1. Keep a list!
Brilliant post ideas pop-up in the most unexpected of places. For me it’s while I’m on the toilet, in the shower, in that moment between wake & sleep, in the middle of grocery shopping or even when I’m stuck in traffic. They rarely ever come when I’m staring at a blank computer screen urging a blog post to write itself.
I’ve learnt that even though I think I’ll remember that brilliant concept that hit before sweet slumber, I rarely do and it needs to be written down. I keep a book of blog post ideas. It has 365 blank pages {one for each day of the year}. I scribble in the post idea. Some are just one or two words, some other very descriptive. Some I expand on over time. Some ideas never see the light of day, some don’t make sense when I look back them, but many of them have made it on to the blog. Starting with a blog post idea is sometimes the longest part of writing a post {especially when you’ve been blogging for years!}.
2. Embrace a spare moment
Are you dressed and ready to go out and have 20 minutes to spare? Or are you waiting for the potatoes to boil and have a 15 minute window of time? Use it to blog! I often find that when I’m on a time crunch, writing flows better. Even if you don’t quite finish the post, save it as draft and when you find another 10 minutes of time {perhaps while the kettle is boiling} complete the post. You might even improve on it after being away from it for a while, and coming back to it with a fresh frame of mind.
3. Source your images early
Finding the perfect image for your post can be very time consuming, especially if you’re a little bit fussy like me. I’ve been collecting images on my various cameras to keep a library on my computer so that I have them on hand and ready to be used. Have you ever heard a blogger say, “I wanted to share a photo but my camera is flat and I can’t find my camera cable?”
Download your photos every other day, or even once a week so that they’re on your computer and ready to go {and ready before the camera battery dies!}. If you don’t use you’re own photos, keep a library of images, with the source as the image name, and ask the owner’s approval beforehand.
4. Forget perfection!
The perfect blog post is an elusive thing. Even when you spend hours on perfecting a post, and hit that publish button with a sense of pride, it not a guarantee that it’s going to be a popular blog post. Sometimes the posts that take just two minutes to throw together {like this one!} are the most popular. Go figure! As Chris Brogan said at the Disney Social Media Moms Conference, “Good enough is good enough!” Forget crafting the perfect post, just hit publish!
How long does it take you to put together a blog post? When you look back at your most popular blog post {however you measure popular – be it traffic, comments or something else}, do you remember how long it took to write that blog post?
P.S. For the record this post took 17 minutes to write, plus 3 minutes to stop and praise my toddler on what an awesome picture she drew of a frog.
Mine vary. Some are whipped up and sent out to play in minutes, others are laboured. And there seems no rhyme or reason as to which ones “work well” and which ones don't.
I can spend hours over images. And then forget the entire point of my post…
One of my most popular posts in terms of its comments was one I wrote in the car on my phone – it was a rant. What can I say? I am passionate about safe parking and safe driving around schools…..
XX
Funny you post this because as I did mine last night I was exhausted that it took me 45 minutes to 1 hour because my iMac was acting up when I had Photoshop open and I was trying to pick which photos to use for the blog post, etc. But yeah, I have some blog posts that only take me about 15 minutes. Blogging is so much fun, haha! 🙂
Most of my posts aren't general but I have a similar process to you in regards to recording down ideas when inspired…. lovely post 'Telle I'm sure it will be helpful to a lot of people! x
This is a great post Telle. Very helpful.
I vary with how long it takes me to write a post. Sometimes I can just sit down, listen to some music and the words will flow off my finger tips. Other times it can take me days to write a post.
A very useful post!
I generally write out three or four posts in one go (I do keep a book of blog ideas/products etc). Those three or four take me anywhere from an hour to two hours to write depending on the topic/length etc. I save them as drafts and just do a quick edit/spell check when I'm ready to publish them.
This is really helpful! Thank you! 🙂
Mine take about 15-20 mins on average. Depending on toddler distractions!
My wedding posts took longer as was also looking back at all the photos and go a bit distracted.
And the post I wrote about my body image and weight loss (me vs me) took a few days as it sat in my drafts and I kept adding to it until I felt comfortable enough to post it.
I also keep a list on my phone of ideas. I love blogging… It really is addictive isn't it! 🙂
Xxx
Thanks for the useful tips – I'm new to blogging and hadn't even thought of keeping a notebook of ideas. I just stored them in my head.
I find it takes me about an hour for the longer posts and probably 15-20mins for the shorter ones. Others sit in my drafts for days, weeks even.
I have also discovered that I re-read everything before i post it just to make sure it makes sense and has a bit of a flow to it.
Great Post! It depends, once I start typing I just keep going. Usually it's later after the blog has been posted that I find all sorts of typo's. I have thoughts through out the day but forget to write it down..Recently I've started carrying a note book in the car with me. Again, great advice!
Great tips! I vary with how long it takes to write a post. If a brilliant idea comes to me, I can write up a post in 15 minutes. I try not to sit at my computer and force out a blog post – it never works for me. Whenever I think of a good idea, I'll start typing it as a new post, save it, then come back to it later and add/edit. When the blogging fever strikes, I write like a maniac. xxx
Having a working list is definitely the key – it doesn't have to be set in stone but is a much better place to start from than as you said, a blank computer screen.
Great tips.
I have ideas written down everywhere. Then I lose those lists and start again! haha
My plan this year is to master photos. My own and finding others on the net…
x
Mine take anything between 15 minutes to 2 hours. I've tried keeping an ideas notebook, but I find that when I go back to my notes, the ideas seem really stupid and never end up written up. I guess that's better than publishing a bad post? I have a few things in my drafts folder which seemed like a good idea at the time, but never saw the light of day.
Reviews take the longest, especially when inlcuding lots of links and doing research.
Some of my best posts are the ones I've written out in long-hand in my journal and then transferred to the blog a few days/weeks later. Probably because I've had time to think about and improve them as I type.
Writing the post doesn't take me too long – it's the getting myself to sit down and actually write a post that takes the longest!
Jeez, I am seething with envy, and wondering what is wrong with me! I'm REALLY new at this, and I seem to be taking forever to post! I guess a lot if it is due to re-writes, adding stuff, etc. (and of course, tons of self-doubt…)
I DO keep a page of ideas, and that has come in handy. I love Melinda's idea of working on multiple posts at the same time (that should satisfy my 'distracted by shiny objects' tendencies!)
Thanks for the great post!
I think the best posts I've ever written have taken a matter of only minutes, and it's been when I've sat down and poured out my heart. Letters to my son, a few posts after my dad died…they're probably my best, and they were the easiest to write b/c I was just running on pure emotion. When I have to logically put arguments or opinions together for a blog post, it takes ages, most of the time because I know what I want to say, but saying it in a way people will want to read it, and will relate to it…it can be difficult.
I totally need to start writing down my ideas. I often think of something and by the time I get to the computer it's gone. Maybe those ideas aren't that great to start with tho?
Thank you for this! Makes me feel better about taking so long to post. Some great ideas too – I find I often have dry spells and am then reluctant to get back into blogging because I just can't seem to categorise all the ideas running through my head. Will be getting my notebook out though and leaving it in my handbag. You've re-inspired me to blog. I can do it! I can do it! I know I can do it!!! xxx
Because I am anal it takes me too long! What helps is giving myself a time frame 🙂
Great post, just what i was looking for today. Thanks! I am going to try the notebook thing!
These sorts of posts are always in my drafts folder! I love to know how others blog too. I range from complete writer's block to a million ideas. I draft an idea and then build on it over a few days or even a month, while some nights I punch out four with inspiration! But yes, the ones where I ask for help, or talk about my thoughts about mothering are definitely my most popular posts (apart from Fancy Pants – because we all love a little fluff every now and then!) xx
Awesome tips Chantelle, thank you! I use the tip with the photos already and sometimes the inspiration for the post comes out of the photo!
You are SO RIGHT about the ideas though, as I often have a good post flowing in my head… while I'm washing my hair! Go figure?! But trying to construct it by the time I'm ready to blog, just doesn't happen.
Most of my posts I work on over the course of an afternoon or evening, tweaking as I go… in between making dinner/bath time/bed time stories!
Thank you SO MUCH for visiting my blog and leaving a comment. I can honestly say, seeing that just now, gave me the brightest of smiles :o) xo
It takes me a while to edit all my photo's but once that's done it takes less than 20 minutes.
Mine vary a bit, perhaps around half an hour if uninterrupted by the toddler! I like to use a lot of photos, so arranging them all takes some time. I like to write series of draft when I have time so I can quickly fix them and post when I have a spare minute or 10.
I bought a journal just for this purpose but have yet to write down a single idea…and now I can't remember even one of them. Need to make it a priority.
Top post Chantelle. My posts rarely take longer than 15-20 minutes. If they did, I'd give up before I got to the end! But I do find the image-sourcing time consuming. Need to work on that.
Thanks for sharing your suggestions, I especially like the one about using those 10-15 minutes in between things. You've inspired me. I'm going to have a notebook handy, and jot ideas and blogs down:)
Oh Chantelle!! You rock!! I love this post and I love the last line from the Disney guy, yes! Good enough is good enough!!! Nothing is perfect. have you ever noticed how many typos are in the newspaper or magazines! But really who cares about a simple typo.
Oh and I love, love, love your P.S!
Great tips about images. Sometimes it can take me hours to find the right one, but also I try to take photos of my own to go with the post, so that in itself can take ages (this week I spent over an hour on photos for this post http://www.foxinflats.com.au/2011/05/style-on-the-go-top-50-bloggers/ , AND nearly got run over. The things you do… Thanks to Naomi at SevenCherubs for pointing me here too. xxx
Great post! My blog process is sort of the same. Though instead of a single book I have multiple places where my notes end up all over the house…let me correct myself, in 'my head' I have the same process but in action I'm slightly on the unorganised side. I have a 19mth old son, and his idea of doing his own thing is pulling me from off my chair (literally) and making me sit on the floor to watch him do his thing. I cherish and embrace my spare moments because they are only very short. I've only just come across your blog and loving it!
Thank you for all the great tips, especially the one on perfection. I have wanted to start a blog for over a year now but have worried about putting together an attractive layout, how much is too much, interesting content, etc. I am grateful for the tips but most of all the 'good enough is good enough'. I can always change the layout, read comments to improve content, and just enjoy the process.
Also the commenting. I have been a 'blog stalker' for over two years…this is my first comment.
It often depends on how pictures I want to put in. Most of the time the editing is the longest process, but I've improved at it lately and frankly, this feels so good.
Writing my posts don't take me long, I usually uses simple words and my blog is more of a diary than anything else.
Thanks for the tips and ideas. =)
thank you for another inspiring post! I'm reading all your blog ideas this morning with a nice cup of coffee and have already written down a page full of ideas and tips! Thanks for sharing!
🙂
These are great tips, and I already follow most of them! The best tip, especially for me, is to embrace a spare moment. I'm home with my 3 year old and my very needy nursing 2 month old. If he is content on his own for even 5 minutes, I try to get something in. It might take me all day to get one post finished, but I do what I can with what I am given!
A little late to the party but I've finally had time to go through your blog (whilst procrastinating on fixing up a nursery).
My most popular blog post took a lot of planning and was in drafts for weeks waiting to be published, but took only seconds to write. It was my announcement of my second pregnancy and it got over 200 notes within a day. It made me cry.
http://ofallthestarrsinthesky.tumblr.com/post/12529534316/an-announcement
In fat, my most popular posts all have less that three sentences of text. A picture speaks a thousand words, so I'll take that as a compliment rather than my text posts being boring! Haha.
i’m starting a new blog, and i came across to this page and i think this is very helpful for the newbie. Thank you! 🙂 ladadice.blogspot.com
I just started a new blog as well. My old one was kind of… dead lol check out the new one 😀 http://kittykittybitme.blogspot.com/