With having my blog for almost 2 years now, I’ve truly started to get into the flow of how to plan and create blog posts. The first word that comes to mind when I think of my early days of blogging is overwhelming. In the beginning, it definitely was hard to figure out what to do first or how to even plan a post. This system didn’t come overnight but I’m going to walk your through my process and hopefully can help you out sooner rather than later.
Step 1: Brainstorming
If you were to look at my notebook of ideas, you would think I was crazy. I literally write down any and every thought that comes to mind of a potential post or content idea. Maybe I’ll use it or maybe it will just sit in the notebook forever but I make sure to always write it down. This has helped tremendously because I have a notebook of ideas now, something I didn’t have before. I can easily look at it and get the creative juices flowing for picking a topic.
Step 2: The Topic
Sometimes I already know exactly what I plan to post. Others, I have to refer to my notebook to get an idea. I like to think of my topics in terms of categories from my site. You can see here my posts are always put into a different category. Not only does this keep my blog organized but it helps to keep my topics within my niche. If I wrote last post about beauty products, I’ll try to make sure this post is a recipe or puppy related. This helps to narrow my choices and keep you, my reader, getting fresh content each week. Let me know if you’re interested in a blog post dedicated to just blog topics in the comments below!
Step 3: The Outline
I can’t start writing unless I have an outline. This isn’t necessarily something I write out but it’s a picture in my head of how I want the post to look. If you notice, I use a similar structure for recipes but a different one for product reviews. The photos and fonts are also something I like to starting imagining during this plan and create stage. One thing I never actually do is start with an outline that already has content. I like to just be able to write so I make sure that the outline in my head is ready and then I’m ready to write.
Step 4: Actually Writing
This step is absolutely different for everyone. When I plan and create blog posts, I want to make sure I am open for my content to go in a different direction. This is why I never have a set in stone outline. I take my theme and just get to writing it and seeing where the words and content take me. Whether it’s a recipe or a in depth how to, this step is one that you have to master . It takes a bit to get into a rhythm with writing and once you find a way to be productive, you’re all set.
Step 5: Images & other Visual Content
This might be odd, but I like to write my entire post but leave sections labeled {image} or {video} so that I’m able to just write. One reason for this is so that I’m not slowed down by uploading or downloading extras. If I need to take the pictures of products, I like to do so before I even write so that I can already know what I’m talking about. Images really help to bring your words to life so taking your time on these images will make a serious difference.
Step 6: Visibility & Scheduling
Ensuring your post is visible and will drive traffic is a crucial component to blogging. Once I have a pretty final cut of the post, I will go through and make sure I’ve hit SEO points (search engine optimization) and tagged this post properly. I want to make sure posts have everything they need in order to be ranked well on places like Google. On WordPress, I have an SEO plugin that helps make my life easier. Check it out in the image below. In addition, I’ll schedule the post for a time that I’ll be able to make social posts about it.
Step 7: Promotion
Once your post is entirely finished and scheduled, I like to spend time creating the promotional posts for it. For me, this means a Pinterest pin, Insta stories, and an Insta post. My blog automatically goes out to Facebook and Twitter. This is so helpful so I don’t have to worry about them. I like to use websites like Canva.com to create these. Canva makes things so easy for you if you have no graphic design background, like me. If you’re interested in trying out Canva, use my link here for free Canva credit! I highly recommend taking the time to announce your blog posts on your social media platforms. This helps to to increase your traffic and visibility!
I really hope that this post gives you at least a few tips and tricks on how to plan and create blog posts. Blogging can be really rewarding but definitely overwhelming when you are starting out. This process is one that helps me produce the best content for you guys so I was happy to share just a bit of my knowledge.
Feel free to leave me any questions you may have below and be on the look out for my next post!
