How to Create Editorial Content That People Actually Want to Read

A practical guide to building a simple yet effective content plan

Every week, I get asked a variation of the same question: “How do you come up with so much content?"

Whether it was leading editorial teams at Popbela or Tatler Indonesia, or launching large-scale campaigns during the pandemic people often assume great content comes from creativity alone.

It doesn't.

The best editorial content isn't born from inspiration. It's built from intention. After more than a decade in digital publishing, I've learned that successful content plans are rarely the most complicated ones. They're the ones that understand three things:

Who are we talking to?

Why should they care?

What should they do next?

Everything else is execution.

The Biggest Mistake Content Creators Make

Most people start with:"What should we post today?"

Editorial teams should start with:"What problem are we solving for our audience this month?"

The difference seems small, but it changes everything. Today's audiences are overwhelmed with content. More than ever, attention has become the most valuable currency in media.

Research shows that audiences increasingly prioritize content that is relevant, authentic, and useful over sheer volume. In fact, 72% of marketers report that content marketing directly increases engagement and leads. This means your audience doesn't need more content.

They need better reasons to care.

My Three-Layer Editorial Framework

Whenever I build an editorial calendar, I work from three layers:

Layer 1: Audience

Before writing a single headline, define:

• Who is this for?

• What keeps them awake at night?

• What do they aspire to become?

• What conversations are they already having?

At Popbela, for example, we don't simply write about lifestyle. We write about ambition. We write about women empowerment. We write about powerful figures. Lifestyle is merely the context, the audience is the story.

If you cannot clearly describe your audience in one sentence, your content plan is not ready.

Layer 2: Editorial Pillars

I recommend limiting yourself to three to five pillars. Not ten. Not twenty.

Three to five.

Every piece of content should belong somewhere. When content doesn't fit a pillar, it usually doesn't fit the strategy.

Layer 3: Content Mix

One of the biggest reasons content plans fail is because they focus entirely on promotion. Nobody wakes up wanting to consume advertisements. A healthy content mix looks more like:

40% Educate

30% Inspire

20% Entertain

10% Sell

Yes, sell.

But only after you've earned attention.

One reason content marketing remains effective is because it generates three times more leads than traditional outbound marketing while costing significantly less.

The key is trust before transaction.

The Editorial Calendar I Use

Many people expect sophisticated software.

The truth: A simple spreadsheet works just as fine.

Every content calendar should answer:

Date	Topic	Audience	Format	Goal
June 5	Leadership Interview	Founders	Article	Awareness
June 7	Travel Reel	Travelers	Video	Engagement
June 10	Industry Insight	Professionals	Carousel	Saves & Shares

That's it!

According to industry research, 61% of in-house teams build content calendars at least one month in advance, while top-performing teams consistently align content planning with larger business objectives.

Planning is not bureaucracy. Planning creates creativity.

The Secret Most Content Teams Ignore

Distribution.

One of the biggest shifts in modern content marketing is that creating content is no longer the hardest part. Everyone can create content. Few know how to distribute it.

Today, successful teams spend nearly as much time distributing content as creating it. Community discussions among marketers consistently point to distribution as the factor separating high-performing content from invisible content.

Whenever we publish a major story, we don't stop at one article.

We ask:

• Can this become a Reel?

• Can this become a carousel?

• Can this become a quote card?

• Can this become an event?

• Can this become a newsletter feature?

One idea. Five formats. Ten times the impact.

What Makes Content Memorable

People rarely remember information. They remember stories.

When I interview CEOs, celebrities, founders, or cultural leaders, I don't ask:"What happened?"

I ask:"How did it feel?"

Facts inform. Stories transform.

Research on audience retention consistently shows that emotional tone, narrative structure, and storytelling significantly influence audience engagement and recall.

The most successful content combines information with emotion. Not one or the other. Both!

My Content Planning Formula

If you're starting from scratch, try this:

Step 1

Choose one audience.

Step 2

Choose three content pillars.

Step 3

Create:

• One long-form article

• Two social carousels

• Two short-form videos

• One newsletter

Every week.

Step 4

Review performance monthly. Not daily. Data should guide decisions, not dictate creativity.

The Future Belongs to Editors/Curators

AI can generate content, algorithms can distribute content, bBut neither can replace editorial judgment. The role of an editor today is no longer simply deciding what gets published. It is deciding what deserves attention.

In a world where everyone can create content, curation becomes power. Strategy becomes differentiation. And storytelling becomes your greatest competitive advantage.

The best content plans are not the ones with the most posts. They are the ones with the clearest purpose. Because at the end of the day, content is not about publishing. It's about creating something worth reading.