Do I need an editorial plan?

The more individual the requirements are, the more flexible the editorial plan should be. Every company needs such a "timetable" so as not to lose the thread in the hectic pace of day-to-day business.

So if you want to organize yourself better and prepare content in a more targeted way, then an editorial plan is a really good idea. Your content will be of a higher quality, you will have security and structure and your productivity will also benefit from this. What's more, your posts will look even more professional with the right preparation.

 

You should consider the following points:

• Who do you want to reach (target group)?
• What does your content look like?
• What topics do you want to address?
• When does the content have to be published or submitted?
• Who is responsible for it?
• Where and how often will your content be shared?
• When will the articles be shared a second or third time?
• What is your strategic direction for the future?

It is important that you show a certain regularity when posting and also share posts that have already been used again at a later date. After all, the interests and composition of your followers can change from time to time.

Depending on the posting frequency, a post can also be shared again after approx. 2 weeks, evergreen content after 1-2 months. This re-sharing can be conveniently noted in an editorial plan.

What do you need to consider when creating an editorial plan?
At best, an editorial plan is a kind of guard rail to help you get closer to your goals. However, an editorial plan should also allow for flexibility and spontaneity so that you can react to spontaneous events or ideas. Think of your editorial plan as a tool rather than a timetable that you simply work through.

You can prepare your goals and rough guidelines for when you want to share articles on which channels. Also pay attention to the posting time, as this depends largely on your target group. Take into account when they are likely to be on the respective channels (LinkedIn vs. Instagram, lunch break, free time, etc.).

You should roughly include the following points in your editorial plan:

• When should the article appear?
• What is the topic or headline of the article?
• Who should write the article?
• By when does the content have to be ready (deadline)?
• When will it be published for the first time?
• When should the second publication take place?
• Checkboxes for the individual networks.

 
Of course, you can simply create a simple editorial plan according to your needs in Excel, for example.