I’ve been blogging on different platforms for nearly ten years now. Over the course of those ten years I learned a lot about what not to do when it comes to consistency and content. Plus I’ve also tried close to fifty different ways of organizing blogging content that have all disappeared for one reason or another. My most recent editorial calendar method has lasted the longest and I thought it was about time I finally talked about it.
My biggest advice for creating an effective content calendar is to honestly ask yourself what you’re capable of actually accomplishing. It’s all well and good to think you’ll write a new blog post every day of the week or post five YouTube videos, but you have to consider what’s actually possible. Look at your daily schedule, your commitments, and your responsibilities. Figure out what you have time for, and what you sincerely want to use that time doing. Once you’ve decided what’s realistically manageable, you’re ready to build an effective content calendar.
Like I said, I’ve tried a lot of different platforms and systems to keep track of my content schedule. I’ve used planners, notebooks, stickers, you name it. The only thing that has ever really worked for me long term is Google Calendar. Gasp. I know. For someone whose livelihood depends on people using tangible planners I can’t deny that when it comes to this, it has to be online. For good reason to.
You want to create and utilize a system that allows for plans to change. Google Calendar allows you to write in a blog post or a YouTube video, but if life gets in the way, you can just drag it to another day. This freedom to drag, drop, edit, and change your content schedule within seconds makes it superior to a tangible planner. If you’re someone who sticks with a plan once it’s made, definitely go for tangible. But if you’re anything like me, one day you may wake up and have no desire to write a particular blog post. You won’t have to cross it out in your planner, all you’ll have to do is relocate it to another point in your schedule to do it when you feel more inspired.
I also really enjoy using Google Calendar for my content schedules because you can create separate calendars for separate aspects of your content. I have calendars for blog posts, Microscope Beauty videos, vlog videos, Kawaii Bunny videos, social media, and Oh, Hello Stationery Co. marketing efforts. Dividing out your categories of content makes it easier for you to switch off the ones you don’t want to see or focus on. It makes work much more manageable when you only have to look at one type of content at a time rather than the entire jumbled mess of all of them together.
Having all of the calendars in one place though is beneficial so you can coordinate schedules on different fronts. Say you run an online business selling craft supplies and you’re releasing a new line of materials. Using multiple calendars makes it easier to see what is happening during certain aspects of your business so you can coordinate all of your efforts together. You could post a new blog post showing a DIY with the new items one day, a behind the scenes look of production on Instagram the next, and a video showcasing all the new supplies the next day. All of those efforts operate on different calendars, but you can see them all at the same time and coordinate everything together.
Most of the time your content calendar will come together in bursts. If you’re feeling particularly inspired one day, sit down and plan out as many blog posts or videos as you can think of. Schedule them into your schedule now, but know that it can easily change based on if anything new comes up. On average my content schedule is about a month ahead in blog posts and videos. Whether or not I stick with it is different, but if I have a very good brainstorming day I want to make sure I get all the ideas down so when I’m tapped of creativity, I don’t have to worry.
It’s also incredibly important to be flexible with your content. You can’t always predict when things are going to happen, so don’t set your content in stone. That’s another great thing about Google Calendar. Some of my most popular blog posts and videos were created within an hour of some big launch or release. I quickly moved around my other scheduled content to make way for a new planner launch and had a huge increase in subscribers because of it. Make sure your content is working for you and not the other way around.
Apparently I could ramble on about content calendars for hours, so I’ll end it here for now. But if you have any questions or want to know more specifics, leave them in the comments. I’ll definitely do a follow up or expand on ideas in another post.
The Esian Korean Beauty Box has always been a fun little treat for me. I’ve been involved with beauty and makeup for years (just look at the age of this blog, yessh!) so it’s fun to mix things up and try beauty products from other cultures. Plus I’m a sucker for a good subscription box.
This month’s box definitely surprised me. I wasn’t expecting a huge, nice quality DC Superhero scarf as it popped out at me when the box opened. I’m all about superheros so I’ll be sporting this for sure. Most of the boxes I’ve gotten are makeup only, so it was nice to see some fashion thrown in this time.
This month’s box came with four beauty bits. The Pig Nose Black Head Remover product cracked me up. All black head products I’ve gotten from this subscription always revolve around pigs. There’s also a Collagen Boosting Renewal Mask. The masks I’ve gotten from these boxes have always been really nice, but not something I’ve looked for to repurchase. The Stylenanda Fresh Aqua Mist is the most intriguing product from the box and something I’ve really been enjoying using. I love a good face mist and this one is refreshing and light. The last beauty item is a panda themed warming eye mask. I’m obsessed with how cute and fun Korean beauty is!
My biggest complaint is that the website is difficult to navigate. Ironically enough you can see my derpy face on the front page in a video I posted about my first box. But the site itself is hard to figure out what box to get and what you’re purchasing. It takes some time to work to the pricing as well. There are two different beauty boxes available. The Spa box is $24.95 a month with a reoccurring subscription and the Glamour box is $59.95 for an every two month box. Since they’re foreign beauty products it’s hard to gauge if you’re really getting your money’s worth each box, but you definitely get a sizeable quantity of products to try.
Ultimately if you’re interested in experience different types of beauty products, this would be a subscription to try for a few months. But if you’re trying to save your beauty budget for something really worth it, I’d suggest another subscription altogether since you can’t be sure what you’re going to get in this box and if it’s worth the price. Honestly I find their snack boxes to be a much better investment and fun for the whole family to try some different snacks and food from other countries. So I’d definitely look into that!
So kind of a mixed review. I love the box when I do get it, but I’m still on the fence about purchasing it long term. The products are always fun to play around with, but I’ve never really been swept away with a product that I had to repurchase. It’s a fun gift for a beauty junkie or a little treat to yourself, but I wouldn’t say everyone needs it in their life.
It goes without saying that I’ve tried my fair share of planners. Since I work within the planner industry it’s a must, but it’s given me a lot of opportunities to discover which planners lend themselves to certain needs more than others. Some are great for students, some are great for moms, and some are perfect for running a small business.
It’ll come as no surprise that one of my favorite planners to help me run my business is the Erin Condren Life Planner. There are three different layout types, but the hourly seems like the best for managing time if you’re running a business. Although my small business doesn’t really require a lot set scheduling, most businesses do. So having a planner that you can clearly map out your time will make sure you aren’t over-booking yourself. They’re currently 50% off right now if you’re interested in giving the layout a try. Plus an hourly layout can help you schedule designated “stop” times so you can you know, eat, and see your family.
If you’re looking for something with a bit more flexibility and freedom to add and remove things, a personal planner will be your lifesaver. I picked up this one from Michael’s, but there are hundreds of different options in all price brackets. Plus Etsy has a ton of inserts to help you set it up for maximum productivity. This is a great system to write to do lists in, keep notes in designated sections, and to capture any loose business bits you don’t want getting lost.
Sometimes the easiest system is all you really need. I find that nothing helps me check things off my to do list like this agenda from Rifle Paper Co. One week per spread with just enough to do list spots per day so you aren’t over-doing it. I love scheduling out everything I need to get done in a week over the course of five days right from the start. That way I don’t feel overwhelmed by one massive to do list and I can chip away at it little bit by little bit. I’m sure you can find something like this in an insert form if you want to tie the personal planner and a simple to do list agenda into one.
All of these planners have helped in some way at a variety of different stages of my business. They’re fantastic, flexible systems that have helped me stay organized and more productive. Plus they’re pretty which is always a nice bonus.
Every girl boss needs a gorgeous desk calendar to keep them organized, so I’m giving one away! Enter the giveaway below for a chance to win this Erin Condren Tabletop Calendar for 2017. It comes with a gorgeous little stand and the cards are perforated so you can use the designed side for a postcard once the month is over. Super handy. The giveaway is open internationally to anyone 18-years-old or with parental consent!
When Erin Condren announced the release of a seasonal subscription box, I couldn’t click order fast enough. The first box definitely exceeded my expectations and guaranteed that I would be getting the next one.
The Spring box feels like the subscription is settling into it’s own. The first one had to be beyond amazing to set the bar and the second one clearly shows that they’ll maintain a level of quality and quantity. Subscription boxes seem to go big with the first one and peter out quickly, but it’s obvious that this box is going to try its best to keep it up. I’m pleased.
The Floral Ink pattern is super popular in this box and I actually like it a lot more than I did when I first saw the design on the website. There’s a cute floral ink blank greeting card, a medium lined notepad, and a new On-The-Go Address Book that has to be one of my favorites from the box. I had been wanting something smaller than my normal address book so I can bring it with me on trips to send postcards. Dreams answered.
There are two sticker sheets as well which I think really help to beef up the amount in the box. I’m pretty sure I’ll have all the sticker sheets they’ve come out soon. Now to actually use them. Nothing makes me hoard stickers like Erin Condren products.
Probably my most favorite item from this season’s box is the soon-to-be-released hardbound notebook. I got to peek this product at Plannercon last week and have been smitten ever since. They’re releasing March 30th in ten different colors and I’m not even ashamed to admit that I’ll probably get close to all of them in one fell swoop. They’re perfect to jot notes in on-the-go and during meetings. Plus if I own a bunch of them I won’t feel bad scribbling in one or two.
Another pleasant surprise in the box was the art print. It’s already happy in its new home in our guest bedroom. The box also included a 40% off art prints coupon so it’s already on my to do list to look for more home decor pieces or future gifts.
Finally the box included a set of rose colored sticky corners to compliment the blue and red sets they already have in stock. Plus mini magnetic bookmarks that have me all sorts of happy. Magnetic bookmarks are my go to paper-holding method so having tiny ones is just perfection.
Overall the seasonal surprise boxes are definitely worth the $35 price. You get a ton of high-quality products you’re likely to actually use at a cheaper price than buying them all yourself. Plus there are box exclusives you won’t find on the website and you get other products before anyone else. You can even save $10 on the next one by clicking here. I’ll definitely be ordering the next one.
It’s been quiet on the blogging front lately as I took a break for our recent trip to San Francisco. All my pre-trip time was spent getting our shop in order rather than scheduling posts. We’re happily back in the cold mitten now and I can finally reflect on the whirlwind that was PlannerCon 2017.
So much happened. Like, beyond the actual workshops and speakers themselves. We met dozens of amazing subscribers and Helloigans between workshops and honestly the entire experience was a blur. Of course the peak moment of the entire event has to be when I got to meet Erin Condren. I was surprisingly calm and collected when I met her. Alex cried. Two types of people I guess. It’s just such a strange experience to meet the person you basically owe your life to. Without her planner and products we wouldn’t have our business. No business means no home. So it was great to be able to thank her and tell her about our life thanks to her company. She even ended up mentioning us in her key note address the next day. We fangirled. Harder than we’ve ever fangirled before.
It was literally the perfect long weekend. Not only did I get to hang out with fellow planner obsessed people, I also finally got to go to San Francisco. It’s been on the top of my realistic travel wishlist for years and there I was, walking to Pier 39 and seeing the Painted Ladies. I’m pretty sure I got sick the last couple of days in order to make the entire weekend more life-like; it was just too perfect.
So now we’re back in the tundra that is Michigan with tons of planner swag and more ideas than we know what to do with. We’re mulling around the idea of hosting a planner conference in Chicago next year, have loads of new product ideas, and are reaching out to business friends we made at the event. The weekend came and went faster than I could have ever imagined and I couldn’t be more thankful for the entire experience.
If you want to watch the vlogs and see what we got up to they’re all conveniently located below!
We’re currently off to help my parents move across the state, so blogging will likely return sometime next week as things start to (hopefully) settle down. Keep your eyes peeled for a PlannerCon related giveaway coming too!
