Today is one of those days that I'm glad I'm taking my own advice. I feel really foggy today, as I'm certain most bloggers do at some time or another. I definitely didn't feel like posting to the blog. Fortunately, I prepared in advance for this eventuality, so its not really the issue it could have been.
So, here are my 3 tips to help avoid last minute scrambles to find a blog topic for the day.
-
1) create blog topics month in advance ... 20, 30, even 40 at a time. To be more specific, I recently made a commitment to myself to prepare a list of possible blog topics months in advance, so I'd never have to scramble last minute to find something to blog about.
2) sometimes coming up with enough ideas at one sitting is near impossible. If that's the case, brainstorm blog ideas with others. The introduction of another mind in the equation can lead to completely new ideas and perspectives, that otherwise wouldn't have been. I've heard it referred to as the '3rd mind'.
-
- if you have a brainstorm session with others, make sure all parties come to the table with ideas to begin with. A good way to stimulate ideas is to look at what yet others have blogged about in the days and week previously, including in the comments of those blogs. Often, many bloggers will end their post just where another could begin, or they'll stimulate another though related train of thought.
3) carry a small note pad or voice recorder with you always to record your ideas when you have them. Previously, I'm certain I had hundreds of great ideas for posts, that were lost forever because I didn't take the time to record them somewhere. For me, having a notebook at my bedside for my 3 am epiphinies is crucial ... don't know why it happens. It just does!
Tips to Avoid Foggy Blogging:
1) After I've compiled my list of blog ideas months in advance, I commit them to WordPress, and start to fill in the major sections I envision for each as I have time.
-
- As I do so, I'll start to see content gaps ie. what I need vs what I have.
- I assess what content I can find myself, and which I need to secure from others
- I can then request the needed content from others well in advance of actually needing it
2) In the end, I've got blogs ready typically 2-3 weeks in advance. So, if I'm foggy that day, I post one already written.
or if need be, the option of last resort ...
3) Find a great industry cartoon ... post it, and give acknowledgements as due.
That's it! Happy blogging!