Oct 2, 2014 / General Advice & Pro Tips

Three Habits of Highly Effective Bloggers

Pro tips for blogging success!

Image by <a href="http://pixabay.com/en/colored-pencils-colour-pencils-star-179170/">stux</a> <a href="http://pixabay.com/en/service/terms/#download_terms">Creative Commons Deed CC0</a>

It happens: you resolve to blog regularly, but life gets in the way. Now is always the best time to recommit to a blogging habit.

In that vein, here are a few tips for how to organize and support your blogging efforts for maximum efficiency. Think of it as your back-to-blogging prep list. 

Create an Editorial Calendar

The best way to maintain a regular blogging habit is to come up with a plan and stick to it. Creating an editorial calendar is a great way to commit yourself to regular content for the next however many months. Plus, it’s a lot easier to sit down and write if you already know that you planned to post a photo essay on the second Monday of November, then if you just know you really ought to post something sometime.

An editorial calendar also helps you establish regular features — for example, maybe you post a recipe every Tuesday and a DIY craft project every Thursday. This takes some of the guesswork out of what to post, and it also gives your readers an idea of what to expect.

And if you’re in the zone on a snowy Sunday and knock out five or six upcoming posts,  you can schedule them according to your planned calendar, and they’ll post themselves when it’s time.

Use an App

Ideally, every time we sit down to write, we’re seated in a well-appointed library overlooking the beach of a private island, in complete silence, a steaming cup of perfectly brewed coffee at hand.

In reality, though, if we waited until our surroundings were ideal to sit down and write, we’d be waiting a long, long time.

Phones and tablets make it easy to blog from wherever you are, whether that’s on your commute, at your kid’s music lesson, or in the waiting room at the doctor’s office. With the WordPress mobile app, you can blog on your mobile device anywhere. This frees you up from the ‘must be at my desk to write’ mindset, and you might find it also extends your creativity in new ways.

For example, maybe you typically write long, thoughtful posts, but you notice a funny sign or an interesting painting while you’re out and about, so you snap a photo and dash off a few lines about it right there. If you look for inspiration wherever you go, you’ll notice your surroundings more, and honing your observational skills will enrich your writing overall. Plus, you’re less likely to forget about an idea if you jot down a few lines about it when it first strikes you.

If you’ve never tried out the mobile app, download it at home and get familiar with it. Then, next time you’re not at your desk when the muse arrives, you don’t have to tell her to wait.

Follow Topics

When it comes to expert blogging, writing is only half the work. For traffic building, it’s just as important to read and comment on other blogs (and just as hard to get around to). To make it easier on yourself, build reading and commenting time into your editorial calendar.

Then, try following some very specific relevant tags in the reader. For example, if you blog a lot about speculative fiction, you could follow books or scifi to find other bloggers with your interests, but you’ll probably get more bang for your buck if you follow more precise tags, like speculative fiction, alternate history, or dystopia.

By doing this, you’re essentially creating an ongoing reading list for yourself, so that when you have the time and inclination, you don’t have to hunt around for what to read. And remember — you can easily use your Reader in the mobile app, so the next time you’re stuck in line somewhere but don’t have the energy to write, fire up your WordPress app and start reading! If you find a post you like, you can like it, comment on it, and follow the blog, all from the app.

I hope these tips will kickstart your fall blogging productivity. If I missed a good one, share it with us in the comments!

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  1. Ooooo, I like the calendar, great idea for getting organised with postings! I’ve been making a concerted effort to read more blogs and comment more, hoping that lovely fellow bloggers will return the favour with my blog over time 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I had a good laugh this morning with my coffee thanks to your “If You’re Single…at Any Age” post. (But even after 16 years of marriage #4 still applies for me- my money is my money!) 🙂

      Like

  3. I’ve recently begun reading other blogs quite often and I am loving it! I love to hear what others have to say, and it’s awesome to come across someone who thinks just like you!

    Jenn

    Liked by 1 person

  4. I love what you had to say here but I also find it difficult to do part 3. I get the finding the blogs to regularly follow, I guess I’m just not sure how to make acquaintances on blogs or get someone to want to visit my own blog. Traffic is the most difficult thing to come by it seems. Do you have any thoughts on how to comment in a way that isn’t “selling yourself” and still getting someone’s piqued interest to see what you have to say? Thanks!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. >>>Do you have any thoughts on how to comment in a way that isn’t “selling yourself” and still getting someone’s piqued interest to see what you have to say?<<<

      Here are some tips I picked up:

      – when you reply to someones's post, don't ask the blogger to check out your blog (unless you've written something similar to the post your're replying to). If s/he thinks your reply interesting, s/he will visit of their own accord and might even add you.

      – behave naturally, be polite, make a joke where appropriate. Usually if your post is thoughtful and/or knowledgeable people will notice and will want to engage with you.

      – don't expect all of your replies to get people to check your blog, but some will, sometimes even months down the road. Most people are very friendly but there are some hard arses 😉

      – don't be shy. As the say, the only reply guaranteed not to get a reaction is the one you never posted 😉

      – don't feel afraid of asking questions on other blogs. People tend to like helping others (especially about things they are passionate about) and before you know it you've sparked up a conversation.

      Liked by 3 people

    2. necessary love, I checked out your blog and I like your writing. I’m adding you to my reading list.
      As far as getting more traffic, I recommend checking out http://www.goinswriter.com. He has an Intentional Blogging course that is free and full of practical info on building your audience.
      I am still a very new blogger, but I have found his advice very helpful.
      Good luck and keep writing!

      Like

  11. This is a great list, thank you! I’ve only just started me blog (or restarted it depending on how you want to look at it) and one of the things i’m really bad about is keeping on schedule. I like the idea of a calendar.

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  12. It would be nice if the app had the same ability to go to media library as the website. While it’s nice to be able to easily add a photo from camera roll, sometimes you want to add from media library and you can’t.

    Also both site and app need to make it easier to swap between publish immediately and schedule. The ease sea to only go one way – towards schedule.

    Also the app should be able to insert media where the cursor is not just at the bottom.

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  13. I LOVE school supply shopping! My husband says I have a problem… But I know I’m not alone in this obsession. Thanks for the great tips. I started trying to plan my posts out in my planner and it definitely helps! Thanks for sharing about the WordPress app… I just switched over from blogger and I haven’t had time to check out the app store to download it. Now, I’ll definitely make a point to get it. Thanks for a great and helpful post!

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  14. Great tips! I’d also add – keep an ideas list so that if you are stuck for a blog topic, you can look through your list for some inspiration. You can also keep links to reference material on the list to help with research etc. Happy blogging everyone!!

    Liked by 3 people

    2. A list is an excellent idea! I often us the Notes on my phone or laptop to jot down a title or subject if it pops into my head when I’m not ready to write.
      Your pictures on your blog are fantastic! 🙂

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      1. Thank you very much!! I use my phone to note ideas down too and then add them to the master list at home – I’m a bit of a list-maker but it really helps when I’m stuck! And thanks for your lovely compliment about my photos – I do love trying to capture this wonderful country and hope that I do it justice!! I’ll be keeping an eye out for your next blog too so keep up the good work! :o)

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  16. I’m a big fan of the WordPress app and try to always read on my lunch break but I’m pretty awful at commenting. Must make more of an effort with it!

    Liked by 1 person

  20. This is such good advice! I’ve just started to re-run my blog after a year off and even though i’ve only made one new post so far, im super excited for making this a regular part of my week 🙂
    definitely need to make a schedule and need to start networking with more blogs alike to mine.. thanks again 🙂
    Rach x

    (ifeelikedrawing)

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  22. I do nearly all my blogging through the app – now that the bug for the most recent iOS 8.0.2 was fixed (image upload). But as far as following other blogs – how do you follow a specific topic or a tag through the reader page? I can’t find anywhere that lets you do this –

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  23. Some excellent advice. I have been trying to be more disciplined, but I can resist everything except temptation!

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  24. Great advice! I am such a newbie… I need all the advice I can get. Loving blogging and reading other blogs, but must work on some sort of schedule 😉

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  26. I’m guilty of waiting for inspiration too and love the idea of scheduling blogging time, I suppose part of my worry would be to post too often and become a nuisance to my lovely followers (I have 48! -so exciting!!!) 🙂

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    1. I should get to the point where I annoy by posting too much. 🙂
      I think what’s great about establishing the schedule is it is yours to adapt to what works for you. If you are blessed to have too much material you can always schedule it out or save it for a period when life is too crazy to write as much.

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  27. I’ve read quite a few blogs on how to be an effective and efficient blogger. I have not been one to be able to keep a daily, or weekly to do list as often times I do not end up following it whatsoever!

    Just study schedules are ones that work haha!

    However, I like how easy you have made it seem for a blogger to be effective. That being said, I will once again attempt to keeping a blog schedule! 🙂

    Like

    1. I find blogs to read from posts like this one, and I love the variety of topics I stumble across.

      You have a pure, raw, and beautiful writing style. You are a voice that needs to be heard.

      Like