My Blogging Platform
Do you have a plan for posting to your blog? When I first began this blogging journey I had no expectations of anyone else reading what I wrote. I blogged for me and me alone. I told no one and expected no one. My blog was simply an outlet for my need to write. Then something happened. People began to read and follow my blog. As I continued down this path I learned more about blogging in general. That led to learning about branding and purpose. I migrated from Blogger to WordPress. I even attended a blogger conference. This path has been an extraordinary learning experience for me.
Today I am looking to bring focus to my blog for 2013. Becoming an author has me pondering what role I want this blog to play going forward. I am a writer / author who loves technology. I am also a person who works best with a bit of structure. My thoughts are gravitating toward creating a daily schedule / calendar. Some days I will post and some days I will not. On those days I do post it will be about a particular subject. For example: Motivational Monday, as I have now.
I am not trying to give myself so much structure that there is no room for spontaneity. However, I do think there is some merit in providing enough structure that my readers know what to expect when they arrive on my blog.
2012 is almost finished. I would like to have a plan in place and some work already done before 2013 makes its debut. This is where you, my readers, come in. This is your opportunity to sound off and give me your ideas about how this plan could / should be structured. For instance: Should I post on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday? What would those posts consist of? I think I still want to keep my Motivational Monday posts. Are the app reviews helpful and should those continue? My thought is to have posts for at least 3 days per week.
I also want to include guest posts in 2013. To that end I have created guest post guidelines on their own page.
Give me your thoughts and suggestions. All ‘G’ rated please. I look forward to your feedback.
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Filed in: Blogging
Cheryl I'm not quite sure about what you want the suggestions or thoughts on – the blogging planning or the guest post guidelines?
I have a thought for each though.
2013 Blogging: Nicole Dean is giving away a 2013 Blogging Calendar: http://www.nicoleonthenet.com/13122/free-2013-wee… Has a generally good set up.
Guest posts: I've been thinking about blogging about this in detail. I have some pet peeves when people invite you to be a guest blogger. I get requests ALL the time. And, I receive requests from people who WANT to guest blog all the time too. At the top of my list is this: make it EASY for people want to be a guest blogger for you. The less hoops to jump through while still maintaining the quality content you want, the better.
Happy holidays!
Thank you so much for the link to the calendar. Grabbed it.
I get requests for guest posts all the time as well. Since I really had no set guidelines in place, I thought setting some up might be helpful. When you say 'make it easy' are you referring to the guidelines, or something else?
I really appreciate the feedback. 🙂
Happy holidays to you as well!
Yes; make the guidelines easy. It's a two way street: they are giving you their best and you are giving them kind of a showcase opp.
Calendar has some good ideas.
Thanks very much. Off to review the calendar now… 🙂
I love it. I am working through exactly the same thing right now. I have a loose plan and then plan on put it into a more formalized document to refer back to form time to time. Pat right about quest posting. I actually have tow sets of guidelines; one to discourage and one to make easy. It all depends on who and how they come across… LOL. 🙂
I am not surprised that you are working on the same stuff right now. If memory serves me, it was you that got me started on this planning process. And I am so glad you did!
Personally think the main thing is that your readers know when you will post a new article.
How often is most likely of less importance. The main thing is that you post articles they find interesting. Sure, posting several times a week improves your score on Alexa. But long term the main thing is the content.
Before I started blogging I posted discussions in a multitude of Linkedin groups asking if they read blogs and if so why. The answer was that if they read a post depending on who had written it and what subject it was about.
Thanks for the feedback. I think that plays in to the idea of knowing what to expect when I post a blog. For instance: I always like reading your posts because they make me think. So my thought is consistency in content and posting to address what people expect. Content is still king! 🙂
Three posts a week sound about right, especially if you want to stick to quality writing. I truly look forward to Motivational Mondays, does it help your blog rank-wise? Trying to take blogging to the next level is difficult (I'm pulling my eyebrow hairs as we speak) – hopefully, you won't have as much trouble.
Thank you for your thoughts. I appreciate it. So glad you like Motivational Monday posts. Keep working on your blog. Don’t give up. 🙂
You could take Motivational Monday a step further and write about how the quote sheds light on your writing/blogging/living. I've often wondered how short posts fare in getting noticed by search engines. I've also seen quotes paired with YouTube videos on various subjects that fit them. I've enjoyed your app reviews, but how do you see them fitting in with branding yourself as a writer? It killed me to abandon my regular travel posts, but ultimately, they just didn't fit. However, if you're going the sci-fi/fantasy route there could be all sorts of way to incorporate posts about technology–past, present, and future. I enjoy Bree Brouwer's http://www.geekmylife.net/ and you appear to be on a similar writing path. MWF posts work well for many reasons, although I've thought about going to just T/TH posts, but probably won't. I'm still tinkering with my Wednesday posts. So if you go with three posts a week, you have motivation, tech, and possible celebration of geek cultures (again check out Bree's site). Looking forward to seeing what you have in store for 2013!
Thanks Jeri. Very good feedback indeed. You may have just nailed it for me. 🙂
I post every Monday night and send out the email on Tuesday morning and have done so for 1.5 years. In addition, I do a Thurs night post when I have time. I find the structure helps me because I know I have to get it done and I imagine that my reader's Tuesdays just won't be the same without my post (haha).
If I were you, I'd analyze the traffic to see what's bringing in the volume. If you're getting good traffic from the app reviews, I'd continue.. if not, I'd cut them. I like reading them and the quotes, but I'm also aware we only have so much time during the week and it's hard to do it all!
Very good idea. I had not thought of using the stats that way. 🙂
I have no consistency with my posts, if you haven't noticed. I just try to blog at least twice a week. I used to blog 4 or 5 times per week, but that was hard for me to keep up and still work on other goals. I like the Mon, Wed, Fri idea and it seems to work for Susan. I really need to think about this for the new year too.
And, I know you wanted to go away from it, but I really liked the app posts. You brought apps to my attention that I would never have known about. If you don't want to go away from that, you could do a once monthly post of like four different apps that you found throughout the month. Or, you could make it a part of your new monthly newsletter. 🙂
I will certainly take your feedback in to consideration. You know I value what you think. 🙂
Now this post is immediately giving me a kick in the pants. It really is important to plan your posts, but until recently I've found this quite hard.
I really enjoy your motivational Monday posts, but I think if you want to develop your platform as a writer/author, then there needs to be something along side that. It is only recently that I've realized that you are not just 'all about technology' , so that could either say that I've missed some of your posts or there is not enough about your fiction in your blogs.
In terms of how often, frankly I wouldn't read more than 3 blogs a week & I agree with Catarina in that I read a blog for who wrote it, and knowing the content will be either interesting or useful. I like how Jeri mixes up her posts , like you do, so some variation on that. Ultimately you have to enjoy what you are writing about otherwise what is the point?
Sorry to be a little non-specific in my suggestions. Whatever you do , I'll still be tuning in!
That is great feedback! I appreciate it. I am looking at 3 post per week – M W F. Everyone seems to agree on the Motivational Monday quotes so I will keep those and expand on them. Many seem to enjoy the app reviews so I think I will do something with those as well. Getting there… ! 🙂