A few times a year I revisit the idea of creating an editorial calendar for some of my content-rich projects. And by that I mean that I actually go through the process of creating an editorial calendar. However, a month or so after it’s been created, the calendar becomes obsolete.
Why do I keep on trying? I may be one of the many many victims of the Myths About Editorial Calendars, as presented by Forward Blog and excerpted below.
- Myth #1: Editorial calendars are static. Once they are set by the publisher for the year, they never change.
Reality: Not even close. - Myths #2: Ed cals are primarily used to frame editorial coverage for the coming year.
Reality: Somewhat true. - Myth #3: Editorial calendar research and follow-up are easy ways to generate media coverage.
Reality: This is absolutely not true. - Myth #4: All publications release editorial calendars.
Reality: Also not true.
You really need to read the post, the expanded “reality” paragraphs are very real.
The part that I always forget, until I’ve already wasted my time:
However, the key messages are that editorial calendar research and follow-up is a passe tactic which adds little value to well-designed PR programs, and represents an ineffective use of time for most professionals. In essence, the ROI is extremely low when you compare the amount of time required to do this efficiently, versus the number and quality of placements generated.
