If you're committing to a content marketing strategy and regular business blogging, then an editorial calendar is a must have. An editorial calendar helps to define and to control the process of creating cotnent, organizing everything from business blogging ideas to scheduling posts, and to amplifying the content on social media.
An editorial calnedar can be on paper, on a spreadsheet, on a digital calendar program like Google Calendar, or on a publsihing software like DivvyHQ. I prefer the spreadsheet, and here's an example of one I have for one of my clients. You are welcome to take this and use it as you wish. Of course, this example isn't meant to be any sort of exlusive or exhaustive of hwo an editorial calendar should look.
At a bare minimum, your editorial calendar shoudl keep track of upcoming posts by scheduling them. Thsi is the msot basic function of an editorial calendar. To help keep track of posts and busienss blogging ideas, you migt also want to include keywords you wish to optimize, or mark whena post is completed, scheduled, and published. If you're keeping track of multiple business blogs or amplify your content through multiple outlets, then your editorial calendar might be a little more complicated.
One of the biggest benefits to havign an editorial calendar is that you will never run out of business blogging ideas. Long gone are those days of staring at the screen and having to get the blog post doen right then and there, and having no idea on what to right about. Planning in this manner means you can handle breaking news if necessary while always having something to write about for the next few times you post. Planning ideas ahead of time also means you can write posts ahead of time, instead of staring at the blank screen that day.
An editorial calendar is also a good idea if you have multiple people contributing to your business blog, or have guest posts from time to time. With an editorial calendar, you can then make sure all writers do their part, and that guest posteres are finishing up their work. It's certainly a lot easier than sending tons of emails back and forth.
Overall, an editorial calendar is a key tool to the success of a content marketing strategy. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail, and an editorial calendar is one of the best ways to plan and to execute your content marketing strategy and business blogging.