Our guest author today is Jason Miner, who gives us some tips something many of us could really use.
When you have a blog you know that one of the most important things to do is keep it updated regularly. Keeping your blog updated means that you keep your blog alive and active. This also means that you continue to sustain the number of readers you need and bring in new traffic as well. This is due to several factors including the way that search engines like Google prefer new information over old information, that newsfeeds are updated according to date many times, and that keeping your blog’s name in people’s minds on a regular basis helps to keep your audience strong. However there are many times when bloggers are in a hurry and do not feel like they have the time necessary to make a quality blog post. Rather than skipping your update all together, here are some helpful tips on blogging in a hurry:
- Edit later – One thing I always come across in my blogging is that the faster I want to type and the less time I have the worse my spelling gets. My blog posts look like a teacher has gone crazy with red pens. I used to stop and try to write more clearly or even stop and edit my work as I went along but that did not turn out well. When I did that it threw off my train of thought and I ended up taking even longer to write a post. So I have learned to get the whole post written and then come back and edit when I am done. This allows me to stay on topic and get things written before I forget what I am doing and yet still deliver a quality post. Do not skip the editing. The faster you go the more mistakes you will make. I have left out words and even entire sentences in my hurry to get my thoughts down on paper.
- Use multimedia and images – When you are pressed for time you do not always have to write a blog post. Instead you can incorporate multimedia like videos, music, or infographics. Creating a video blog post has never been easier. Many laptops have a built in web cam and microphone so you can make a video of yourself with no problem. Not your cup of tea? Well, then why not record yourself preforming a task on the computer as a step by step guide. You can even use PowerPoint or other programs to create a slideshow of sorts. If all that sounds like a lot of work to you then you could always link to a video that is already created. Infographics are very popular on social media and can make for great blog posts. Try to add your own caption for the best effect. Images catch people’s eyes and make them stop and check things out. Adding images to your blog posts mean you will get more traffic but it also means that you need to include some text. Just slapping a picture up will not make a blog post. Add a caption that relates the image to your blog in some way and you are done! You can even make image collections for greater effects.
- Keep it short – No one said your blog posts have to be long. Everyone is worried about quality, but length is not the issue there. Some ideas can be told in just a few sentences. If you are in a hurry then try to keep your post between five hundred and one thousand words. Five hundred is really as small as you should go for the sake of search engines, but over a thousand means more work for you and less readers. Keep it short and sweet and scannable. People do not want to read a long blog post full of text. Break it up into subsections or bullet points. Make the paragraphs small and easy to follow as well. The easier you make it for people to read the more traffic you will get.
- Have fun with it – When you are in a hurry do not pick a blog post topic that will be hard for you to write. Instead pick something that is fun for you to think about. It can be anything as long as you relate it somewhat to your blog’s overall niche topic. The more fun you have with the idea the faster you will get it out of your head and on to the paper. Get creative and come up with something really fun or funny to write. Personally I like weird superhero comparisons or sarcastic humor, but your style could be towards music or puns. Whatever the case may be, having fun with your post virtually guarantees it will be done quickly and people will enjoy reading it.
- Be human –One of the things I like most about blogging is that bloggers are human. Unlike in business or when writing term papers, you are encouraged as a blogger to be human and relatable. That means that when you are having a hard day you are free to share your difficulties. Maybe you have a thousand things to do or you have someone calling you or you just do not feel well. Share that with your readers in your blog post. You may be surprised at how many of them have gone through the same thing. Making your blog human is a good thing. It helps people to relate to you and want to come back to learn more about you. Do not be afraid to share your life with your readers and get a blog post out in the process!
- Get guest posts – Guest posting is not just for the big guys. If you have any kind of relationship with your fellow bloggers then I am sure you have at least a couple you could reach out to for guest posts. Guest posts work because both parties get something out of it. They are giving you free content, sure, but in return they are getting a link to their page, which helps their search engine rankings, and they also get exposure to your audience. There for everyone wins/ Do not be afraid to ask for guest posts. It can be a great way to get quality content that you do not have to spend the time to write yourself.
- Have backups – We all have days when we are super productive. Maybe you have had days where you have cranked out more blog posts then you needed. Save those! Try to write evergreen content that you can save and use later when you are in a pinch. It is a great way to get posts out when you are sick or pressed for time. Recycle your posts regularly to make sure they are up to date and when you use one be sure to replace it as soon as possible. This method can help you to keep your blog alive even when you are not up to blogging.
- Make a list –Last but not least, make a list. This can mean a list post like this one or just a list of your ideas. I know when I am blogging I get caught up in what I am doing and forget my next point. That is why I always make lists or outlines before I start and add to those lists as I go along. I get new ideas all the time but if I do not write them down then they disappear. Instead make a list of what points you want to cover and then refer to it whenever you get stuck. This can help you to stay productive and make the most of your time. When you are in a hurry oftentimes coming up with ideas is the slowest part. Best of all, readers love list posts as well. It helps them to scan the posts and only read the points that are important to them. Numbers work well on search engines as well, so a list post is a great advantage no matter how you look at it.
These are just some of the ways that you can make the most of your time when you are in a hurry. Do not skip updating your blog on a busy day. Instead check out these few tips and keep your blog alive and reaching more and more readers. Good luck to you and happy blogging!
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Jason Miner plays a vital role for www.blogcarnival.com. He is an expert in writing topics of different categories. He is helping the carnival team to grow & working on making this an even better place for bloggers.