I’ve had a lot of friends tell me that they want to start a blog, but they just don’t have the time to do it. What, you think bloggers sit behind their computers 24/7? Most bloggers have jobs, school, social lives, sometimes even children (gasp!) You can post on a regular basis without slacking on any of your obligations or your social life. It’s all about working smarter, not harder as IFB would say.
Here are my tips and tricks for maintaining a regular posting schedule:
1. Create an editorial calendar
At the beginning of each month, I sit down and brainstorm ideas for posts. Some post ideas will come naturally and are seasonally specific, like holiday posts and wishlists (ex. a post about gloves in December, a post about sandals in the summer). Think about how many posts you want to write a week as well. When I first began blogging, I aimed for 1-2 posts a week, now that I’m in a regular blogging groove, I aim for 3-4 posts a week. I don’t always stick to my calendar 100%, I either get busy or I’ll have some last-minute inspiration, but it’s a great way to stay organized!
2. Check your analytics
Post on high-traffic days! I have a Google Analytics code installed on my blog (which is different than the default Blogger analytics and much more accurate and in depth), so I can determine what days I receive the most traffic. For me, Monday mornings at 9 AM is an ideal time to post. Saturday night at 3 AM? Not so much. Check out your analytics to see what day and time is the best for your readers to lure in as many of them as possible.
3. Pre-write and schedule blog posts in advance
Now that you’ve set your editorial calendar and your analytics, you’ve determined the ideal time for your post to go live. If you’re too busy to post at that exact ideal time, write your post ahead of time and schedule it to go live later! My mornings are pretty hectic, so I tend to write my posts at night and schedule them to come out in the morning. It also gives you a chance to sleep on your post and revisit it later if you want to make any changes. It’s always a good idea to have one spare post in your queue that isn’t time-sensitive, just in case you schedule gets too hectic to fit in a blog post.
4. Schedule out social media posts
Scheduled out your post? Great! You can also schedule out Facebook and Twitter posts in advance to promote your new content. Some of my highest traffic days are often days when I have to work 8+ hour shifts at work, so I’m not able to sit on my computer and actively promote new posts. I usually schedule out one Facebook post and three Twitter posts the day a post goes live (one in the morning, afternoon and evening.) I look at Facebook analytics to determine what time of day my fans are online the most, and I’ll schedule a post at peak hours. It takes all of five minutes! I usually use Hootsuite to schedule posts, but TweetDeck is a great option as well. You can learn how to schedule out Facebook posts here and Twitter posts here.
5. Set aside time to reply to emails and comments
Set aside 15 minutes a day to reply to any emails or comments that your readers might send you. Even if you’re busy, it should be a priority to keep your fans engaged!
6. Don’t sweat it
While it’s fabulous to be an organized blogger, remember that this is just a hobby! If you feel overwhelmed, it’s okay to take a break. Life happens! It took me a while to get into a regular blogging groove, so don’t get discouraged if you neglect your blog for a little bit. You’ll get the hang of things in no time.
Do you have any tips and tricks to stay organized while blogging? Share them below!
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