Blog organisation: how I plan my blog posts for the month ahead.
Blog organisation or actually planning ahead, is something I started last year. Is it a coincidence then, that this was also my most successful blogging year to date? I dont think so. I believe the two go together like bread and butter.
Blog organisation is only something I started last year…
This is my first ever blog post about blogging, why? Firstly because I am not a full time blogger (I have two other jobs that I earn money from) and secondly, because I have never considered myself to be in the least bit qualified to post information on blogging, that others may find interesting or useful.
However, whilst looking at my stats today and realising how my blog has grown in the last year I have come to the conclusion that I must be doing something right! Today then I will share some of my process.
Buy a blog planner or journal.
The simplest tip I could ever pass on. If you are a professional blogger I am sure you do this already? The trick is to find a planner/journal that fulfills all your requirements. It took me some time to find one I liked enough to use everyday. This is the one , my ‘EpicBlog’ planner. It can be easily found and purchased on Amazon. I am on my second one!
I like it because it is not just a monthly calendar, it has spaces for ideas, for plans, for goals and for keeping records of your progress month on month.
It also has a section at the front that will help you refocus for the year ahead. The only thing it does not have is a section for keeping track of social media stats. I use a plain page at the back for this.
How I use it:
I always use a pencil! as so many of my plans are altered or changed.
So after filling in my plan and goals for the month. I brainstorm blog post ideas I want to explore for that month. There is a specific page for this. I prioritise any brand collaborations, and spread them throughout the month.
I then turn to the actual calendar month page (this is printed without dates, so handy you can start as you wish) and sprinkle my ideas for posts over the month. I try to be careful by not over ‘posting’ myself I like to keep it all achievable. I aim for 2 posts a week minimum. Otherwise I become frustrated when real life interferes with blog life and I am unable to fulfil my plans. Which of course with a family and a job happens all the time.
Vary the Categories:
These days lazy Daisy Jones has evolved into what I call a ‘creative lifestyle’ blog even though it started out as a crochet blog! This has been a natural progress over almost 5 years, the more I wrote about our home, my ideas and designs, the more I enjoyed sharing and you seemed to like it too? according to my page views.
So today I have more categories to consider and plan for: interiors, fashion, occasional beauty, diy ideas and of course crochet and design.
I give them colour codes (I think I got this idea from ‘Forever Amber’) I then put the colour for that category on each week, spreading them throughout the month and match them up with my blog post ideas.
On being consistent..
I find being consistent the hardest thing ever. Even though I now plan posts, I simply cannot get them out on the same day every week. I do try, but my life doesn’t work like that, does yours? real life interferes..
Be flexible and review often.
Every Sunday night I take my little blog planner up to bed and review the week ahead, I write down any further ideas and change a few things around. I have also realised habit helps me to get a good night’s sleep, and I stop worrying about forgetting something.
In conclusion…
Blog organisation and planning ahead, help me juggle, my life with a family and a job, I know what I am aiming for, and all the ideas are there on the page. I just have to make them work! Of course sometimes I will still fly by the seat of my pants especially if I have an idea that I cannot wait to share with you.
I hope some of this may help you plan a few posts? But then am sure you are probably super efficient and effortlessly consistent and do all of this already, am I right?
bestest weekend wishes to you and yours