What is an editorial calendar and how do you build one for social media?
Updated
Quick answer
An editorial calendar is the plan that says what will be published, on which network, in which format and on which day. It organizes the month's posts, balances topics and formats and shows the stage of each piece. In LUME Hub it lives in the Content app, with a script, caption and production stage on every post.
An editorial calendar is the plan that says what will be published, on which network, in which format and on which day. It takes content out of improvisation: instead of thinking about today's post, you decide the whole month ahead and follow each piece until it goes live.
What is an editorial calendar for?
- Consistency: with dates set, your profile doesn't go quiet for days.
- Balance: you can see whether the month is all sales, all tips or all behind the scenes, and fix it before publishing.
- Batch production: knowing what's coming, you can shoot several videos on the same day.
- Teamwork: everyone knows what is in scripting, recording, editing or ready.
What should an editorial calendar include?
Each post on the calendar answers a few questions:
| Question | Field in LUME Hub |
|---|---|
| What goes live? | Title |
| When? | Publishing date and time |
| Where? | Platform (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, Threads or Facebook) |
| In what format? | Reels / video, carousel, static or story |
| With what goal? | Pillar |
| What will it look like? | Hook, script, caption, CTA and hashtags |
| Where is it now? | Production stage |
What are content pillars?
Pillars are the big themes a brand returns to over time. In the LUME Hub post editor, the pillars are Identidade (identity: who you are), Convicção (conviction: what you stand for), Repertório (expertise: what you master) and Reputação (reputation). Spreading posts across pillars keeps your profile from becoming one-note.
Editorial calendar vs. content calendar
People search for both terms, and in practice they describe the same thing: a dated publishing plan. Some teams use "editorial calendar" for the strategic plan and "content calendar" for the day-to-day schedule. What matters is that every post has a date, a network, a format and an owner.
How to build yours in LUME Hub
In the Content app, the Editorial calendar shows the month as a grid or a list. You create each post with Novo roteiro (new script), write the script and track the stage. The numbers at the top (posts in the plan, published, progress and next) show how the month is going. The full walkthrough is in How to create a content calendar.
If you work with an agency or serve clients, the calendar is also where approval starts: see What is a content approval workflow.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an editorial calendar and a content calendar?
In practice, very little. Both describe a dated publishing plan. Some teams use editorial calendar for the strategy and content calendar for the daily schedule. In LUME Hub, the screen is called Editorial calendar.
How is an editorial calendar different from an editorial line?
The editorial line defines what the brand talks about and in what tone. The editorial calendar turns that line into posts with a date, network and format.
Do I need a spreadsheet template?
No. In LUME Hub, each post is created on the Editorial calendar with date, platform, format, pillar, script, caption and production stage.
How many posts should my calendar have?
As many as you can produce consistently. A smaller pace you keep up beats a packed month that stops in week two.
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