Super Simple Secrets to Consistent Blogging
When we talk to clients about blogging, one of the most daunting aspects for marketing leaders is deciding which topics to cover. How will they ever find time to create one or two (or more) topics every month? Marketers and business owners are busy. How can they ever find the time to develop topics and outlines? However, with a little planning, they can greatly simplify the process.
Super Simple Secret: Economies of Scale
When it comes to blogging, it’s important to take advantage of economies of scale. In this example, you’ll take care of three or months of topics in one sitting, economizing on time. By creating content in batches, you’ll reduce the time needed to constantly stop and start content development.
Brainstorming a blog topic out of the blue is tough. Just getting yourself into the right frame of mind requires discipline, especially if you also have ten other business priorities tugging at you.
That’s why Newton’s First Law of Physics, which states that a body in motion tends to stay in motion, also applies to blog topic development. Most people find it much more productive to map out 12 topics in an Excel sheet in one sitting. Once you get your brain started, you can usually keep going. After a few rounds, you may even get good at creating content calendars.
If you’re pretty sure you’ll never be good at brainstorming topics, hand the task of creating a content calendar over to your blogging partner. You’ll still need to make time to edit or approve topics, but a good blogging partner, like Cup O Content, can help make it quick and easy to get 3, 6, or 12 months of blogging mapped out and ready to go.
Super Simple Secret: The Content Calendar
There are all kinds of content calendars. We like to use ones that are detailed enough to make it clear what is being discussed and what will be said about each topic.
Here’s an example of what a local greenhouse’s three-month calendar might look like. Notice that some content points are very specific, and some are less defined, saying we might add sales or maybe add interviews. This type of calendar incorporates ideas and possibilities but is not a static outline. This flexibility allows you to take advantage of working ideas without committing to approaches that turn out to be too difficult or time-consuming.
Super Simple Secret: Assembly-line Approach
Once you have a calendar in place, you can take an assembly line approach to simplify the process. Set elements up in ways so that the people “building” the blog can put it together quickly without having to understand every aspect of your business.
For example, you may want to put all your images into one file. Share your promotions and sales with your content marketing writers so they can include them in the blog calendar process. In some businesses, one person writes the blog, another edits and approves content, another is in charge of creating images, another posts the blog on the website, and yet another ensures SEO is in place.
In the assembly-line approach, your business doesn’t need one person who can do it all—create the message, write the blog, edit, design, and program. Instead, you choose a set of people. Each person has a short and well-defined role that is focused on their talents. And because they know what they're doing, they're super fast.
Super DUPER Simple Secret: Once and Done
In the once-and-done approach, you find someone like Cup O Content, who is a soup-to-nuts provider. We create the calendar. We write the blogs. Create images. Optimize for SEO and post. When you find a good blogging resource, you’ll be able to rely on your partner to keep you on schedule, and to create credible blogging material in your brand voice.
Super Simple Secret: Stop Stalling
As this blog shows, there are different ways to simplify blogging and set up a plan for consistent blogs. Whichever approach you choose, stop stalling. Don’t postpone blogging until you have a new website, you get past this busy season, or you get back from vacation.
Now that you know some of the super simple secrets of blogging, the only way to get started is to get started. So, stop stalling and start blogging! If you want more advice on blogging or want to talk to Cup O Content about blogging for you, contact us today.
Want to find out more about blogging? Check out these blogs about, you guessed it...blogs!
