Let’s talk blog planning, shall we? It’s taken me some time to come up with a system that really works for me and let me tell you, it is so much easier to have a plan! I used to do a fly by the seat of my pants approach, just writing and posting what came to mind. This worked for a bit, but I am a planner by nature. I love having lists and schedules and knowing what is coming up next. Not to mention the fun of crossing stuff off the list when it is done. Brings a little flutter to this obsessive girls’ heart, you know?
Here is my 5 step plan to creating a plan (confused much?) when it comes to blogging:
Step 1: Write it down! I have a regular, college ruled notebook I bought from Target (it’s ugly, too…should have bought a pretty one!) that I write out my ideas and schedule. On each page I have a to do list on the top half, then write the days and dates down the bottom part. I generally have about a month of this template written out, with the dates and such, on separate pages. I have pipe dreams of having a cool bulletin board in my new house with fun cards for each post lined up. We’ll see. I like my little cheap-o notebook because it is portable and I can keep it handy for ideas and such.
Step 2: Have a plan! I have a basic outline I post to each week. Monday is typically a weekend update type of post, Tuesday and Wednesday are style/lifestyle related, Thursday is a tutorial day and Friday is my shopping post day. If something comes up, say a guest post or giveaway, I fit it into the Tuesday or Wednesday spot. I like having an editorial schedule and tend to post things depending on the season or special things/events that are going on in my life.
Step 3: Idea Time! I don’t know about you, but I find inspiration for posts everywhere. Magazine articles and pictures, Pinterest, hot topics, recommendations, questions from readers and anything that is on my mind. When I come up with an idea I write it down in my notebook. I have a couple pages reserved for little notes I make and some of them are just looks I see and want to try and some are post ideas. I brainstorm a lot and try to think about what I would like to read on blogs and what I can put out there that can be useful to others.
Step 4: Writing posts. Using the ideas I write down in my notebook, I fill in the weekly template with ideas that I want to write about. There are often a lot of scratch outs and revisions, but I typically have 1-3 weeks of blog posts/ideas pre planned. I post Sunday-Thursday at 9pm and will generally write the actual posts 1-2 days ahead. My kids are both in pre-school Tuesday and Thursday mornings, so I get to write more on those days and will generally write 2 posts then. Other than that, I write after the kids have gone to bed or during nap times. Each post takes me 1-2 hours to write, depending on the content and whether or not I have to create a video tutorial.
Step 5: Picture time! I take my photographs by myself, using a tripod and a camera with a continuous shot feature and a timer. I take 7 shots at a time and I usually take about 70 to get the 4 you see on my blog each day. I would say it takes me 5 minutes or less to do it, so it isn’t as bad as you think. I take my photos in my backyard, in front of my shed as that is the easiest and most convenient and one of the only spots I can autofocus shots by myself.
If I’m wearing an outfit I like, I do a photo shoot. I tend to take photos more Thursday through Sunday as I am dressed up more then, as opposed to the weekdays when I am in workout clothes in the mornings and I am busier with the kids. Every outfit you see is a true representation of me. I don’t wear outfits just for a blog post. I mostly wear yoga pants and comfy clothes at home, but I am not the type to wear really casual clothes out (my best friend laughs at me for this!) and tend to dress up more than down when leaving the house. I also re-wear things a lot on the days I don’t take photos.
If I’m wearing an outfit I like, I do a photo shoot. I tend to take photos more Thursday through Sunday as I am dressed up more then, as opposed to the weekdays when I am in workout clothes in the mornings and I am busier with the kids. Every outfit you see is a true representation of me. I don’t wear outfits just for a blog post. I mostly wear yoga pants and comfy clothes at home, but I am not the type to wear really casual clothes out (my best friend laughs at me for this!) and tend to dress up more than down when leaving the house. I also re-wear things a lot on the days I don’t take photos.
The end! I’ve been using this system for awhile now and it makes my life so much easier. I love having a plan and being able to be more creative and create better content by having a set schedule. Of course I do veer off course sometimes if something really cool comes up and moving this June could make posts pretty interesting up in here. I’m thinking of doing another 30 for 30, since all my belongings will be in a moving van anyway. Thoughts?
