Get some editorial calendar basics, followed by behind the scenes tours of 3 nonprofit editorial calendars. Presented at 18NTC in New Orleans, April 2018. #18ntc #18ntcedcal

1. Editorial Calendar
Show and Tell

2. Kivi Leroux Miller, Founder and CEO
Nonprofit Marketing Guide
Sharon Sharp, Marketing and
Communications Manager
SPCA Tampa Bay
Lisa Dove, Director of
Communications and Outreach
Virginia Community Healthcare
Association
Heidi Gollub,
Director of Marketing,
Marathon Kids

3. Collaboration Notes:
po.st/18NTCedcal
Share with
#18NTCedcal

4. An editorial calendar is
a communications
director’s road map . . .

5. It allows your
org to set a
course

6. But there is no
Google Maps.
You are
Google Maps.

8. All of your major
communications
channels –WHERE is
the content going out?

9. The timing of
it all –WHEN
is the content
going out?

10. Strategic
messages that
get you closer
to your goals –
WHAT is the
content about?

11. You can also add optional elements like
• Who is responsible
• Internal deadlines
• Creative brief or direction
• What stage the content is in (eg, idea, draft,
review, approved, published)
• Notes or conversations as the content is
created
• Post-publication metrics

12. To expect the unexpected shows a
thoroughly modern intellect.
~ OscarWilde

15. Use a Tool to Build a Calendar
That MakesYou Smarter

16. Spreadsheet
Brain?

17. Calendar
Brain?

19. Let’s go under
the hood.

20. • Spay/Neuter
• TNVR
• Vaccinations
• Specialty
Surgery
• Wellness
• Acupuncture
• Adoption Counseling
• Behavior Helpline
• Volunteer Program
• Training School
• Pet Boutique
• Surrender
• Cruelty
Investigation
• Wildlife Rehab
• Education/Camps
• Public Speaking
• Tributes/Memorials
• Ambassadors
• Events
• Legacy Giving/Pet
Trust

21. Challenges?
• The shear number of programs,
services and events
• Marketing department often not
informed about changes
• Very little information exchanged
between departments or locations

22. An Editorial Calendar!
• Central location where everyone
can see what everyone else is doing
• Program and marketing staff
are collaborating on the same
dashboard, ensuring
information is up-to-date
Solution?

23. The First (Unsuccessful) Calendar

24. 1. It wasn’t incorporated into what they
were already doing
2. No one remembered it existed
Why it flopped?
3. They were overwhelmed with
choices

25. What did work for us?

31. Quick
Questions for
Sharon?

33. Challenges
Retiring as a Firefighter
• Create a Process Where and When There was
None
• Remove the Mystery
• Learn to Say No
• Sometimes be Selfish
• Stand my Ground when Necessary
• Make Decisions with Confidence
Doing these things:
• Built trust in my professionalism
• Boosted my Confidence
• Reduced Stress
• Helped Me Fall in LOVE Again with my Job

34. Criteria
• Help ME Be More Productive
• Visualizer-Arranger
• Productivity Ninja
• One place to collect everything
• Ease of Team Member Collaboration
• Provide a Variety of Views
• Visualizers
• Arrangers
• Prioritizers
• Planners
• Uncomplicated Set-Up
• Minimal Amount of Administrative Time
• Flexibility to Make Changes
• Easy Access
• Desktop
• Apps
• Visible for All Staff

35. False Starts
• Initially Didn’t Use Anything
• So OVERWHELMED was just trying to make it through the
week
• Lied to Myself
• “I’m really great at adapting to these emergencies when in
fact I was just “Winging” it.
• Personal Resistance
• Too long to set up
• Too much administrative time
• No interest from other staff
• Created a Post-It Method
• Great for One or Two People
• Provided Nice Visual for other Staff
• Outgrew it
• Tried Other Platforms
• Outlook Calendar
• Excel
• Trello
• Asana
• Airtable: Round 1
• Had to Experience Failure before Perfection
• Level of Staff Interest
• I tried to be too Democratic

36. Airtable: Looks Like a Spreadsheet | Acts Like a Database
• Airtable is a relational database tool that doubles
as an online collaboration service.
• It's highly visual and it facilitates meaningful
conversation.
• Businesses might use it to manage CRM, and
individuals might use it to create inventories of
collections they own.
• Airtable is different from older database
management systems because it looks like an app
that anyone with an iPhone could use.
• Because Airtable allows people to view
information differently, it makes the tool suitable
for new, collaborative uses.

37. Everything COMs in One Place

38. Many Different Ways to View

39. Grid View

40. Kanban/Stack Card View

41. Gallery View

42. Filtered View

43. View an Individual Record – Can also show Update History

44. Link Records so that Fields can filled
with Pre-Populated Information

45. Flexibility- You Can Make Changes When Necessary

46. Another Feature We’ve Found Useful for COMS: Forms- Collected Info Populates a Base

47. Future Changes
• May need to separate some of the data; create
additional sheets
• More incorporation of the great tips for
Repurposing Content from Kivi’s training sessions:
• Use the Parking Lot for Everything- And More
Efficiently
• Rules of Three
• Long Form | Short Form | Visual Form
• Time Periods
• Now | Soon | Later
• Beginning | Middle | End
• This Month | Next Quarter | In aYear

48. Quick
Questions for
Lisa?

49. On a mission to get kids moving!
Marathon
Kids

50. Marathon Kids is dedicated to
improving the health of children
by providing them with the tools,
motivation, and support to live
happier, healthier lifestyles.

51. Editorial Calendar Challenges
● Mapping out themes several months in advance
● Variety of content: blog posts, email newsletters, press releases, social
media
● Multiple audiences: donors, volunteers, parents
● Multiple contributors: internal and external
● Project management: assignments, communication, deadlines

52. Criteria for a Good Editorial Calendar
● Collaborative platform
● Ability to assign contributors to projects
● Ability to set due dates
● Email updates and reminders
● Easy to learn for the non tech-savvy
● Free!
● App
● Can sync with Google Calendar

53. False Starts

57. Looking Ahead
● Add more staff members to the team, so we can all collaborate on
themes and newsletters.
● Encourage staff to add content ideas.
● Encourage staff to communicate through Trello cards so projects
can be better managed.
● Figure out best way to incorporate guest blog posts on external sites
on our Trello board.

59. Quick
Questions for
Heidi?

60. Questions for
the Panel?