Blogging – a step-by-step guide
If you have ever tried to maintain a blog, you are probably aware of how quickly things can go off the rails when times get busy. But with a bit of preparation, you can create a plan that is easy to follow (and stick to):
Get everyone on board.
Make sure everyone on your team knows the reasons and goals for the blog. This way everyone can contribute ideas.
Delegate tasks.
Who is the administrator? Who are the authors? Who will proofread? Who will push out on your socials? Everyone on your team can (and should) have a role.
Schedule dates for your blogs.
Decide how often to post, and stick to it. Consistency is key – it gives viewers/followers something to look forward to (and a timeline for you to keep to).
Keep an ‘ideas’ file.
Store blog ideas in a place where everyone can add to or pull from so it’s easy to generate blog ideas.
Give the authors plenty of notice AND a due date.
The blog administrator should send out regular emails about whose turn is next and when first drafts are due. Give plenty of time to allow for vacations/busy times.
Be flexible!
Things may come up that trigger an idea for a blog that isn’t scheduled (our team just had to comment on Kraft Dinner’s ice cream). Or perhaps a blog idea doesn’t come together, or client needs one month are heavier than another. You may need to ‘go with flow’.
Use your industry calendar to get ideas.
Often there are regular events within your industry that warrant a blog discussion. At TLM, we often look at upcoming marketing trends as a year-end post or what the Colour of the Year is. These provide regular content that followers look forward to.
Invite a guest blogger.
Do you have suppliers or clients that might be willing to contribute? Guest blogs add new flavour to your content. It can also bring the guest’s subscribers to your blog and vice versa.
Have backups.
There will inevitably be times where any careful schedule goes awry, so it is ideal to have a couple of “backup” blogs ready to go at a moment’s notice. These blogs can be written when things are less busy. They should contain quality content, but not be time-sensitive.