If you're driven by followers, you're leading with ego and you'll never be satisfied.
This is why I'm driven by engagement. Not just likes and comments, but people in my real life who say they were inspired by something I shared. Or prospects who have been following me online and know I'm the right coach for them before we've had our first conversation.
I'll let you in on a secret about how I'm able to consistently post content that strikes the right chord with so many people: I follow an editorial calendar.
This was the tool I used for many years programming The Marilyn Denis Show. We would plan our content at least a month in advance. The editorial calendar guided us to remember what common stressors and shared experiences our audience was dealing with. The problems we face in December are different from what we face in April. All of this shapes how information is received.
Here's how I apply it to social media. First, we have our content pillars: client love, inspiration, how to work with us. Client love always feeds the editorial calendar because we use this tool to create successful pitches. Inspiration and how to work with us are also guided by the editorial calendar.
November is clear of major holidays and it's sandwiched between two months that do have major holidays. It's a month that is a blank slate and has an energy of "getting ready" "taking action". Dealing with things before year-end and before the holiday rush. Knowing this vibe, we focused on our own expansion in supporting people with social media. I've been sharing more about my approach to thought leadership. I've scheduled a social media workshop. And everything we posted encourages people to share on more platforms.
December is busy and crowded. It's year-end, it's the holidays. It's hard to stand out in the crowd. This is our content theme for December. I have an in-person workshop on pitching media (which will have its own content creation). And I'm creating a 30-day challenge to strengthen thought leadership.
January, our take on "new year, new you" is about boosting on-camera confidence. And so on.
I can program these things anytime. But when these messages hit an audience when these feelings are heightened, the impact will be stronger. Plus, it makes it easier to plan strategy and align content months in advance.
If you would like to try planning content this way, we've created a content planner designed to follow the editorial calendar. Click the link below and get ahead on your impactful messaging today!