Should You Schedule Your Blog Posts?

This article is dedicated to Dominique who solicited my thoughts on blogging in advance. Make sure you check out her blog, An Unlikely Perspective 2, to find out what is on Dominique’s mind.

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The blogosphere has evolved over the years to where it seems to be much more about marketing or conveying business information than about personal online journaling. Still, blog variety is the spice of life which means that there is enough room for all kinds of writing and publishing styles, with few rules holding sway. I hope that I never see the blogosphere organized to the point where originality is no longer prevalent!

How Often Do You Write?

One question that some bloggers have about blogging concerns their writing schedule. At some point, you’ll discover a rhythm that works best for you – perhaps you like posting on Mondays and Thursdays or maybe you prefer a more frequent schedule which includes Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and the weekend. Or whatever.

Regardless of how often you write, you can probably agree with the following sentiment – there are days when inspiration flows, but there are other times when you’d rather not write. However, by not adhering to a consistent schedule your blog could eventually fall to the wayside, perhaps even die. No serious blogger would allow that to happen to their blogs which for some folks serves as an extension of themselves.

Scheduling Your Articles

An important way to ensure that your blog is always fresh is to write articles in advance and schedule them to appear (drip) at certain times and on specified days. Even though I don’t have to tell you, I wrote this article on Labor Day when things were quiet and slow. I completed the article shortly before noon, then took the rest of the day off. Thanks to scheduling, I have enough articles set to appear on my other blogs for the coming days as well.

What this ultimately means is that I can work writing around my own schedule without being tied down – a measure of freedom I want and crave. Likely, you feel the same way too.

Assuming that your blog platform allows you to schedule articles in advance, developing a schedule certainly makes sense. Even though the calendar says September, I’m already thinking about articles I’ll write for the remainder of the year, including seasonal topics such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. I may write and schedule my Christmas message in November, especially if I feel particularly inspired.

Three Tips For Successful Article Preparation

Of course, there are a few things to keep in mind when writing in advance:

Don’t Date Yourself – You may think it odd to write your new year’s message when the leaves have yet to change, but that’s something entirely up to you. If I’m writing well in advance, particularly for a holiday, I write as if the holiday is in the present or “today” – not the future. That goes without saying that you should never reference the actual date when you wrote your article – your readers don’t need that distraction nor will they care.

Pick And Choose – With several of my blogs, I usually write one or two articles in advance, but with one particular blog I go much further. For example, sometimes I’ll write an article about a special event taking place one or two months out, then I fill in the remaining dates here or there.

Don’t Force It – One bad habit to avoid when writing in advance is to force yourself to write when you aren’t prepared to write. I have a personal policy that works well for me – I write only when inspired. Maybe I have only one article to write; perhaps three or more. If I write when my creative juices aren’t flowing, then I’ll torture myself to complete the task. And, who wants to read tortured writing?

In the end, writing in advance is something completely up to you. Sometimes, I will write in advance and amend the article before it is published. There are other situations where I’ll change the date when an article is to appear. My readers aren’t aware of these changes, but I like to maintain control over the publication process as that gives me the freedom to write and publish as I see fit.

Photo Credit: Maxime Perron Caissy

Considering Blogging? Weigh These Points First.

If you’ve been thinking about starting a blog, perhaps you’ve needed some encouragement to help you take your very first few steps. For some people, putting a blog together can be overwhelming especially if they aren’t sure how to get started. While this article isn’t a comprehensive Blogging 101 course, my tips are designed to help the person who has never blogged previously but is interested in jumping in.

Please read on as I share five foundational principles to help you decide whether blogging is right for you:

Your Topic – Some blogs are narrowly focused, discussing one topic or perhaps a segment pertaining to that topic. For instance, if you enjoy cars but are particularly passionate about car parts, then your blog will likely cover everything and anything related to replacement parts, accessories or other aftermarket products. But, you don’t have to limit yourself to one topic, especially if your blog is along the lines of a “my thoughts” site which, by the way, is what this blog is all about! Generally if something comes to mind, I’ll talk about it and I assume that there are enough people who are interested in listening to what I have to say to check in on me every once in awhile.

Your Voice – Many bloggers aren’t particularly gifted writers but don’t let that stop you from sharing what is on your mind. Having passion for a particular topic is important as readers can quickly determine if you’re interested in the topic at hand or not. Over time, your writing will improve, if you stick with it and are open to constructive criticism. The operative word here is “constructive” because you’ll always encounter anonymous trolls who are destructive and care nothing about you.

Your Site – Though many bloggers will disagree with me on this point, it is perfectly fine for you to start a blog through Blogspot, Live Journal or WordPress, but keep this in mind: you may not have full control over your site which in some cases may forbid you from running ads on your site. I use WordPress to power this blog, but WordPress doesn’t manage it. I do. I own the domain and I pay for monthly hosting; I downloaded the free WordPress files and have added everything related to the blog myself. Clearly, if you’re not knowledgeable enough on how to launch an independent blog, then by all means use a blog platform’s service to get the job done. You can always move everything to your own web address at some point.

Your Schedule – Once you make the decision about starting a blog, you’ll need to think of a writing schedule that fits your lifestyle. There are people who write multiple articles every single day while others are content to post one or two times per week. Of course, if you’re attempting to build a following, then higher frequency is the key. But don’t let other people determine how often you should blog, because when you come down to it, you’re responsible for the site.

Your Satisfaction (and Theirs) – I purposely started each point with “your” to emphasize what establishing a personal blog is all about – you. Well, not quite. Yes, you can treat your blog as an “online journal” where you share your thoughts with no expectation of return, meaning no readers. But, most people blog to communicate with their readers who are either like-minded folks or someone who may be interested in what you have to sell. Your personal satisfaction could be based primarily on a desire to share your thoughts which involves interacting with your readership through comments. Therefore, make certain that when you launch your blog that you allow readers to comment, preferably without registering. Then, answer their comments to foster dialogue.

Blogging: Staying The Course

Most bloggers quit blogging within the first year with very few blogs owned and maintained by the same person after three years. After five years only a tiny cadre of bloggers are still at it, committed folks whose passion for sharing what is on their mind remains strong.

Blogging is a journey that begins with one step, but once you step out you’ll be in the good company of millions of other online journalists.

See Also — Where Has All Of My Traffic Gone?