Blogging is one of my favorite things to do. I especially love guest blogging since it gives me the opportunity to play at someone else’s house and make new friends. As of today, I’ve written 4,117 blog posts. My goal is 5,000. In 2015, I will add 400 new posts to the blogosphere, which is a lighter schedule than I’ve had in previous years.
If you like to keep up the pace with your blogging too, you’ve probably developed a system for staying on track. Today I thought I might share my technique for creating and keeping a consistent blogging schedule. It’s not high-tech, but it works for me.
Before you create your blogging schedule, consider this.
One of the secrets to successful blogging is consistency. Blogging is like exercise – the hardest part is starting. Once you’ve gotten some momentum, it’s not hard to keep it up. If you stop blogging, it’s hard to get going again, just like with exercise. For this reason, I recommend making consistency a priority.
If you are committed to maintaining an aggressive blogging schedule, it’s also important to set a time limit for each post. You can learn more about this online from sites like Lisa Sicard and Ryan Biddulph. She is a proficient blogger and freelance copywriter who has mastered this skill.
Get a planner that inspires you (online or analog, whichever works).
Don’t skip this step. Documenting these things only in your brain will not yield the best results.
I like to keep track of my blogging schedule in my Star Wars Moleskin planner. I carry it with me everywhere, and it keeps me inspired. I like the act of using a pen to check off each daily blogging goal. I prefer this over any online/app/digital system I’ve tried.
This is what my blogging planner looks like:
Work the Numbers.
How many posts would you like to publish in 2015? 25? 100? 400? Whatever the number is, divide it by 12 to see how many posts you would have to write each month to reach that goal. Is that number reasonable? Does it inspire you? Does it push you, but not break you? Are you excited to start working towards that goal? Most importantly…
Can you blog that much without sacrificing the quality of each post?
I recommend sitting down with paper, a pen, and a calculator. Start playing with the numbers. Work them into a weekly/monthly goal that you can feel good about. Now it’s time to start actually scheduling.
Create your weekly blogging schedule one night each week.
Now that you know how many posts you plan to write each week, you have a place to start. Write that number down. Maybe it’s 1 per week, maybe it’s 3 per week, maybe it’s more.
Choose one day a week (for me it’s Sunday) and plan the following week’s blogging schedule. Be sure to account for the number of posts you’re planning to write each week.
I write 8 posts per week (this is my 7th one). In my planner, I have documented which days I’m going to write. I schedule time for it just like any other activity, and I limit the amount of time I spend on each post.
I only recommend scheduling for a week at a time is because you probably won’t know the specifics of that week until the week before. For example, on one week, you might be able to write three posts on Tuesday night, but on the following week, you might have dinner plans on Tuesday night.
By making your specific schedule for the following week on Sunday (or whatever day), you will be able to fit your blogging into your existing schedule with more flexibility and ease. This is key for keeping your schedule intact and reaching your blogging goals.
If you have an extra busy week when you can’t schedule any blogging, you’ll know you have to double up the following week in order to make your goal. Or, maybe you work a few extra posts into your plan (which is what I do). That way, if something unexpected comes up, you can still meet your goal.
Add in a few advanced strategies.
Once you get good at this, you might even start adding a few advanced strategies into the mix. A few of these include blogging in batches, scheduling posts, and creating a handy list of your main SEO keywords.
Another advanced strategy is to train your brain to spot blogging topics all day as you go about your daily routine. Write down those ideas immediately. Have you ever noticed that some people never run out of interesting things to blog about? It’s because they’ve mastered this technique. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll never run out of post ideas.
I would like to point out that this is nothing more than the system I use. You have to find what works best for you. I’m only sharing my system so you have another point of view and another example of how to create and keep a blogging schedule.
What’s the method to your madness?
You might have a method to the madness that works better for you. It’s all about creating blog writing accountability (accountability to yourself). I hope you’ll share your tips about this in the comment section below. I’m always looking for ways to tweak my system to make it more efficient, effective, and inspiring. Thank you for reading my post and happy blogging!
Diana Adams is the founder and CEO of Adams Consulting Group, Inc. in Atlanta. Established in 2001, her company is now an esteemed member of the Apple Consultants Network and is rated one of the top independent Apple consulting firms in the southeast.
She’s written 4,000+ blog posts about technology, social media and geeky innovations. She loves new technology, Java Chips with extra drizzle, and any form of creativity. She’s also one of the biggest Star Wars fans in the world and is a frequent user of the force.
Diana graduated from USC, and she spends most of her time on the east coast. She is a social media addict, and you can find her on Twitter (@adamsconsulting), Instagram, G+ or Facebook almost anytime of the day or night. Send her a tweet and say hello!
Diana Adams is the founder and CEO of Adams Consulting Group, Inc. in Atlanta. Established in 2001, her company is now an esteemed member of the Apple Consultants Network and is rated one of the top independent Apple consulting firms in the southeast.
She’s written 4,000+ blog posts about technology, social media and geeky innovations. She loves new technology, Java Chips with extra drizzle, and any form of creativity. She’s also one of the biggest Star Wars fans in the world and is a frequent user of the force.
Diana graduated from USC, and she spends most of her time on the east coast. She is a social media addict, and you can find her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook almost anytime of the day or night. Send her a tweet and say hello!
24 Replies to “How to Create and Keep a Consistent Blogging Schedule”
Anne
Nice one ! Good idea… thanks!
Danita
This is very informative blog.
Danita
wow nice blog.
Petrus
Hi Diana,
Planning, is what I do well. but how can I measure if I write well, write so that people will continue to read it again and again and, you know what I mean? Thanks for an insightful article. Petrus Keller
Anthony
These are really helpful tips! Thanks Diana
YZABEL
Hi Diana. I really appreciate this refreshing advise. I am new to blogging, only doing the second posts on my 2 sites this week. Let me tell you, i have neen running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to understand what it means to be a successful blogger and it rocks my world when I come across real advice like you have published here. This article has helped me out so much. Thank you so much.
Carl Potts
I’m glad to see someone else addressing the quality vs frequency debate far too many bloggers ignore it
DP
I do struggle with my blogging activities on a daily basis. I really needed a post like this to make my brain clear on what I could do to organise myself better for organising my blogging activities. Thanks a ton for this brilliant article.
Karina
Scheduling has been my biggest challenge for blogging so far, so I can really use the tips..Thanks for sharing!
~Karina
Bonnie David
Hi Diana. I enjoyed reading your blog post, filled with valuable tips. I have not started my blogging journey yet. I am working on branding my site. Blogging for my ideal audience is a top goal. I will experiment with your system and see how it goes.
Corina
Great tips Diana. Thank you for sharing your routine with us. I will use your technique and schedule time for blogging on Sundays. Sunday is a working day for me anyway, so why not incorporate a blogging plan for the following week.
BTW, I would love to know where else do you write, so I can “read” you.
Thanks again and it´s great to have connected with you.
Cheers from,
Spain
Amy Adair
Great tips in this post! I love it. It helps me to be reminded to keep a running list of ideas. I have just started blog #2 and I am a bit nervous about it. I’m going to try your guest blogging idea. Do you ask experts in your field or stick with other bloggers? I work with university students preparing to be teachers and am hoping to use blog #2 to encourage them and connect them with other teaching interns as they finish their last semester.
Diana Adams
Hi Amy,
Thank you for stopping by! 🙂 I’m so happy you liked my post.
About guest bloggers, in my experience, it’s hard to find guest bloggers that will submit consistent content (since it’s not their blog – and since most of the time they aren’t paid).
With that being said, if you can recruit some that are in your field by showing them the benefits, that’s great.
However, you may not have a choice when it comes to that. If you get a handful of talented writers (whether they are in your field or not), treasure them. 🙂
Diana
Mummy Fever
Great post – I have just come across a new service called SocialPostie I am hoping that will help with my scheduling needs. It is socialpostie.co.uk if anyone is interested.
Bojan Cult Of Traffic
Blogging tips from a blogger with non-SEO optimized URL’s.
Diana Adams
Hello there! Thank you for checking out my post. This is not my blog. I’m a guest writer here. And, if you want to get nit picky, you misused your apostrophe. It should be URLs, not URL’s. It doesn’t matter to me of course. I’m just pointing this out to remind you that NOBODY is PERFECT. 🙂 Best wishes.
Jacquin - Interiors by Jacquin
These are really helpful tips! Thanks Diana! http://www.InteriorsbyJacquin.blogspot.com
Diana Adams
You’re welcome, Jacquin! 🙂
Diana Adams
Thank you very much, Zrna! I appreciate your comment and wish you the best of luck with your blogging! 🙂
Zrna Kojcic
Awesome article about blogging. I’m a blogger, and I know how hard is to accomplish your goals without a consistency.
Anyway, thanks for the tips and good luck with reaching your goal of 5000 posts 🙂
Josephine Hardy
Hi Diana, thank you for sharing your advice about creating a blogging schedule that you can keep. I find planning the blog posts that I write to be the most difficult part of the entire process.
I definitely don’t want to sacrifice quality for quantity but the pressure to get something out consistently can be hard. I think setting realistic goals that can be increased with experience is key.
Loved reading your ideas about only scheduling a week in advance. That sounds like it might take the pressure off a bit. Thanks again!
Diana Adams
Hi Josephine, thank you for reading my post! 🙂
Yes, planning when to write can be hard. I try to think of it as a firm appointment with myself. I think this is where the love of writing is critical. If you love to write, then you look forward to doing it. If not, it can be stressful.
You’re right – setting realistic goals that can be increased with experience is spot on. Blogging frequently is like jogging frequently. In other words, it doesn’t usually happen like that overnight. It takes time to build up the endurance.
One thing you might want to consider in order to take some of the pressure off yourself is invite some guest writers to post on your blog. That way, you’re still updating your content even if you haven’t had time to plan it yourself. 🙂
It’s great to see you here, and best wishes to you!
Diana Adams
Hi Irish, thank you for stopping by and reading my post! 🙂
I am a list maker and a planner girl too. I have lists to remind me which lists to make. hahahaha
I think it’s a good idea to switch things up a bit every so often. I’ll be interested to hear how your new plan goes. Good luck! You rock tooooooo!
Irish Carter
Awesome article on getting a schedule put together and sticking to it. I am a list maker and planner girl. If I stop using it, I crumble with a schedule. I am changing it up a bit this year and have decided to only write one post a week for each of my two websites. It’s a test for me so that I have time to complete other projects and allow others to contribute more on the websites. We will see how this goes. Like I said, its a test. = )
Thanks for inspiring. Oh and 4,000+ blog posts you have wrote. Girl, you ROCK!
Irish
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