No successful content marketing strategy is complete without an editorial calendar. An editorial calendar locks down a plan to regularly crank out quality content and this consistency is the key to SEO-friendly, effective content marketing. You want Google and your readers to anticipate your content and an editorial calendar ensures you never let them down.

Ready to start building your own editorial calendar? Get rolling with these seven steps, and you’ll have a streamlined content marketing machine before you know it.

1. Assess Content Marketing to Date.

• Goals: What has been the goal of your content marketing strategy thus far? Do you want to maintain the same objectives moving forward? These are key questions which should guide the construction of your editorial calendar.

• Buying personas: Who are you selling to? Ensure the content schedule and the content itself is catered to this target audience, says Joe Pulizzi to Copyblogger.

• Old Content: Inventory already existing content. Evaluate which pieces are evergreen or could be potentially repurposed.

2. Map Content Strategically. Plan content around already existing marketing projects, your consumer’s buying cycle, and seasonal events. This will help SEO and serve conversion goals.

3. Brainstorm Regular Features. Columns, how-tos, or profiles are types of content which could be published regularly as a series, advises Heidi Cohen. Team up with your fellow content wizards and drum up some great ideas.

4. Nail Down Details. This is when you finalize the nuts-and-bolts of your content strategy: titles, publishing date, who is writing what, etc.

5. Incorporate Multiple Types of Content. Based on the goal and nature of each content piece, decide on an appropriate format. Be sure to go beyond traditional text and use video, infographics, and slideshows. And don’t just post content on your website. Email a regular newsletter packaging content for readers, advises Cohen.

6. Schedule Social Strategy. Decide ahead of time how you want to distribute and share content. The social media platforms you use and when you use them can make a difference. What should you post on Facebook? How often should you tweet? Apply a method to your social media madness now so your content marketing machine runs smoothly later.

7. Track Metrics. After publishing a post, regularly update the calendar with performance metrics like page views, social shares, comments etc., suggests Pulizzi. This indicates what type on content engages consumers which is essential to know moving forward.

Once you’ve got the editorial calendar down, you’ll be on the fast track to content marketing success.

If you want to take your content marketing to the next level, learn more about Channels on BostInno.