Blogging every day is not easy. Damn, it’s hard. More often than not I find myself staring at my computer screen at 11:00 p.m. working to get the words out. But today, I’m happy to report I’ve been blogging 30 consecutive days. I’ve learned a lot of things. In order to continue, I need to revise my plan a bit. Here are some things I’ve learned to help make blogging every day a bit easier.
Develop a better long-term content list
I started this effort with about five topics in mind. I assumed I would have a lot more while I was using up those five ideas. Think again. I actually burned through those ideas in the first week or two. Then I was legit fresh out of ideas. Moving forward, I need to generate a better long-term list of content ideas. I’m going to use the Notes app in my iPhone as my place to collect them.
Don’t procrastinate
Good luck. This one is tough. I’ve always had a bit of an issue procrastinating. It’s mostly because of staying so busy. And yes, I just have that tendency to put things off if they are not appealing. Who doesn’t? So instead of cranking out posts at 11:00 p.m. (Ha, it’s 10:18 right now, so I’m improving), I need to start the process earlier in the day. Maybe that’s roughing in the post. Or at least finding the elements. Start earlier. Noted.
Deliver useable, actionable content
People write about what they know. That doesn’t mean readers are going to get value from your content. I’m going to aim to write more material that helps people and information they can use as opposed to just life updates. It’s easy to fall into the life update category because again, that’s what people know. It’s harder to research content and deliver actionable advice. But I’ll strive for more of it.
Keep it concise, longer when necessary
Attention spans are dead. People need and want quick. So I will strive to make posts succinct and to the point. When the content is very actionable and requires instruction, I will deliver a longer post in detail as that is valuable. But no droning on. Short. In and out.
Don’t miss a day
This seems like an impossibility. But look, I’ve already made it 30 days. The goal of blogging isn’t just to deliver some kind of content each day (although I hope you find some of it valuable as you read it). But it’s also an exercise in responsibility and consistency. It’s not easy to blog every day. But over time, I want it to be enjoyable, rewarding and interesting enough for you, the reader, to keep coming back.
Gotta go. I’m droning on.