A big and belated thank you to all of you who filled out the reader survey a few months ago (all 5000+ of you!).
Although I haven’t yet done a run down for you, I read and analysed every single response and comment and found it was so incredibly useful. One thing a few of you were asking was about blogging tips – how to get started, how to be better at it and how to gain more traction. With that in mind, I thought I would share with you few posts on what I’ve learnt about blogging over time, a few tricks of the trade as such! Feel free to add any questions/queries you want me to cover in these posts in the comments section!
First up, my thoughts about how to plan your blog content. Or at least, how I do mine. Consistently creating interesting and useful content is key to gaining loyal readers, and since I got serious about planning my schedule life has been much much easier. I generally aim for between 4 and 5 posts per week, but generally speaking, more content equals more readers. More = more. Because of this, a schedule for your blog posts is pretty much the bible – determining what needs to be done in advance and when posts need to go up. And although there will be times when you slip up in your schedule – sometimes I’ll swap out a post for a last minute brainwave I’ve had – and as such your calendar/schedule need not be set in stone, planning in advance will make your life so much easier, and hopefully your content way better too!
How To Plan Your Blog Content
A Few Months Before
For most blogs, whether they’re fashion or lifestyle, seasonal content is key, so that what you’re blogging about reflects what’s happening in your readers lives. For that reason, it’s great to work a few months ahead on an inspiration gathering level, so that certain events don’t sneak up on you. Preparation is key! A great way to approach it is to have quarterly brainstorm where you look at what events/seasonal highlights are coming up and what ideas you can work in. From these ideas you can create a rough list of the posts that you need to focus on. From this list, you could also look at possible collaborations with other bloggers and brands, and start putting proposals together and approaching your contacts (more on that another time).
One / Two Months Before
Because a lot of the posts you see here are DIY, we often start early on the projects that need sourcing and making. Depending on the subject matter you cover on your blog, you’ll probably need to start shooting, researching or buying/pulling clothes in the few months before the posts. From a collaborations perspective, brands also usually work in advance, so the one to two month mark is a key time to finalise brand partnerships and proposals.
One Month Before
Once all the projects are made or clothes are ready, it’s time to schedule a shoot for the images, whether it be for an outfit or a flatly or a DIY tutorial. I schedule in at least one day of shooting per week, in the studio and outside shooting outfits or lifestyle content and at these shoots we’ll usually be working way in advance, except for last minute collaborations. A little trick that most bloggers use? Shoot as much content as you can at one time – often I’ll shoot 6 outfits (whether they be for a wardrobe post or a DIYed outfit) in a morning. That takes preparation in advance with outfits and DIYs all organised, but it’s well worth it and allows you to start building up a bank of content.
Two Weeks Before
Two or three weeks out you should know more about what exactly you’ll be posting, and it’s at this point that you should finalise the detailed calendar for the next two or three weeks, first putting in any collaboration posts, then adding other content on each day, making sure to cover a range of varying topics every week so that people of different interests can find something to read. Consistency is key but diversity is just as important! Once we’ve nailed down the calendar we’ll start making sure all the content is ready, editing or taking any photos that haven’t been done, uploading all the content and making sure nothing is missing.
The Weekend Before
When I was working as a Town Planner I got into the habit of taking Sunday afternoon to write the copy and schedule all my content for the week. Although now I have more time to work on posts during weekdays, I still go through the process on a Sunday of writing copy and fully readying the content to go up. There’s nothing better than knowing, at 7pm on a Sunday night, that every piece of content for the week is ready. Critically, this frees me up to do other things during the week like write proposals, do projects or shoot new content. If cutting into your weekend sounds daunting, just schedule some alone time on a Monday or even a Friday to upload all your content in advance.
On the day of
I usually post my blog posts in the evening before I leave work, knowing that for a majority of my readers in the US they’re just arriving at work (or maybe, if they’re lucky, lying in bed). Generally there shouldn’t be too much to do other than line up the social promotions and press publish!
So guys, do you have any other tips for how you schedule your blog content? I’d love to hear!
I needed this!! Very insightful ❤
munchies&musings
Thanks for the tips, I’ll use it whenever I can. Especially to blog in the morning part, it’s always the hard work to blog in the morning! Other than that, good luck on everything x
Great post. I will use these tips once I get back to blogging. 🙂
This was very helpful, I plan but somehow this really lays it out. Thanks for sharing
Lovely post!!=)
Thank you for such an organized and inspiring piece!
The part that I struggle the most at this point of my blogging life is organization, and I as invest so much time in shooting and other aspects of creative process, when I start to schedule (especially, social media) I tend to loose myself in it, and my creative spirit as well. Definitely going to take that Sunday advice!
Best wishes, Oly | TLV Birdie Blog
http://tlvbirdie.com
Great tips
Straight to the point & so well organise
Thank you 🙂
great post 🙂 very useful x
This post is very useful! I opened a blog some weeks ago and for me it’s still diffucult write posts everyday and organize them.
Thank you 🙂
Giulia
http://www.leggitea.it
http://www.leggiteablog.wordpress.com
Thank you so much for your tips! I feel as though I have been caught in a blogging rut recently so this post comes at a great time.
Avanti
xxx
Avantigarde.wordpress.com
Thank you so much for the tips! I’ve been really struggling with planning my blog content, so it’s nice to get some tips!
xx, Diane || http://www.modernisticphoenix.blogspot.com
So helpful! I’ve been struggling with having loads of half finished draft posts and never quite finding the time to plan them all properly in advance! I am new to blogging and underestimated the level of commitment you’d need. I’m loving the whole process, but I need to find the rhythm that suits me and get into a routine. Alice xx
http://www.woodenwindowsills.co.uk
This was such a helpful and informative post! Thank you for the tips x
This is exactly what I needed to read today! It can be really hard juggling a full-time job, a social life and blogging but the results are so rewarding if you organise your time :). Thanks! x x
Thank you so much for sharing these tips! I’ve never planned months before but maybe I should in the future.. With my new blog I am trying to plan things in advance for the first time. It doesn’t only help me stay more consistent but its also easier to make sure the posts are a little more equally spread out over the categories (so not 4/5 posts about coffee in one week haha).
Liefs,
Yara
Really thoughtful post, thanks for sharing!
http://www.pantryandthejar.com
These are amazing tips! x http://www.justsavxnnah.com
This post helped me a lot! Thanks! 🙂
Pinning this! It’s so wonderful to have a glimpse into the process of such an amazing blogger – I use a fabulous editorial plugin on wordpress for my posts, it’s a life saver!
Warm Regards,
Alexandra
http://www.littlewildheart.com
I do absolutely no planning for my blog entries. It totally depends on what my news feeds give me on a daily basis and what comments need to be made on top of the posted research. I can do from 1-25 posts a day. And since I’m up to 1.3 million views on 7500 posts I think my readers like what I’m doing..
Hi! I’m a newbie so giving advise on this feels a bit awkward but it might help someone so here it goes. One thing that’s helped me a lot, withouth even knowing, is to have my first, let’s say 15 posts ready before even starting the blog. All the things scheduled and shot. Because once I started blogging I spent a lot of time on social media, research, seo, etc. etc. Thank God I had that prepared or I would have panicked. As you say planning is really important even when you start. Thanks for the tips 🙂
Wow what a well-written and detailed post! Probably the best I’ve seen on creating blog editorial calendars! I didn’t realize how early you start working and planning every post! I have started scheduling all of my post creation on Fridays for the week and it is really such a great idea to knock out the week in one day! The only problem is that, for me, juggling blogging with my university classes and other obligations is starting to get a bit tricky and I usually do not have enough time on any given date to write posts for the entire week so I usually end up writing them the night before…at like 2am ahahah. This is definitely something I’m still working on so thank you for this post! xx
<(') Hoda | JooJoo Azad, a fashion + social action blog
Thank you so much for this. We are just starting out and are learning that there is a lot of discipline required in creating content for our blog that we hadn’t anticipated before. From your post I see we should be starting MUCH earlier than we have been for certain events! Will definitely pin this!
Love your blog and your ideas. Very creative! Abut the blog topic, I am VERY intrigued about HOW people make the time to blog. It seems like there are hundreds of moms with kids blogging today. Their blogs look very professional and apparently they are not journalists or photographers. I am a professional freelance journalist and I cannot find time to do it!! Have been trying for a long time but I am always working. I don’t understand how a mom with 5 kids can do a super pro blog, for example. When? How? And the other thing is the costs. How much does a blog maintenance costs? Is it worth the investment? I have many blogs that I like, but don’t have time to read almost any of them. I’m really intrigued how this can be done. Thanks!
I REALLY need to follow this and get some structure going for my blog. I tend to put together things the week before or at the last minute when inspiration hits, but I’d like to put more preparation and planning into what I post. Great tips!
this is so true!! planification is the key 🙂
https://aspoonfulofnature.wordpress.com/
Great tips! I’m always looking for ways to come up with more content for my blog. Lately I’ve been stuck on the direction I want to take my blog, so I’m trying to think more long term. Any tips of coming up with ideas for content would be great!!
This was wonderful! Thanks so much for this. I feel sometimes I’m always struggling to keep up with content. I have a weekly post I do every wednesday, and this week? Nothing ready. Everything else has just gotten so in the way! :0
Reading all these posts about blogging tips is being so useful, especially considering I want to get mine up and running again real soon! Thank you for a post like this xx
This is so great! I am still in the – desperately try to create content in the crevasses of my life- part, but I am looking forward to getting a little more organized with the help of this timeline.
Kat
http://www.itgirlnextdoor.com
wow I’ve never actually realized how much planning it is! your blog is amazing by the way!
Happy Weekend
Great tips! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Best wishes!
http://www.julitastefashion.com/
This helped so much! I am horrible at scheduling posts in advance!
doitfortheirony.com / creative lifestyle blog.
Wow,love the ideas! I think it is a really substantial post, thanks!
http://unasrandomfashion.com
x
thanks for sharing
Great tips, Geneva :)) I should take the planning on my blog more serious, but it is so hard when a lot of things are going on. Have a lovely sunday, xo Sophia
Definitely great tips! I like the advice of starting a few months before and looking at things that are coming up for the season. I will take this on board for sure x Jess
It’s That Time For … My Weekend Casual Outfit!
Great to see a rundown like this of how you work! Totes agree about blogging what you love though. It’s SO important!
Lorna | http://www.studsanddreams.com xx
I really like this thorough post! I’m lucky if I can get everything scheduled on a Sunday. Lol! Typically I am working on photos and content the day before… and it is very annoying! I’ve started using an editorial calendar to help schedule content and eliminate the last minute “what am I going to write about?” issue. I’ve also started purchasing and gathering all DIY supplies and content supplies several weeks in advance.
Thank you for the inspiration!
This is super helpful – thanks for sharing! Looking forward to future posts on blog tips 🙂
Christina | http://www.cuddlepill.com
Cool
http://thepocketstyle.blogspot.com/
I’m definitely not that organised! Need to improve a lot t planning my posts. Thanks for this post, at least it made me think of how it should look like. kisses, Lucy
http://www.lucyvandean.com/
I’m curious, at what times during the day do you usually post your articles, and what times do you think receive the most traffic?
xoxo
Kristi
These are great tips. This is much further in advance than I’ve been planning, but I’ve been saving ideas for next season. I hope to get into a great routine like this. Thanks!
Thanks so much for sharing this. I never thought of planning ahead when it comes to blog post, now I got so many ideas flowing in.
Short and sweet, straight to ther point, thanks for sharing your tips. xo
https://shenandthecity.wordpress.com/
Yes, now that I’ve organized my posts, it’s allowed me to breathe. I’m usually two weeks ahead in my schedule. I don’t like to let it get down to less than a week. But, things happen. I’ve found that since I started posting more regularly, my readership has grown. Also, not painting myself into a corner allows me to go out into the “community” and interact with others because I don’t have to worry about my own posts because they’re ready to go.
Great post!
http://www.StyleSewMe.com
Thank you for the tips! These are so useful!
Really useful tips! Preparation and planning are so important and I struggle with that, especially having a full time job too! But I believe that the benefits and the joy you get from it are so worth it, when you are doing what you love.
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Ewelina
Pattern
Of Taste | Our
Youtube channel
This is super helpful for me especially, as a new blogger. Thanks for sharing! It can all be so overwhelming sometimes.
So true! Often overwhelmed!
Great Tips!
I will definitely be printing this out and following this type of schedule as I am now working on being much more consistent on my blog.
I’m curious as to wether you also have a schedule like this for your social media?
Cheers,
Luciana
Thanks for the great tips! I’ve been struggling to find the best way to organise everything and your post really helped. xx
katsandbombs.wordpress.com
Such a great post! I really love reading about other peoples schedules! I started myself one six months or so ago and its been a life saver! But I love getting your inspiration and themes together more months in advance! I can see how beneficial that would be! Great post and I love the blog!
Jess
therealjlow
I’m impressed. You made a very good post, very helpful. Thank youuu *** :))
This is helpful.. Need this!! Thanks for sharing.
Really helpful!! I usually have a board with the days of the month so I can see what it is that I have to do for the blog.. and every time that I hit publish, that post is cross out or happy face mark. That allows me to keep me motivated.
Xo Milé
http://milerubio.com/
https://www.facebook.com/MileRubioBlog?ref=tn_tnmn
Great content! This makes me realise how unorganised I’ve been and how it can be MUCH easier!
Thanks
Thank you for this great tips! Especially if someone starts blogging they are very useful.
5pcncpt.com
This flower is beautiful http://www.brudekjolerno.com
I have been blogging on and off for a while now. It started off as a space to document my little craft projects for myself. But, last year, I decided to share more projects with an intention to use it as a marketing platform for my future shop. It was so tough keeping it up and I really applaud you for being such a great planner (and being so discipline). I have such a long way to go! My organisation skills need a lot of brushing up, haha. Thank you for being so generous in sharing these tips!
Cheryl
http://www.ohmignon.com
Thanks a lot
http://thepocketstyle.blogspot.com/
I really appreciate stuff like this! I’m a brand new blogger, and although I had a brain full of ideas just begging to be put to paper (or typed I suppose) I had a hard time trying to organize my thoughts and figure out what it was that needed to get blogged or what didn’t. I have recently just re-established my purpose for writing my blog, which made my job of organizing a mess of ideas a lot easier. But I still lacked the professionalism of a legitimate well-developed blog. I still need improvement, but I always read stuff like this to help myself along. Thanks for the help and looking out for the baby bloggers like me! I look forward to doing this for someone like me in the future. Good luck with your blog!
This was so helpful! I have been blogging since 2009 but never realized how much work in advance I should be doing! Thanks so much for the insight:)
wonderful advice. Thanks Geneva!
So nice of you to honestly jot down your schedule. It clearly shows how blogging is so much hard work, and you are doing such an exceptional job with your content!
xx
http://www.fuss.co.in
Hi, thank you for the great advices, they could really help me with my blog
http://livelovevogue.com
Thank you so much for your tips! They have helped so much as I have just started my blog and was struggling with planning my content.
Great advice! Will definitely use this 🙂
I just started a blog (literally the first post went up today) and this was really helpful. Thanks!
These are great tips!! I started my blog in March 2015 and I haven’t been able to stay consistent. This helps a lot. Thank you!!!
I love that 🙂 And I think, even with the title you are saying (or writing) the complete truth. People should love what they do. And if they do love writing blogs, they should write about things they like.
Great tips but can we talk about that picture tho! I absolutely love your photography skills, there amazing. Keep it up!
Love, Brechtje from https://mystyleandstuff.wordpress.com
Great Post. Really helpful. I’m still working on planning my post calendar with enough time in advance, so this post has been such a good motivation to try it. Thanks
Love this guideline. Thank you for this. It’s so helpful. I feel like I’m always at a loss when it comes to timing and I get unmotivated when it’s not all planned out.
http://www.throughmyowneyes.com
Thank you for the great tips! I seriously in need of this 🙂 I’ve always know that I’m not consistent but also complaining why no one visit my blog. Like you mentioned, CONSISTENCY….
So, thank you.
Sincerely,
Michelle Francisca
[…] How To Plan Your Blog Content […]
What a great way to organize a blog 🙂 These tips are going to come in handy for me, thank you!
platosclosetpreferred.com
Love this guideline, it will be very useful for scheduling my posts on the blog since its something I struggle with.
http://www.life-lust.com
How do you make a pitch to a brand? What is the right format for a letter? Thank you