So, how can you stay ahead of your blog? If you’re reading this, I’m guessing you’re behind on your blog. We’ve all clicked the blog tab on a website to find the last post was published three months ago or longer. It may have happened to you. First, you’re not alone. Second, you can get ahead. I post two new blogs a week, and I’m currently 60 days ahead, but I remember a time I was 60 days behind! Here’s how to get and stay ahead.
Identify Your Target Audience
Understand who your audience is and what content may interest them. For example, a sporting goods retailer could write about sporting equipment, but they could also write about sports, training, and health. An HVAC company could offer posts on the latest in efficient heating and cooling but also about things of interest to homeowners, such as safety, maintenance, interior decorating, and remodeling.
My products, blogging, and leadership training could help most businesses. Therefore, I don’t limit my blog topics to one small niche. This blog site has 12 categories ranging from Leadership to Writing. Your first step is to identify blog categories.
Action: Identify three or four blogging topic categories.
Use an Editorial Calendar
After determining your topics, list them on a calendar two months in advance. I use Google Calendar. It doesn’t matter what you use. The important point is to have a plan. If you want to post once per week and have four categories, then list one a week for the next 60 days. Choose the day to post and list it. Don’t get caught in bad thinking such as, “It’s only one a week; I don’t need a calendar.” That’s not the point. The calendar is your blogging to-do list. It’s your deadline.
Action: Begin an editorial calendar and plan topic categories for the next 60 days.
Track Blog Progress
In my editorial calendar, I track five levels of progress: topic category, idea, in edit, WordPress, and published. Once I’ve listed the topics, the next step is to add an idea.
- Ideas – If you need help with ideas, go to this post. 6 Ways to Never Run Out of Blog Post Ideas
- Have a plan and follow it. A Simple 6-Step Blog Writing System
- Write the post – This will help. Why You Should Rewrite Your Blog
- Edit – How to Drastically Improve Your Blog in 24 Hours
- Post to a blogging site. WordPress
- Publish
Action: List your first four blog post ideas.
More Strategies to Stay Ahead
Guest posts
Ask for guest posts from legitimate sources. Don’t fall into the trap of allowing content farms to hijack your site for their purposes. How to Avoid Getting Spammed by Guest Blog Requests
Add Easy Blog Subject Categories, For Example:
- Meet the team – Introduce team members, their positions, and tenure. Ask individual team members the same four or five questions.
- FAQ – Ask sales, customer service, and installation their most common FAQs
- Photo blog – Take photos of your work (get a photo release from customers) and describe who, what, when, where, and how.
Writers Wanted!
If your blog is a business blog solicit coworkers to write. In my previous job, the organization had 250 employees, yet I wrote 98% of the posts. At one time, we published six new posts a week. I looked for opportunities around the business. For example, while a marketing team member revamped the company website, I asked questions, which became a series of posts he wrote titled Tech Talk.
Use a Systematic Approach
The key to staying ahead of your blog is having a system, using it, and not letting it get away. The first time you don’t follow the calendar and a new post isn’t published as scheduled, is the beginning of the end because the exception becomes the rule.
How Can I Help You?
Let me know if I can offer any help or advice. If this post struck a nerve, you should check out my book, How to Stay Ahead of Your Business Blog Forever. The book contains action plans to create a blogging/writing system that works for you.
If you enjoyed this you might also like, What Makes a Blog Attractive to Readers?
