Be A Better Blogger - Plan Your Way to Success

Being a blogger is a lot of work.  So much of it is figuring it out as you go along.  But you don't have to go it alone.  Feedback is your friend.  Readers and friends can be a valuable source of information for improving your blogging game.  I have several friends who are very honest and tell me what they think.  This type of feedback is some of the best.  Being organized and keeping up with all of your ideas and feedback is one of the best ways to build a better blog.

I have several spreadsheets that I use with my blog.  I have an overall spreadsheet for my blog posts.  This spreadsheet is divided into different worksheets for each month of the year.  On each worksheet, I have the title or idea for each post, the date for the post, status, and any notes about the post.  I try to schedule topics and posts one month at a time.  If I have an idea for a fall or winter post in the spring, I just click on an October or November spreadsheet and enter the information for me to use at a later date.

As I work through the month, sometimes these ideas and plans change.  That is okay.  You can move the potential posts to different months.  Plans do not have to remain static.  Don't feel like you are married to a monthly plan or schedule.  Change is good.  Simply cut and paste posts as you need to move them throughout the year.

Sometimes I don't get a project done as quickly as I would like.  I have to move and shift things around a bit as we go.  You will find out that this happens to you too.  It is always better to postpone a post or idea until it is ready for readers.  

You can also keep planning sheets for sponsorships, communication with other bloggers, companies that you are interested in working with and more.  Spreadsheets and planning are your friends in the world of bloggers.  I use Google Drive to keep up with everything in the cloud.  I have also added these apps to my mobile devices so that I can work and manage my blog wherever I am.  

A planning spreadsheet will help your work to flow.  You can see what work you have done and what needs to be done with ease.  This year, I'm doing one post a month this year about blogging and my fitness journey.  My planning sheet helps schedule these posts appropriately.

One other tool I use for planning is my Notes app on my phone.  If I am riding in the car, I can make a list of ideas as they come to me.  When I sit down at my computer, I open up my app have my notes and ideas right there.

Finally, listen to reader feedback.  Recently I've had some questions from readers and conversations with friends that spark the idea for a blog post or social media post.  A reader question can lead to content that others readers want to know as well.  It is one of the main reasons, I enjoy reader feedback.

Make yourself available to readers so they can reach out to you.  I have a Contact Me page displayed on my blog.  I use Jot Form to help readers contact me.  I also display my email address on my contact page so that readers have a choice of how to reach me.  These steps are as important as your planning.  The feedback you receive from your blog can result in new topics as well as opportunities to partner with other bloggers and companies.  

How do you plan as a blogger?  Do you currently have tools that keep you on track?  Blogging is not as random as one may initially think.  The 'behind the scenes' work that no one sees is what makes professional bloggers a success.  I'm learning these things as I go.  Hopefully, these tips will help you!

If you are interested in more blogging topics, be sure to check out some of my previous posts on topics like:

• Starting and Updating Your Blog
• How to Monetize Your Blog
• Putting Your Best Foot Forward with Photos

If you are just now starting a blog, I'd love to hear from you.  No matter where you are or what you are doing, stop and enjoy some of this summer weather.  This is my favorite time of the year.  Until next time...