Y’all! I’m back to my “Blogging Tips For Beginners Series.” If y’all want to check out the other posts, you can click on the titles to find them: 10 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Blogging, 7 Tips for When Blogging Blues Hit, and 7 Things To NOT Do When Blogging. It’s been so much fun interacting with y’all and getting to meet some new bloggers. If you have any questions you’d like me to try and answer, just leave them in the comments below. And now, let’s get started!
There are bloggers and vloggers I know who post on certain days every. single. week. and I look forward to getting to relax during a break or at the end of the day, catching up on what they have to say. Having specific blogging days won’t only be helpful for your readers, but it will help you get into the blogging zone.
My goal is to post by 9:30 every morning. If I don’t make it, I don’t flip out, but generally, I do hit that target unless something comes up. This is helpful for a myriad of reasons, but the top few would be:
* It gives me a goal to shoot for instead of letting the blogging process drag on and on
* It gives my readers something to look forward to – for example, some of Noveltea’s readers enjoy keeping up with the blog posts during their lunch breaks, etc….
* Consistency makes a difference with the feel of your blog. Humans thrive on routine and having a blog post show up every time each posting day will eventually be part of the reader’s routine
My mornings generally consist of me waking up, thinking of ten things I’m thankful for, then having my devotions. After my devotions are over I either get ready for the day or sometimes (gasp) head to the computer in my pajamas. On mornings when I’m rushing around because I have an early shift at work, I sometimes even do my hair while I’m blogging.
Blogging is exceedingly important for me, and when I make sure to at least try to get it knocked out early most mornings, then I have a much better chance of it actually happening.
Mornings are my thing (especially after blogging regularly in the morning for over five years), but that doesn’t mean they need to be your thing. You could blog during your lunch break. Or before you go to bed each night. The timing isn’t the issue – the routine is. If you stick to a certain time of the day, or listen to certain music while blogging, or eat a certain snack while sitting at the computer, then pretty soon your brain will begin linking the events, and that will escalate your thinking process. So it’s a win, win.
Folks. Let’s be all nice and transparent: If you’ve hung around here long, you’ll know that in the past I haven’t been too good at answering comments in a timely manner. But! That’s something I’ve been working on a lot because it really does make a difference.
One of my issues is that for a while I forgot to factor comment replying into my every-day blogging schedule. It’s such an important part of being a blogger though, that now it has a prominent position.
I also sometimes come up with a couple of hours that I’ll give myself to visit other blogs during a week, then I make sure to leave comments after reading the post. Cause, really folks, comments totally make a bloggers day. ❤
This can be exceedingly helpful if you ever start doing scheduled posts, interviews, guest posts, or take place with blog tours, tags, etc… There’s nothing like taking time during a crazy-busy day to write a post, then realize later on that you were supposed to post a different post on that day. #NotFun
This year is the first time that I’ve begun keeping an actual physical calendar for my blogging, and that’s specifically for my book reviews. Last year I got over 50 books for review, and it can get a bit confusing.
Scheduling posts is pretty much the most simple thing to learn how to do, and yet it took me so crazy long to begin taking advantage of this smart feature. In fact, I still don’t use it as much as I probably should – mostly just when I’m going to be away from the internet. This is mostly due to the fact that I really enjoy my blogging time each morning. But, I’d sometimes like to use that time for reading and commenting on blogs, instead of always on creating content. Also, snagging breakfast before leaving for work every now and again might be a small plus.
Y’all. I cut the time way too close far too often. There have been times when I’ve forgone breakfast to get a post written, then run out the door for work, carrying my shoes because I didn’t even have time to put them on… Only to get home from work hours later to discover I didn’t hit the final publish button, so my post sat there limply on my computer all day long while my stomach rumbled from my lack of breakfast. It’s rather sad when that happens.
Don’t be in such a hurry when you’re blogging that you don’t have enough time to read back through your post. Or to make sure that it publishes. Or to get the formatting correct. Blogging doesn’t have to be perfect, but it shouldn’t look like a toddler rolled their toy car across the keyboard, either.
What I Listened To:
This PlayList on Youtube. (Or some of it anyway. I haven’t heard all the songs.)
Fun Fact:
I’m watching my sister’s puppy, Nica, so she sat at my feet as I posted.
Question Of The Day:
What is your optimal time for writing blog posts?