You’ve heard it all before, I’m sure. To be a great blogger, you have to be a consistent blogger. That means turning out great content on a regular basis so that your readers know what to expect from you. But one of the biggest complaints I hear from my blogging friends and clients is that they just don’t have enough time. Heck, even I fall into that trap from time to time, where there are just not enough hours in the day to get everything done.
So what’s a blogger to do when you know you have to get content created and posted on a regular basis?
Photo credit: CanStockPhoto
Create a schedule, of course!
I know, I know…. your creative self doesn’t like to be held to a strict schedule. You’d much rather write when the inspiration strikes and you’ve got something really profound to say. Unfortunately, when your business relies on you having a steady stream of traffic to your blog, you don’t have that luxury. That’s a lesson I had to learn the hard way too, so believe me when I say I understand your pain!
There are a few things you can do to ease the pain and create a blogging schedule that works for you.
Decide how many times a week you want to post.
Are you going to post once a week, twice a week, or even every day? Knowing how many times a week you intend to post gives you a good idea of how much time you’ll need to set aside for your blogging efforts.
Figure out how long it takes you to create a post.
It’s good to have an idea of how long it will actually take to create your content. Things to consider here are whether or not this will be an original piece that needs research, or is it something you can write off the top of your head. Are you a fast writer, or does it take you awhile to get your thoughts organized?
Don’t forget to include the time it takes to find and add images, actually add your post to your WordPress site and either publish or schedule it. If you are publishing immediately, you’ll want to make sure you leave enough time to promote as well.
Plan content in advance
Unless your blog relies on breaking news, it’s a good bet that you could plan out your content at least a week, and maybe even a month ahead of time.
Find the time that works best for you and block it off.
Everyone has periods of the day when they feel more productive, and more creative, than others. Knowing when those times are for you will make creating your blogging schedule much easier.
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned recently is that you absolutely must treat yourself as a client. That means when you block off time to create blog content for your own website, that nothing else gets in the way.
It’s easy to forget, especially when you’re providing services to other people, that your own business needs a little TLC too.
Don’t be afraid to make changes
One of the things I love about being a solopreneur is that I get to set my own schedule. That means that if something isn’t working, I can change it without having to get approval from other people.
After you’ve used your blogging schedule for a few weeks, take time to assess it and make changes if necessary. Does this schedule work for you? Are you giving yourself time to create quality content? If not, what changes can you make so that things flow more smoothly?
Finally…
How is your content working for you?
The last thing I want to leave you with is this… do you know how well your content is actually working for you? Are you meeting the goals you set for each piece of content? Is there reader engagement in the form of likes, shares, comments, and even sales? The best blogging schedule in the world won’t give you results if the content you’re creating is not what your audience wants.
The good news is that you can always change your content as well. (And that’s a post for another day!)
The thing to remember for right now is that setting up a blogging schedule and making it a part of your daily, weekly, or monthly routine will take the stress out of having to find time to write. Once you have your schedule in place, there’s nothing left to do but sit your butt in the chair at the appointed time and create amazing content!
