Writing a blog post every day for 90 days is not an easy task. It is one I set out to do for a number of reasons, the primary reason, however, is probably to prove to myself that I could do it.
Creating original, high-quality content on a consistent basis is the best and most effective way to attract new visitors to your website. Search engines like Google and Bing are in the business of getting visitors to the best resources available. Consistently publishing content that centers around a particular topic is a huge signal to those search engines that your website is an authority on that topic. Gone are the days that we focus all of our energies on a singular keyword, now we discuss “search intent” and topical subjects.
To blog regularly, a few ground rules must be established. Here is what I learned in my 90-day blogging process:
Know Who You Are Targeting
One of the most common mistakes I see in “professional blogging” (that is, where the blog is intentionally designed to contribute towards a business goal, opposed to personal blogging) is a lack of targeted audience.
Bloggers must have a visualization of their audience while writing. Without this, your content will be too sporadic, lack direction, and not clearly communicate your points. Different audiences respond to different language and words. If you are writing to mothers on your fashion-focused blog, your writing will be more casual and relational. If you are targeting Vice Presidents of Sales & Marketing departments, your writing will be more focused on solving problems relevant to their profession.
Know What You Want to Say
Accepting that you have a unique perspective that you can share with your audience is often a stumbling block for many writers. They simply do not believe they have anything of value to add to the conversation. Read my post here where I explain why this is wrong. In addition to that, many writers do not have a process in place for articulating what they want to share. I use a couple different templates, which I talk about here.
Always Be Open for Inspiration
Someone once told me that you cannot schedule creativity. I have found this to be extremely true! There are some tactics, however, that I use to help keep me on track to reach my goal of blogging daily.
1) Be intentional about your time
I set aside a total of 12 hours per week for blogging and writing (not all of my writing ends up on this blog). I know some of you are freaking out at the thought of carving an “extra” 12 hours per week out of your already-busy calendar. In another post, I talk about scheduling your week with purpose. When I completed this exercise myself, I placed a priority on writing because I value to benefit it has for my business.
2) Have a Que
I do not sit down daily and write. I do, however, write a number of blog posts per week and schedule them to be published in the future. This gives me a buffer of several weeks (when I’m at my prime) to not feel pressured to publish, and therefore rush the work. Knowing I can take my time on a post helps me balance what needs to be done on a day-to-day basis, and gives my mind the ability to flush out article ideas. Some articles come easily, while others may be in the works for weeks, while others are never seen.
3) Be Observant
Inspiration can strike at any moment, but you must be attentive. From the airport or mall to a conversation with a friend, I find that inspiration can be found nearly everywhere. I rely on Evernote on my phone and tablet to jot ideas, thoughts, phrases, or even entire rough drafts while on the go. I also abuse Siri’s voice-to-text dictation feature when making my notes.
I find that inspiration seems to run in trends, a number of conversations about a particular subject, unrelated blog authors discussing a topic, or even trends in design (my interior design board on Pinterest is evidence of this).
Inspiration is everywhere, but you must be observant.
Always Be Helping
Adding value to your readers is critical. If you do not provide value, readers will not return to your website and will not share your content on social platforms. Seriously, who wants to share garbage. But helpful, original content that provides value is shared all over the world and to individuals you could only dream of connecting with.
When you have a passion for your product or service, it is easy to talk about it. When you combine that passion with a genuine interest of adding value to your readers, it is easy to share your knowledge.
Conclusion
I hope this has given you some encouragement on how to blog daily to help reach your business goals. Throughout my personal challenge, there have been weeks I was operating at 100% and weeks I nearly hit 0. But, with the pieces I just talked about, I was able to finish nearly 90 days of blogging on a daily basis!
I challenge you to start blogging regularly to expand your reach through positioning yourself as an authority.