Starting today, I’m taking 20 people through 30 Days of Blogging, our first ever ‘virtual’ program. The idea is we are going to blog every day. While blogging, we’ll be learning about connecting with other bloggers, marketing our blogs, and more. Here is what I am doing to get started on this. (And if you are a Type A control freak who wants to get ready to blog daily for a month too, here’s what you can do to think ahead.)
Me and my first blog notebook, which I still have. Get something like this for you to write blog ideas, put clippings from magazines, or otherwise collect inspiration for your blog (a virtual version of this is cool too).
Access information in an accessible place
Most people don’t start blogging because they feel like maintaining a website then fall in love with the writing part… it’s usually the other way around.
To keep yourself from saying ‘Ahh!’ too much, make yourself a computer document (or put on a regular piece of paper) the website address where you log into your blog, your username and password, and the link to your blog itself. If you are a bit forgetful, in this same place have a step-by-step on how to write an blog entry, upload a photo, etc. You will probably refer to this a lot the first couple weeks but won’t need it much after that since you’ll be in the habit. (My mom keeps a small notebook on her desk when she learns a new computer trick. And here at Breaking Even we make how-to documents for ourselves as much as for our clients. In other words, even if you aren’t blogging, this isn’t a bad idea to do!)
For now, keep your technology frustration to its lowest possible point by understanding how to sign into your blog and write entries.
Dedicated place/time to write daily
This is kind of a stupid one but trust me, this is key at the beginning. As you get addicted (in a good way) to writing your blog, you won’t need the motivation. But finding 1/2 hour a day that you can write and a spot you feel like plopping in for that moment in time is key. For this blog challenge, I plan on doing it at 7 am every morning (I’m up at 5:30 so by then I feel awake and everything). Nighttime or your lunch hour at work might be better times for you. But make an appointment with yourself and don’t let anything get in its way. This is just 30 days.
A list of ideas for when you are stuck
You will think of blog ideas in the weirdest places: in line at the grocery store, while waiting for your friend at a restaurant, lots of others. Keep a notepad with you or write them in your smartphone… but have a central place where they all get put. This central place may be a pretty notebook or a Google Doc called ‘Blog Post Ideas’. Trust me when I say you will want that nugget on a day when you feel less inspired.
2-3 blog posts ready to go
What, I’m thinking of failure already? Not exactly. There is going to be a day when you blog time is interrupted by something outside of your control. (Darn that life!). It’s good to have a few entries ready to go (most blog software will let you schedule the post to go online on a certain day at a certain time). When I say have the blog entry ready to go, I mean don’t just write it in a word processing program: put it in your blog software, have the image or images you want to use picked out and resized, check the spelling and otherwise have it ready to go. Then all you have to do is click ‘Publish’ (or if it’s scheduled ahead of time for a busy day, do nothing) and your blog will go on.
Alright, are you ready? We are!