As the Ultimate Blog Challenge has kicked off again for October (under fabulous new leadership), I’ve set a personal goal to blog daily this month.
I’ve already seen the amazing results that come from consistent blogging. If you haven’t yet, I challenge YOU to try it for a month and see what happens! Sign up for the totally free Ultimate Blog Challenge and join me.
Done? All signed up? Great! Now let’s move on to the 9 rules I’ve discovered are key to blogging almost every day.
1. Make a commitment to yourself and your readers. And then put it on your schedule.
Writing every single day. 15 – 45 minutes depending on how you write. I’ve committed to making it the first thing I get done in the morning this month, before my day gets too crazy and I’m distracted by a million and one other things.
2. Always be reading – blogs, books, magazines…
I’ve got a Kindle FULL of great business books, magazine subscriptions… and blogs I’m subscribed to that hit my inbox every day. And I make time to read. It’s how I stay up to date and inspired.
3. Always be listening – for the conversations your clients and readers are having…
This is the best way to figure out how you can serve your audience. Listen to what they’re saying. What’s frustrating them? Where are they stuck? How can you help?
4. Always be learning and modeling…
Watch what’s working around you. In your industry. In other industries. Take those lessons and apply them to what you write and how you run your blog.
5. Keep an idea notebook and jot down ideas.
It’s simple, but it works. Use Workflowy or Evernote and put it on all your devices so you can add to your list anytime, anywhere. Need ideas to kickstart your brain? Try this.
6. Don’t try to be perfect.
It’s impossible and it’s over-rated. It will only slow you down and keep you from ever hitting publish. A typo isn’t the end of the world.
7. Be vulnerable.
Accept and make peace with the idea that not everyone is going to agree with you. That’s okay. You’ll live. And you might even find that in the discussions around your posts you learn something new or discover an angle or perspective you haven’t considered before.
Be open and willing to share your own challenges and vulnerabilities. Your readers want to know that you’re human and understand them.
8. Create a plan.
You don’t have to follow it to the letter. But create a plan. Give yourself a guide. It’s easier to write when the ideas are already mapped out.
9. Never follow the rules.
Yeah, I said that in a post with blogging rules. These are 9 things that work for me. Take what works for you and leave what doesn’t.
Your blog is YOURS. It’s okay to break the rules and do your own thing as long as you keep your ultimate goals in mind. Deliver quality content that helps your readers. Build an audience. Build a business. Express yourself.
Whatever you goals are, follow the rules that help you achieve those goals, and don’t worry about the rest.
What are your rules and habits that help you create new content consistently and build your blog?
Hello Michelle, I enjoyed reading your post, and especially love the last rule, the one that says “Never follow the rules.” I’m great at that one. I write almost daily too, and although I don’t have any structured rules, I do follow some willy-nilly. I’ve got too many draft posts to mention, ones I write when the moment takes me, to save for some other time. I’ve got notes and lists of ideas. I constantly read and borrow ideas. Sometimes I write in the morning and sometimes I write in the evening, but I make sure I write everyday. Unless I’m feeling crappy. It’s hard to get motivated then. Thanks for sharing your ideas!
Yes, I tend to collect draft posts, too… :)
It can be tough to get motivated sometimes. What usually works for me is to share something from someone else (an infographic, guest post, reprint article, YouTube video, etc) on those days.
Oh! P.S. I’m doing the Ultimate Blog Challenge too. It’s my 3rd one. Ciao!
Awesome, welcome back to the Challenge!
One of my techniques is to write down ideas as titles of draft posts. Then, when I need an idea, I just open WordPress and pick one of the drafts to write about. Another idea, which I used when I did the Ultimate Blog Challenge, is to create posts in series. So, I did a week on “making your website rock,” and 3 other weeks on other topics. A quick source for topics is alltop.com–they have pages on Internet marketing, speaking and a zillion other topics. Finally, picking up on what others are writing about, including trending topics, is a great way to piggyback on what people are currently interested in.
Hey Ellen, I like that strategy – the title’s enough to remember the idea. Alltop and trending topics are great suggestions, thank you for sharing them! :)
Loved number 9 its my first rule in my Rules of the road. Make your own rules.
I personally never follow the rules, I really don’t break the rules, I simply make my own rules.
Rock on
Tim
Making your own works, too! :)
Thanks for reading and commenting, Tim.
Thanks Michelle! I am guilty of #2 to the point that I read when I should be writing :) or sleeping. Reading as a sleep disorder, sounds like a post idea.
I have a sneaking suspicion many of your readers would identify with that “disorder”, Laura!
I needed this, thank you. Was there supposed to be a link for idea help in #5?
Yep – should link to this: https://michelleshaeffer.com/business-blog-post-ideas/2014/01/16/
I’ll check on it, thanks for letting me know. :)
Thanks for all the good reminders, especially to READ lots (easy to do) and to blog daily. (NOT as easy to do!) I’ve been a lazy bum lately and I have to get back into he saddle. I find it is easiest when you are passionate about your post. Like my latest one… Why we need MORE Steve Jobs and LESS Bill Gates in Education.http://pattiemoss.blogspot.com/2014/10/we-need-more-steve-jobs-and-less-bill.html
Thanks Michelle for inspiring me. :D
Absolutely!! Being passionate about what you’re writing is such a key piece, Pattie.
I loved the last point the most, Michelle. Every time I try to follow the rules for blogging, I find my creativity stifled and suffer immense writer’s block. Much better to write with passion – the right readers follow.
Hi Michelle,
Another informative post. This post really useful for bloggers. I love your all rules. Especially last point Never follow the rules. I enjoyed reading this valuable post.
Thanks!
I have found #1 to be a real key for me – although I wish it only took me 15-30 minutes to craft a post! Sometimes it takes me longer to find a title than it takes to write the post. I do have a SEO checker plugin on WordPress, so I often find myself editing to get the SEO “green light” – meaning the title should contain my keyword. This gets tricky, because, at least according to the keyword checker, the keyword has to remain exactly the same throughout the post, no variations, like “hiring a virtual assistant” vs. ” hire a virtual assistant”.
How about a 90 day blogging challenge? Yup! I’m about half way through a 90 day business blogging challenge, right now. Started 1st October 2014, running through until 30th December 2014.