As a long time blogger, I’ve found that blogging 4 to 5 times a week helps you develop a consistent web presence which facilitates improved traffic and a more loyal following. If you add to that a Facebook Fan Page and a Twitter account, you can drive targeted traffic to your blog on a daily basis.
These are the key pieces to develop a powerful social media platform. Unfortunately, all of this takes time and organization. For me, the standard blog post takes about 45 minutes, while an advanced post with downloads or lots of links can take 2 to 3 hours. Add to this a daily Facebook post and a half dozen tweets, and the time really adds up. And now we have a new kid on the block with Google Plus, that will add an additional time requirement.
So how can we organize all these pieces into a meaningful work flow that is both enjoyable and allows us creative freedom? It sounds easy on paper, but the realties of life can quickly get in the way. I have really struggled with this over the years and have been trying some different strategies to come up with a workable solution. So far, the best strategy has been to plan my blogging week out in advance. I’ve developed a simple outline sheet that shows the seven days of the week, with a place for blog ideas and a place for keywords.
It really helps to have an overarching theme that will tie everything together, so I’ve included a box at the top for a category name. Using this sheet allows me to see the week in one place and move things around as necessary. Once I set the theme I can tie in special posts like a book giveaway, a download post, or a guest blogger. I have space at the bottom for additional resources, where I can list items that I need to facilitate or people that I need to contact. Using this simple sheet will allow me to plan my weeks in advance by taking the theme and asking a few questions and filling in the blanks..
- Weekly Theme: ____________
- Possible Guest Blogger:
- Books on the Subject:
- Downloads or Resources:
- Bloggers and Writers in this Genre:
- Helpful Posts:
- Keywords:
My idea with this project is to get to the point where I am working a week or two in advance, to be able to reduce stress and make a much more consistent and rewarding experience for my readers. To get there will mean a weekend or two of preparation. I look at this like a teacher would in preparing lesson plans for her class. I would certainly like to hear what has worked for you, in your blogging, writing, or social media.
Download: Blog Weekly Worksheet
Question: Do you have a social media platform? If so, how do you put all the pieces together?
