What an editorial plan is and what it’s for
On the Internet nothing is improvised; in fact, quite the opposite is true. If you’re running an online project—whether it’s a website, a blog or a social platform—you must include an editorial plan in your communication strategy.
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What an editorial plan is
The editorial plan is a document in which you plan the publication and sharing of your content—in this case digital content—across all the web platforms you’ve decided to make use of. Whether it’s the various social profiles or a blog, you will always need a complete calendar that is well-defined and dynamic.How do you create an editorial plan of this kind?
Much obviously depends on your business’s sector, on your objectives, on the target audience you want to reach and engage, and on the platforms you choose to use. It’s clear, then, that there can be no single way to behave on the Internet. There are, however, guidelines worth keeping in mind and following so as not to be caught unprepared. Because it’s true that the online world is a fast one, where content passes by and is consumed quickly, but it’s also true that the Internet and its users don’t forget, and you must therefore avoid lapses in style.Content is king, context is queen
Bill Gates said it back in 1996: content is king, and it will dominate the world of the Internet in the years to come. And, with hindsight, it’s fair to say he was absolutely right. The correction added later sought to point out that content must be contextualized, that is, placed within an organic and meaningful whole. This is exactly it: the editorial plan is based precisely on the content you want to offer users in order to build a community. The objective must be to entertain and build loyalty in the audience, engaging and involving them with your communication. Defining content requires creative and organizational work. You choose the areas and topics you want to cover and tackle, and then you decide how to put that choice into practice. An excellent idea can be to create regular columns that make the company’s communication recognizable and create a sense of anticipation and continuity. In addition, it’s a good idea to take events and holidays into account, so as to dedicate some tailored, specific content to those very occasions. This way you’ll ride the trending topics and offer content that is always up to date and in line with the topics of the moment.The editorial calendar: days, times and frequency
The editorial plan goes hand in hand with the editorial calendar. These two documents overlap, because the content that has been conceived and prepared will then have to be scheduled to be shared with the audience. And just as its creation is not improvised, in the same way its publication is not random. You need to carefully choose the days, the times and the frequency. And here too, everything depends on the target audience and the objectives. Generally, the time slots that gather the largest number of active users are those around meals, when people tend to get distracted, or the evening hours when the day is over and people want to relax. And a break, nowadays, means smartphones, with social media and the internet at the forefront. As for frequency, there are two key elements: consistency and balance. You shouldn’t flood your profiles with content, because you risk tiring the audience. On the other hand, you can’t publish too little, because you run the opposite risk of being forgotten. You need to maintain a certain rhythm, being present in the right way. The important thing is that the editorial plan is smart and dynamic. Having an editorial plan means having guidelines to follow so as not to be caught unprepared or found lacking in terms of content. This program, however, must not be fixed, but must be able to adapt to the moments and situations. If there’s a development or an unexpected event, the plan should be reviewed and updated.Cross-media approach: different platforms, different languages
As mentioned, the online world is thoroughly varied. There are many different platforms to cover and to communicate on. The most common mistake is to standardize your communication, with the same content shared across the different channels. On the Internet, instead, you need to adopt a cross-media style, one that covers the different platforms consistently but with different content. The clearest example is social media. The various social platforms have different consumption dynamics and speak different languages. Facebook is a more conversational platform, where it’s appropriate to include text and in-depth pieces. Instagram on the other hand is primarily visual, with a significant shift toward video over the past year—just think of the rise of Reels, which have become the very cornerstone for anyone wanting to bet on this platform. Here you need to focus on photos and hashtags, which are essential for placing content within a specific field. For Reels, instead, the key elements are rhythm, speed and the choice of music. One thing all content on Instagram has in common: the quality of the content you want to convey. A completely different perspective is that of LinkedIn, which is more formal and professional, and on which you need to keep a more serious tone of voice. It’s important to be present on as many channels as possible and to offer the right content for each of them. The result should be organized, complementary communication, where the content flows and echoes back and forth, meeting the different needs of users on the various platforms. And for a blog? Here too, much depends on the topic. One tip is to check the trending topics, the keywords and their search volumes, for subjects related to your niche. This way you’ll be able to create interesting, on-trend content. And then you need to make the blog interact with social media: there must be a synergy between the elements, which should enrich one another, thereby enriching the target audience in the process.Related service: discover Digital PR by ARvis — the agency that scales with you.
