Buzz it!
Tuesday we fed your blog with some simple tips that will help you blog with passion. Wednesday, we discussed the importance of creating a remarkable blog personality. Thursday we threw in some tips for adding the unexpected to your posts and today, we’ll combine them all together and stir up the blog mix with some tricks for generating content.
Each of these blog ingredients: passion, personality, and the unexpected are the essential for creating content that will stand out in a crowd. They are powerful because they require you to put your heart and yourself into the mix. Since there is no one else exactly like you out of over 6 billion people, it’s the best utensil for whipping up a unique web presence regardless of trends and popular topics.
I like this potluck strategy – just through it all in the pot and before you know it, you’ll have a deliciously bubbling blog content. I’m sorry, maybe I need to eat a snack :)
Anyway, like cooking, whipping up fresh content requires the necessary ingredients and a bit of preparation. Without a plan if will be difficult to manage all of the tasks associated with content writing and promotion. Without a plan it will begin to feel as if you are attempting re-invent the wheel everyday.
1. Make a topic plan for each day of the week
Although I’m currently in the stages of getting a recurring plan for this blog, I already have one set for my Christian inspiration blog. Every day of the week I address a different aspect of my blog niche. So Monday through Friday my readers can expect to see me touch on a different topic.
It makes it so much easier for me to write because it helps me narrow my focus to just one thing as opposed to an infinite range of possibilities. It also helps me stay ahead. When I’m in the mood to write a bunch of posts about Marriage (Mondays) it allows me to rest a bit during the week because I know I’ll have at least one day of the week already set. I can then concentrate on other posts.
2. Get organized
Write first, promote and engage in social media secondly and set some time limits for these tasks. Some bloggers would argue for promoting first because without promotion, the content you write would mean nothing because no one would see it. But honestly, if you don’t have quality content on your site, you shouldn’t want anyone to see it because they’re going to get a bad impression of your site and may never return.
Also, I believe that it’s so easy to get lost in the social media time warp that you could be using to focus on your content. Maybe a good way to handle this would be to give yourself a time to write, say spend thirty minutes writing, thirty minutes brainstorming for other posts, and then allow yourself time to interact with other bloggers and promote your content. I do this because I know if I start promoting and interacting first, I might never get around to writing my content, just because there are so many intriguing things that beg for my attention.
3. Make association Lists
Returning to the Bubba Gump example from a few days ago – sometimes the mere act of listing everything you can think of about your niche to discuss and explore on your blog is a great tool to turn to when your mind is totally blank. If you have an ample list, there will always be at least one thing there you can get in the mood to write about.
4. Assess your purpose and audience
Writing without a clear purpose is like starting a meal without a recipe – if you just start grabbing ingredients from the cupboard and adding them with no regards to flavor or the amounts needed. On some days you may get lucky and it might taste okay, but on others, it actually ends up rather nauseating.
If you fail to consider who you are writing for, you could run the risk of serving succulent shrimp scampy to a group of people who hate seafood. You could end up writing the best blog content for the wrong crowd.
Get in the habit of asking yourself – why are you writing and for whom?
Are you writing because you want to address a problem? If so, then do your best to offer solutions or point your readers to links that may help them find the solution. You could also keep it open and ask your readers for solutions.
Are you writing to make a claim? Then back it up with evidence.
Are you writing to explain a difficult concept? Then be sure to offer clear and detailed examples.
Of course these are not the only tips that can help you generate a consistent flow of content, but if you get these fundamentals down, you’ll give your blog the best chances of survival. Stock these items up in your cabinet and you’ll have an endless supply of blog food.
If you haven’t already entered the Iron Blogger Contest, I encourage you to do so. Be sure to check out the details and enter to win free ad-space until the end of the month. Contest ends Mar. 12, 2010.
Photo credit: http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-image-egg-and-whisk-with-motion-blur–rimagefree157564-resi1329930
Jean Sarauer
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Evelyn
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Blog Angel a.k.a....
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James Tayo
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Mars Dorian
Mike Roosa
Hi Kiesha,
Great tips and very helpful!
I like what you say about having a schedule. I do a similar thing. I always make sure to get my posts out before I begin reading other blogs and socializing. My problem is getting hung up with my emails. I’ve gotta stop that.
Take care!
Evelyn @ Natural Raw Living´s last blog ..What Exactly Is A Vegetarian Diet?
Don’t I know it… :) I have the same problem!
I have been trying to develop a topic for each day of the week but haven’t quite made it yet. So far, this is how my blogging week goes: Monday’s: Sermon Synopsis posts, Friday’s: Favourite Links Friday post and Saturday: Silly Saturday post. I am working on something for Sunday’s. I think I am going to call it sharing Sunday and it will be for people to share one of their own favourite posts from the past week. I think it will be another great way for bloggers to get some more exposure.
Kevin M.´s last blog ..Favourite Links Friday 3/5/10
Yeah, that’s an awesome idea for Sundays!
Hi Kiesha,
Great post. Getting organized is the solution to many things!!
I keep an “ideas folder” on my laptop for my 3 sites. I use text edit and name each one according to the topic. That way whenever I get ideas I can just add them right in, and I never get stuck for what to write about. Sometimes I add so many ideas to one topic – it is practically written for me!
Michele´s last blog ..Mar 4, Time Management Tips: Free How To Manage Time Lessons
Hi Michele,
That’s a great way to approach writing. I keep an ongoing list as well. Sometimes I have bulleted ideas sometimes I don’t, but it helps to have a starting point. Whenever I’m at a loss for inspiration, I just look at that list and see what I’m in the mood to write about.
Another way might be to write a few topics in advance and then store them away for future publishing. Sometimes creativity or inspiration only strikes at odd times, so adopting a robot-like approach may not work for everyone.
Hi James,
I use this approach and it’s not robot-like at all. Robotic would mean that I could always write at scheduled times, every day. But I can’t, I can only produce when I’m in the mood to write, so I have to write in batches.
I agree, i get entangled into social media if i start promoting first, so I prefer writing it and do the scheduling and then promoting it. The problem with the social media is that there is no limit to it and so it can consume all your time.
Gautam Hans´s last blog ..Mixing the Right Ingredients
Hi Gautam,
Yes, I’ve got sucked into the blackhole that social media is on too many occasions. That’s why when I write, I have to shut it all down, or I’ll get distracted too easily.
Being organized and having a schedule for your blogging activities is a must. I also encourage bloggers to carry a notebook. I can’t tell you how often I’ve had a great post idea when I’m not anywhere near my computer and then later I can’t for the life of me remember it at all.
Blog Angel a.k.a. Joella´s last blog ..Blog Contest Alert – Win A 30 Day Adgitizing Coupon
I know that drives me insane. I have to do the same thing, too. I’m lost without my notebook.
I’m not having a problem with numbers 1, 3, or 4. Its #2 that is killing me. No matter what I try or hard I try, I can never get organized or prioritize my time properly. I just always seem to have 36 hours of activities to do in 24. But, I’m not giving up. ;)
Dr. Kal´s last blog ..Best Way To Lose Belly Fat
I know – getting organized is hard and staying organized is even harder. Some times you get to a point where you just have to scrap some things and start from scratch. Good luck!
Kiesha, I was drawn to this series of posts because of the food connection. A passionate food blogger, I have no trouble coming up with content. Figuring out how to go about promoting the blog is another matter! Your scheduling tips are great–where does the time go! I can see from this series that you really have this blogging thing figured out. I’ll be taking a closer look at your work, and I hope you’ll take a look at mine.
Hi Jean,
I’m glad you enjoyed this series. I wouldn’t say I have it figured out, but I do know what works for me. My hope is that I can encourage others to find their passion and do what works for them. Sounds like you’re passionate about food, so you’re moving in the right direction.
I’m gonna stop by and see what cookin’… :)