editorial planning should apply to all facets of content creation—from your social media channels to your marketing campaigns, and reveals of your latest work. Here's what we recommend including in your editorial calendar:
Instagram: Grid + Stories
Video Content: Reels + TikTok
Blog Content
Newsletters
Pinterest
Project Reveals
IDCO Studio | Photography by Madeline Harper
How to Manage + Schedule:
We all know that posting without a plan can be stressful and quickly lead to burnout. Developing a strong editorial strategy looks like mapping out 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day game plan so you always know what's coming up next.
30-Day Plan
Your 30-day calendar will detail the specific content you’re sharing on each posting day. Preferably, that content will be written out and scheduled at least two weeks in advance. We recommend batch writing and scheduling to keep your content development efforts more manageable day-to-day.
60-Day Plan
The 60-day calendar focuses on what’s coming up in the foreseeable future. You’ll want to refer to it often, so you can be curating images, gathering information, and finalizing post topics as needed.
90-Day Plan
You can think of your 90-day calendar as more of a birds-eye view to your brand’s editorial strategy. Your overarching business goals will shape the 90-day plan to ensure your content aligns with the clients you’re trying to reach.
More to Read: Establishing Your Brand Voice as an Interior Designer
IDCO Studio | Photography by Madeline Harper
The Logistics
We suggest using a dedicated Google calendar or a specific team collaboration platform to organize your editorial calendar. At IDCO Studio, we use Monday.com to manage all our content for each channel, including a specified date and time each post is set to go live. If you’re looking for specific content ideas, have a look at our No-Fail Editorial Calendar for Interior Designers. It’s specific to Instagram, but many of the same themes can apply to newsletters, blogs, and more.
Friendly reminder: the holidays are right around the corner. Don't forget to get a handle on your holiday content game-plan to help end the year strong. Happy planning!