As a blogger who reads the blogs of fellow bloggers (too much blog?) I have noticed that we are almost always one of two types, the scheduled posters or the spontaneous posters. Today as part of my 'amateur blogging 101' I'm going to chat to you a little bit about spontaneity and scheduling because I have been known to adopt both methods in the last year I have been 'Granite City Girl' and I would like to share why as well as a few tips on how I schedule my posts.
When I first started I didn't have a routine at all, in fact I felt I had so many ideas and things I wanted to share that I would quite regularly post twice in one day because I was just too excited and felt an urgency to share (plus I was afraid I would forget what I wanted to say) These posts were often quite a bit shorter, rushed and if I'm honest they just came across as sloppy, in fact you can see the difference (I hope) if you look back at last Feb's posts in comparison to this years. I think I felt that if I ever missed a day of posting that I would need to make up for it the next day and that meant my content would suffer as a result and these days content is just not something I am willing to compromise on. Of course that isn't to say spontaneous posting doesn't work for everyone, in fact for some bloggers I find it adds to the charm and overall feel of their site if they aren't sticking to a schedule and obviously there are times, whether due to university studies, family commitments or illness that it just isn't practical to plan out your blogging schedule as I found when I was juggling my job, university and wedding planning (remember it's okay to take a break)
Today however, times have changed and I have adopted a manageable schedule I feel suits my available time, lifestyle and general personality. In fact it was one of my New Years Resolutions to not only up my weekly posts from 2 to 3 but also to post on dedicated days and times. In order to achieve this I make sure my posts are scheduled around 2 weeks in advance and keep a diary of what is going up and when, and today when I have an idea I don't rush to post it online through fear of it being lost in the vast dark spaces in my brain but I keep a note of it in my diary alongside my schedule and I'll build upon it later. As this is my hobby I really don't allow it to stress me out entirely, if I feel a bit anxious about posting or pressured in any way I step away and do something else for a while, at the end of the day a hobby shouldn't make you feel antsy or stressed in any way, but I completely understand the pressure bloggers face (these are the times I thank the lord I'm not famous and can sit in my pjs just fine!)
There are times however I feel spontaneous posting is necessary, for example those times you are announcing something small or you want to share a little snippet from your life that perhaps doesn't necessarily merit an entire post day dedication, for example when I announced Granite City Girl was on Pinterest or when I wanted to share an event that was happening in my hometown a few weeks ago, just little things. These are events I will usually post about on a Thursday or Saturday. I have posted an example of my own schedule below, just to give you an idea:
Today however, times have changed and I have adopted a manageable schedule I feel suits my available time, lifestyle and general personality. In fact it was one of my New Years Resolutions to not only up my weekly posts from 2 to 3 but also to post on dedicated days and times. In order to achieve this I make sure my posts are scheduled around 2 weeks in advance and keep a diary of what is going up and when, and today when I have an idea I don't rush to post it online through fear of it being lost in the vast dark spaces in my brain but I keep a note of it in my diary alongside my schedule and I'll build upon it later. As this is my hobby I really don't allow it to stress me out entirely, if I feel a bit anxious about posting or pressured in any way I step away and do something else for a while, at the end of the day a hobby shouldn't make you feel antsy or stressed in any way, but I completely understand the pressure bloggers face (these are the times I thank the lord I'm not famous and can sit in my pjs just fine!)
There are times however I feel spontaneous posting is necessary, for example those times you are announcing something small or you want to share a little snippet from your life that perhaps doesn't necessarily merit an entire post day dedication, for example when I announced Granite City Girl was on Pinterest or when I wanted to share an event that was happening in my hometown a few weeks ago, just little things. These are events I will usually post about on a Thursday or Saturday. I have posted an example of my own schedule below, just to give you an idea:
Granite City Girls Post Schedule
Wednesday 9.00am (GMT)
SP: Tursday 9.00am - 12.00pm (GMT)
SP: Tursday 9.00am - 12.00pm (GMT)
Friday 9.00am (GMT)
SP: Saturday 9.00am - 12.00pm (GMT)
SP: Saturday 9.00am - 12.00pm (GMT)
Sunday 9.00am (GMT)
I do hope this has helped shed some light on why things are the way they are on Granite City Girl (and hasn't made me look like too much of a control freak) but of course if you have any questions or comments about the blog, content, scheduling or anything be sure to ask in the comments below. I'd be really interested to know if you have ever felt pressured as I did to post daily and what it is you do to combat that, be sure to comment below, share your thoughts with my on Twitter or of course if you'd like to see more from me you can find my blog on Bloglovin.
Until next time folks, penciling in our next appointment!
H.Elizabeth xx
Yeah I find I am so much more organised when my posts are scheduled, and tweets too!
ReplyDeleteJosie XOXO
Fashion Mumblr
Sometimes I just feel like I am better at life when I work to a schedule, I have yet to reach the level of scheduled Tweets but I'm sure I'll get there!
DeleteHannah xx
Hannah | Granite City Girl
I seemed to have gotten a lot more visitors to my blog since I've started scheduling my posts & tweets. I kind of like the consistency too, as I got in this habit of trying to blog daily and I was totally drained by the first week! I think it's important to do what you feel more comfortable. I don't know about you but i'm stressed it is totally reflected in my writing!
ReplyDeleteRoxie ♥
http://thebeautifulbluebird.blogspot.co.uk/
Definitely, I think people like when you work to a schedule and I always think it's a nice little thing to add into your routine if someone posts at a certain time. Yeah working full time and having other commitments it just isn't practical writing daily (unless you are a super serial scheduler) I agree it comes across when the writer is stressed or rushed.
DeleteHannah xx
Hannah | Granite City Girl
I'd read about scheduling a few times before I started blogging for myself, so I always a rough idea of what I should and shouldn't do.
ReplyDeleteI have been blogging since Jan 1st, and since then have been posting every Thursday since. Why? mostly because it slots in with the fact Thursdays a half day, and I use my Mondays off to plan ahead :) thankfully it has worked out so far, but I don't think I could post more than once a week because I'm pretty swamped with studies and don't want to make it another task to struggle with. x
www.sheintheknow.co.uk
I definitely think it makes a difference to your writing quality and overall blog if you're posting when you are able, you've really got to make sure you don't bog yourself down with too much all at once and you are right to put your studies first :)
DeleteHannah xx
Hannah | Granite City Girl