Scheduling Your Blog PLUS Free Printable Calendar

You know the drill. It's late Sunday night and you forgot to write your post for tomorrow's blog. You want to be on a schedule. In fact, you are bound and determined to get organized and post every day, right? Keeping up with a blog is not for the faint of heart!

But there is hope for the weary.

Did you know that it is not necessary to blog every day? Not even every other day. Because truly, do you read every single blog you subscribe to every single day? No! It's impossible! Not every topic you write on is going to interest every single reader.

I've noticed something in my blogging journey. When I don't comment on other's blogs, I don't get comments on mine. I'm know I used to kill myself commenting on everyone's blog, but I just can't anymore. I don't have the time. So I've decided to spend my time blogging on what I am passionate about, not what I "think" other people might want to hear about. Because if we want people to read our blogs, we have to love what we are writing about. We need to be "real" and "engaging" in whatever topic we write about, because it is the personality of your blog that people flock to....not how often you post. And really, right now blogging is just a fun thing for me. I shouldn't dread it!

While there is no rules for how often to post, it is good to get in a habit of posting regularly. You need to decide what that looks like for you. You might be a weekend blogger. Or you may just be a Tuesday/Thursday blogger. Or you may be like the majority of bloggers and blog Monday/Wednesday/Friday. Just get into the habit of doing it, creating content that YOU love.

Here's some interesting facts about blogging, taken from Kissmetrics.

• The highest percentage of users read blogs in the morning.
• The average blog usually gets the most traffic on Monday.
• The average blog usually gets the most traffic around 11 am. (Eastern time)
• The average blog usually gets the most comments on Saturday.
• The average blog usually gets the most comments around 9 a.m.
• The average blog usually gets the most inbound links around 7 a.m. (those are links back to your post)
• If you post more than once a day, the chances of getting more unique views and inbound links are great. (That seemed rather obvious to me.)

So there is something to be said for scheduling your blog and being regular about it. If you get more traffic on Monday, then schedule your blog to post at 5 or 6 a.m. to so that it will be picked up in people's feeds by 7 a.m. You could even do a 2-parter. Post 1/2 the blog post in the morning, then the other 1/2 in the afternoon. I don't know of anyone who does that, but it is outside of the box, right? ;)

I want to share something that has worked for me. I use a blog schedule calendar and it has really helped to keep me more focused. I saw some across the internet and thought "I could make one!". And so I did. Here is a screen shot of what it looks like.

You can write the topic or title of your post on the day you would like to schedule it, then when you have it written and scheduled you can check the little yellow circle. You may have several posts going at once, but you will know it's scheduled once the circle is checked. This is just for printing. It is not editable. 

You can CLICK HERE to download the Blogging Schedule Calendar Printable. I have only created April through December for 2013. Who knows...maybe I'll created 2014 as a Christmas present for you!

Let's hear from you! What has helped you in your blogging schedule. What tips can you give us? What have you learned along the road? 

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This post is brought to you by

 Sherrinda Ketchersid

Sherrinda is a minister's wife and mother to three giant sons and one gorgeous daughter. A born and bred Texan, she writes historical romance filled with fun, faith, and forever love.

Guest Post: Kristy Wedge Cambron on Post Your Passion

So when I asked for some tips on social media from a few fellow authors, Kristy Wedge Cambron gave me so many good tips on her facebook posting guidelines I decided this was due its own post. Enjoy, I think these are truly gems!-Julia




 I do have some FB posting guidelines that if I were writing a blog post on the subject, I would be sure to share:


1) POST YOUR PASSION - Find that one thing that drives your FB page, your posts, your pictures - find what it is and do not hesitate to post about it. I adore Jane Austen. I love all things Paris. I have a soft spot for classic movies. All of these things make their way on to my blog and my FB Author Page. But the one thing that I have true passion for - the post that I will never be ashamed to share - is one that glorifies Jesus Christ. Post your passion.


2) STAY CONSISTENT - This isn't referring to frequency of posts, though I do believe it's important. But the real focus of consistency is to stay true to your brand. I write "Vintage Romance with a Heart for Christ". That tells the story of my author brand and I try to stick to it. That means that I post pictures of romantic Paris, classic literature quotes, scripture verses, pictures of vintage weddings, links to wedding blogs in the UK... anything that ties in with my brand will help readers to know what to expect when they come to my FB page/blog, and they'll come back because of it.


3) DO NOT ALIENATE YOUR READERS - To use a recent example in our country - I do not write for Republicans or Democrats. I write for Jesus. That means that despite my own personal views, I have readers that may have an opposite opinion. I try to remember that when I post. I won't reach anyone for Christ if I am driving away readers with non-writing, non-author, non-Christian posts. (But remember my POST FOR PASSION example - I will post Biblical, Jesus-focused posts, without shame.)


4) IT'S ALL ABOUT STRATEGY - What's hot right now and fits in with my personal brand? Downton Abbey is an excellent example. When I post a link for something specific that has a lot of attention on it - such as Downton Abbey - I follow that up with a post that links to my recent blog post, for example, so it sits right next to it on my FB Author Page. Readers will see that. Take the posts you know will draw traffic and use it to your advantage.


5) REMEMBER YOUR ALTER-EGO - Even Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent had to remember the fact that they had dual personalities. I am constantly reminded that while I am a Christian author, I also have an alter-ego as a Learning Consultant in Corporate America. My employer is also active on Facebook and I keep the two personas in very separate camps because of it. My author page does not mention my employer. My leader and peers at the office do follow my FB Author page, but I keep in mind the fact that I always represent my employer (even when I do not profess to).


6) POSITIVITY REIGNS - I don't care how terrible my day was at the office or how frustrated I am when my cable provider has me on hold for an hour - I don't post about it. Readers come to FB for an escape, for entertainment, for connectivity... they don't jump onto social media excited to read a rant of negativity. As with our personal brand and as a professed follower of Jesus, I do not see a benefit in passing on more negativity. Now, posting prayer requests is completely different - that builds connectivity with others/readers. But blasting another religion, political party, even another football team (and I am a HUGE football fan) - I won't do it. If I represent Jesus (POST YOUR PASSION




To add a couple of extra things... I always make sure I support my peers. If another author is having a giveaway, I will post a link to it. If a publisher is asking for shares of a particular post, I will share it. Giving your readers links to free Kindle books, giveaways, even links to Downton Abbey Season 3 - these draw readers to your page. But supporting another author just because you want to get more attention on Christian Fiction as a whole? That builds genuine relationships in our author community. I support other authors because I want them to succeed too. Any book that glorifies Christ deserves a mention on my page. ; )ain), I won't represent negativity at the same time.




One more thing... When readers comment on your posts, DON'T LEAVE THEM HANGING! Ask questions, engage, be authentic with your readers and they will with you in return.

Kristy Wedge Cambron has a gorgeous blog here: http://paris-mom.blogspot.com/