How Far Are You Behind on Your Blog? How to meet your deadlines today!

The better title for this post might have been how to get ahead of your blog because I’m going to talk about that. However, I feel confident the majority of readers, who see this title, have a blog and are behind

I hope that doesn’t sound snarky or mean spirited. It’s just what I’ve found to be true. Too many blogs are inconsistently fed content and some haven’t seen anything new for…a long time. Why is that?

Why We Get Behind on Our Blog

I said I’d talk about how to get ahead of your blog, but that begins by knowing why you’re behind. I’ve discussed this with individuals, marketing teams, and social media clubs. Here’s what I’ve learned.

Lack of Priority. Something is always more urgent than blogging. Part of the problem is when people get caught up in urgent tasks, those sudden fires that only they can put out, it keeps you away from the important tasks. The important tasks are those that help you reach your goals. Everyone who has a business blog knows how important content is. I don’t have to talk about Google bots, content, and SEO because you already know. So why are you behind? Try this, the next time you have an urgent task that’s going to take you away from important tasks such as blogging ask yourself this.
- Should I do this right now?
- Who else could handle this?
- If I do this now what am I putting off?

Sometimes, maybe even often you’ll need to jump to the urgent task, but not always.

The exception becomes the rule. We’re creatures of habit—good and bad. Blogging is an easy thing to put off. There’s no immediate reward. Deadlines aren’t real; we won’t miss a sale or a contract because we’re late on a blog post. And that’s a big part of the problem. Once we let a blog post slide it becomes easier and easier to let it go until you look up and the last time a new piece of content was published with four months ago.
The lack of a plan. There are very few things in business of much significance that don’t require a plan. Procedure books, written policies, and checklists abound. We wouldn’t think of attempting to complete payroll, accounting, or human resources by the seat of our pants, but that’s exactly the blogging plan for too many businesses use. The lack of a plan is a plan to fail.

So, How Do You Get Ahead of a Blog?

About eight months ago I was having dinner with a friend. She has her own business and had recently hired her first employee. This entrepreneur behind on her blog, but believed the addition of an employee would give her more time to write.

She asked for my advice. I inquired as to her writing plan. She didn’t have one other than carving out a couple of hours here and there. I asked her how her plan was working and she admitted she often sat in front of the keyboard and wondered what to write about.

She’s not alone, is she? I’ve heard the same from national firms, social media clubs, and private businesses I’ve helped. I know the trauma of staring at a blank keyboard all too well. You see, it’s the same mistake I made five years ago. Here’s what I’ve learned.

You Can’t Do it All at Once

Like my friend learned if your plan is to block out time and write, it may not be harder than you think. Like many complicated tasks, it may be better to break blogging into segments. I’ll explain.

Writing uses the creative side of your brain; editing uses the logical. Attempting to write and edit at the same time creates a disconnect. Try this the next time you write. Turn off spell check while you write. You’ll find the creative juices flow freer because you don’t keep turning them off by switching brains.

Break Your Blog Down Into Simple Steps

If you’ve tried sitting down to write with no plan, how’s that worked for you? Make a plan. Here’s a start.

Identify topics and add then to an editorial calendar
Under each topic list three or four ideas
Pick an idea to write about and do a little research
Write the post, do not edit as you go
Let the post sit 24 hours
Edit
Post it in WordPress
Find an image
Proofread one last time
Publish
Double check it on your website

That’s the basics of a plan. It’s a start. And if you want to get ahead and stay consistent, have at least four posts in WordPress before you publish the first. If you publish one new post per week, you’re four weeks ahead.

How to get started today!

I’ve thrown a lot at you fast and I know I’ve over-simplified it, but if you’re behind on your blog and you want to get ahead, it’s a start. If you want more, go to my book, How to Stay Ahead of Your Business Blog Forever, It’s only ten bucks, but if you can’t afford it contact me, rclark@tkographix.com.

I’ll send you a free copy because I’ve been where you are—behind on my blog with no light at the end of the tunnel. This book, which is based on all the mistakes I’ve made, is a way to the light, and I’m more than a little passionate about it.