I saw this information at Handmadeology and am considering a little blog organization because of it. I never put much thought into what goes into my blog each day, or if a post each day was necessary. But I feel the busier I get and more I have to do a little organization in this aspect of my life. I'm personally working on organizing my home and changing my life style, so why not do a whole revamp? Now I just need to decide what I want to focus on-just one thing, or five? I have a lot to think about and I can't wait to examine all my options.
1. Create an editorial calendar – This doesn’t need to be anything fancy. I just use a standard spreadsheet. At the beginning of each month type out the days in one column and then brainstorm ideas for posts – listing each one next to a day.
After you get all the info down that comes from brainstorming – start to organize. If you have a lot of posts that have to do with fashion, perhaps you could do one each Monday, photography each Tuesday, updates on your business each Wednesday, and so on.
It is ok to sway from the calendar when unforeseen events occur, but a decent amount of consistency will give your readers a sense of stability. They will have an idea of what to expect each day.
This consistency will also create trust with your readers. If you are a DIY expert and post your newest how-to advice every Friday, your readers will begin to trust that they can find a fantastic weekend project on your blog each Friday morning.
2. Proofread – Even though it is a blog and not a formal essay or business letter, there is value in proofreading your work. It helps to write your post, step away from the computer for a few hours and then proofread it. When the information is not fresh in your mind, you are more likely to catch silly mistakes.
Spelling and grammatical errors will happen and that is fine, however several errors in a post tends to look sloppy, which might give your readers the feel that you just threw something together – rather than put a bit of heart into it.
3. Add relevant images – Remember when you were a kid and you gravitated towards the books full of pictures? In many ways, we still do that.
Blogs that are all words and no graphics can look dry. Take a little time to find a graphic or take a photo and add it to your post. Or add several. Or better yet, make some posts more images and less words. Some days your readers just want to glance through a post and take in soothing eye candy. Not every post needs to be word heavy.
4. Blog consistently – In relation to #1, it is important to blog on a consistent basis. You don’t need to post every single day but make an effort to be consistent. If you have the time to post three days a week, plan to do it Monday, Wednesday, and Friday rather than three posts all shoved into one day. As previously stated, readers will enjoy the consistency and begin to trust a blog they can depend on.
5. Clutter – Try to keep your sidebar and links at the top clutter-free. Don’t add every button you come across online, this tends to cheapen the aesthetic of your blog. Choose items that you feel add to your blog, rather than simply fill up space.
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