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.

Improving your Websites and Blogs - a few how tos

Hidee ya'll, Pepper here and I wanted to fill you in on a few tips I learned from author, Jim Rubart, when he presented at The Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference a few weeks ago. Great presenter, btw, with lots of helpful info to share. The room was packed to brimming.

First of all, if you haven't visited Literary Agent, Rachelle Gardner's blog, you really need to. It's lovely, and is a good example of a healthy blogsite that has all those 'winning' qualities to keep it popular.

Another great blog to visit is Seekerville, filled with wonderful tips on writing - and just a lot of fun.

Anyway, on to the info :-)

WEBSITES:
People SKIM websites and if you don't get your point across within 7 seconds, the reader usually moves on. Talk about a hook! So what can you do to help people hang around your website? Or at least read it?

1. The top right corner is the prime realestate spot on your page. Make sure you have something very important in that prime spot.
A link to your blog?
Your newest book title.
The link to 'sign up' for your newsletter.
Whatever is the 'catch' for those cyberfish looking for a good read.
Important info on the RIGHT!

2. Write in first person, not third.
Put your bio in first person - conversational tone. First person gives a more welcoming feel to your website. You still want to be professional, but not distant.

3. Think bullet points
What are the most important things about you that you want to describe. Think about the to whom you wish to appeal - what points of interest about you might make them want to learn more?

4. Be creative. Have a message.
On my website, I try to draw people into a conversation. I try to appeal to moms, writers, professionals, and people with a sense of humor. My novels have humor in them, so I want my website to give a hint of what my stories will be like. My 'catch' phrase (or message) is "To Life, Laughter, and the Lord"

5. Be Professional - Jim called your website your "business card on steriods".

6. (MOST IMPORTANT) Your website is really about THE READER, not you. Your job is to get people to like you within 7 seconds, so you appeal to THEM. What will entertain, inspire, or inform them? It's your marketing tool.

BLOGS
The same basic rules apply for blogs, with some changes.
1. Still need a HOOK! Your post needs to grab and hold your readers' attention.
2. Needs to be short - WRITE TIGHT!! A post is considered long if it reaches 450 words (oops). Take all the 'boring' parts out of your post and only put the meat of your topic into it.
3. Have a point to your post.
4. Is it visually stimulating? Lots of text doesn't encourage readers. Placing bullet points, bold, lists, italics, and pictures makes the post more inviting.
5. Blog a minimum of 3 times a week.
6. Give your blog a theme. People come to your blog to learn about....?
7. Be polite - respond to people's comments
8. And remember, the blogs are for THE READER, not you.

A few final tips:
How can you increase blog bites?
1. Comment on other blogs
2. Offer to guest-post for someone or write for free
3. Write interesting things
4. Be consistent
5. Be focused

There are easy ways to create your own blog or website. Blogger and Wordpress are the two top blog options.
What do you find important in a website? Blog?
What turns you off from a website or blog?