13 Mar 2013

blog post planning

A few months' back, I tried to use a Compact Osterley as my blog planner. In the end, this Compact planner didn't get much use at all and I think there were a few reasons for this. The first one was that I found it inconvenient to have a separate binder for blog planning as I usually planned posts when on public transport. Secondly, quite often, it was an effort to dig it out just to plan blog posts or blog-related things (yes, I realise this makes me sound lazy!).

Anyway, since then, I have reserved a tiny section in my Smythson for blog planning instead and it has been sufficient for my needs. It has worked well so far (for the past four months now) so I thought I'd explain how I use this section and also why it works for me.

The one thing I wanted to ensure was that the section was as small as possible. Not only am I trying to be more minimalistic in *most* areas of my life, a smaller section makes the planning and blog organisation seem less daunting. As you can see here, I have two tabs for my blog (this will be explained later on) and the entire section only has about 15 sheets of paper altogether.


Firstly, we will see what is behind the first 'blog' tab. I have some blog post idea sheets here. These sheets are designed for those lightbulb moments you get at random times of the day. Noting down a brief title of a post helps you remember that idea for a great blog post before you forget it!


Immediately following the blog post idea sheets, I have some individual post planning sheets. These are for those times when you know you can't start writing the post immediately or want to structure a post before writing it. I've found these ideal for those long bus or train journeys.


After that, I have some blank ruled sheets. I use these for planning adjustments I want to make to the blog layout or blog set-up, or just random blog-related notes!


The final thing I have behind my first 'blog' tab is a blog timetable for the year. I have brainstormed ideas for each month in an effort to combat the inevitable blogger's block that will strike without so much as a warning. Although I don't glance at this often, it is a good springboard to use if you are stuck for ideas on what to blog about, or if you are going through a rough patch where no ideas seem to appear in your mind.


Onto the second 'blog' tab I have now. As you can see, I have a monthly planner here and I have a tab here so that I can flick to this planner easily. Moreover, this planner allows me to see gaps where I can schedule a post to ensure some regularity in blog post publishing. So far, it has worked brilliantly!


Although this post may seem to highlight the obvious with regards to blog planning, I am hoping that it will give you an idea of how to set up a 'blog' section if you wanted to in your own planner. You don't need a big section or even a completely different binder or planner at all. In fact, I think having a separate planner can mean that your blog gets neglected due to the bother of having to refer to something else just to plan blog posts for example.

5 comments

  1. I like all of your inserts for your blog section. The monthly insert looks ideal for scheduling different posts. I think it would be somewhat cumbersome to have a separate blog planner. You would then have to carry two planners (blog and main one) if you need them outside of your home. On a different note, I am using a week on two pages in my planner. I am thinking of adding an extra diary insert. I don't know if it will work well but it may be worth it to try something a little different.

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    1. Aw thank you :) The monthly inserts are perfect for blog scheduling but you have to make sure you get the days right for each month, as I printed each side with 31 days each and got confused when I came to 30 day months lol! Hope your diary experiment works for you :) x

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  2. I love this system. I generally make inserts on just lined paper, with a black pen for headings and my green ink for actual writing. I will probably borrow your set-up for my blog. This is the best one I have seen.

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    1. Thanks for the kind comment! Glad you find this post useful. This set-up really works well for me and I find having a smaller section means I carry only the bare necessities around x

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  3. Since January 1st of 2015 I'm trying my hardest to scheadule blog post and videos. It's so darn hard all the time? I mean... I like the regular posting and that will give more live to my blog and channel but I find it hard to scheadule videos more than the blog post. I usually go with my feelings on the videos and all but it's also not working so I will try some of you ideas and apply them to my Midori so I can work this better and maybe get to more people :)

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