5 Reasons You Should Have a Quarterly Blog Content Calendar

As a business owner, you likely know the feeling all too well…

You sit down at your computer on a Monday morning, pull up Instagram and think, “what the heck am I going to post this week?!”

You don’t have any content planned, so you start scrambling for ideas by scrolling through Reels, saving trending audios and hope that you’ll find the time to create some content in the midst of your already packed calendar.

This feeling of not knowing what to post isn’t fun and it leads to “panic posting” because you don’t want to leave your grid unattended.

You think if you don’t post then people will forget about you and you definitely won’t attract new followers.

All valid concerns as a business owner and trust me, I’ve been there too!

When I was first starting my business, I put a lot of pressure on myself to post on Instagram daily – so much so, I would batch record reels and plan my content weeks in advance so that I always had content to choose from.

Then I realized something: I’m spending all of this time batch creating and planning content for social media just for it to die off a mere 48 hours (or less) later.

(More on the shelf life of your social media content here!)

Instead of working harder on content that doesn’t last, why wouldn’t I put this time and energy into batch creating and planning content for something that has the potential to last YEARS?!

After all, I’m a blog writer that preaches blog content > social media content, so it was time to practice what I preach.

When I made this realization, that’s when I STOPPED obsessing over social and switched my focus to strategically planning my blog content one quarter at a time.

When I did this, everything else became much easier. I started working smarter (not harder) and my content was able to work FOR ME, instead of the other way around.

Having a quarterly blog content calendar is a non-negotiable in my book and if you’re tired of spinning your wheels on social media and are ready to commit to a much more long lasting content approach, you’re in the right place.

5 Reasons You Should Have a Quarterly Blog Content Calendar

• Strategy

A lot of times business owners view blog content as just another thing on their to-do list that they need to check off each week.

This is often because they believe that blogs on their website are ONLY for SEO purposes – that’s one of the five most common myths that I bust in this blog post.

As a blog writer, this is one of the first perspective shifts that I help people make when they decide to implement blogs into their business.

YES, I want you to populate higher in Google searches and YES, that can happen when you implement blogs consistently, but NO, that is not my primary focus for you.

There is a way you can implement blogs in your business strategically, so you not only boost your search engine visibility, but you also stay relevant, generate leads and even convert readers into customers.

The only way this can happen is when you PLAN accordingly, which is why having a quarterly blog content calendar is a must.

When you plan your blog content quarterly, you’re able to zoom out, look at a calendar for the next three months and align your blog content strategically and intentionally with what’s going on in the world AND in your business.

For example, if you’re launching a new course in September, you can ensure that you have pre-launch blog content planned that prepares your audience for what’s to come.

Additionally, you can look ahead and ensure that your content aligns with important events, holidays or industry trends that keeps you timely and relevant in the eyes of your audience and maximizes your engagement.

A great example of this is when ChatGPT entered the scene earlier this year.

This is an industry trend that definitely got the world buzzing and as a blog writer, it made sense for me to speak on it and incorporate this topic into my content, which is why I created this blog post.

Now, of course I couldn’t predict this trend would happen, which is why I want to note that your blog content calendar can be FLEXIBLE!

It’s not meant to be something that you never stray from. You’re allowed to move topics around as needed. The main point is that your quarterly blog content calendar moves you out of thinking and into DOING.

• Consistency

The first step in planning your blog content is deciding on a consistent posting schedule that works for you. Personally, I publish a new blog post every single week and I encourage clients to do the same.

At the very least, I always recommend 2x/month, but if you’re just starting out and need to start slower, do what works for you.

When you decide your blog posting schedule, that’s when you can plan ahead accordingly because you know the EXACT amount of content that you need.

For example, since I publish one new blog each week, I know that I need 12 topics every quarter. Knowing this, I can easily plan ahead!

Pre-deciding a consistent posting schedule also allows you to train your audience and ensures a regular flow of content for them. They learn to know when to expect new content from you, which is key to building an engaged audience and maintaining their interest.

• Organization and Efficiency

How many times have you had an idea for something so you jot it down in your notes app and can never find it later?!

GUILTY. 🙋🏻‍♀️

RIP to the endless iPhone notes that’ll never be touched again. 💀

Creating a designated blog content calendar allows you to keep track of your blog topics, ideas and publishing dates in an organized way so you’re never left scrambling for your notes.

You can keep your topic ideas, examples and additional notes all in one place for you to reference when it’s time to write.

This organization process also allows you to be more efficient with your blog writing because you know exactly what’s coming up, which means you can allocate more time for research, writing, editing, etc.

Overall, this prevents a rushed approach and allows for better quality content.

• Accountability

As mentioned earlier, the first step in planning your blog content effectively is choosing a consistent posting schedule.

When you do this, you will subconsciously start to hold yourself accountable because you already have it planned and penciled into your blog content calendar.

By planning your content one whole quarter in advance, you’re already doing half the work and saving yourself a TON of time.

In fact, it’s been said that one hour of planning could save you TEN hours of doing and, as a business owner, your time is precious.

The lack of a plan is often the thing that keeps us from doing the things we know need to be done because it can feel daunting when you’re starting from scratch.

So, when you carve out the time (it can take as little as one hour) to plan your blog content quarterly, you’re setting yourself up for future success and will be way more likely to actually follow through!

• Higher Quality Idea Generation and Research

Lastly, planning your blog content quarterly allows for higher quality idea generation and research because you’re giving yourself more time to brainstorm talking points, conduct research, gather data and incorporate relevant examples or case studies into your content.

If you were to sit down at your desk on Monday morning and decide your blog topic for the week on a whim, you’re less likely to give the topic much thought, research or attention which means the post may not provide as much value or resonate as well with your audience.

By planning ahead, you’re giving yourself plenty of time to marinate on the topics you have planned and ensure that you’re writing from a place of utmost value.

Overall, having a quarterly blog content calendar provides structure, organization and strategic planning to your blogging efforts while also enhancing efficiency and boosting SEO.

All of these things combined ultimately contribute to the growth and success of your business blog and gives your audience a valuable resource that lasts for years to come.

If the thought of planning your blog content quarterly sounds difficult for you, I invite you to download The Beginners’ Guide to Blogging For Your Business to learn my tried and true planning system!