Today kicks off my AUTUMN creative business CAMP {ACBC} blog series, for the next couple of months I'll be sharing ideas for planning a successful holiday season and kickstarting your 2013 marketing plans. Let's talk about blog content planning and brainstorming! My blog is a tool to help promote my creative business, share my artwork, personal stories and tutorials. Here's a peek into how I go about planning my blog posts...{above: planning worksheets from my DREAM BIG creative business program}
The one thing I am never short of is ideas. I've tried a number of different ways to plan out my blog posts from making lists, writing out a complete calendar schedule to a two-column approach with ideas on one side and actual blog posts in the second column. Since I'm not an everyday blogger, I found that trying to stick to a schedule was difficult. There are many days when I wake up and decide I want to write about something completely different or have an idea that I can't wait to share. So I needed to devise a plan that would work with my blogging style. I like to have a lot of flexibility with my posts and I've found that creatively planing my content using post-it notes works perfect.
{above} BEFORE: I used to write a list of ideas out with coordinating calendar dates, but I found it hard to stick with this rigid schedule
DIY post-it blog calendar - post-it creative planning system inside a craft manila folder. {above} my latest and most efficient system for planning my blog content. materials used to create blog calendar
- manila folder
- various pens & markers
- post-it notes
- optional - decorative washi tape & stickers, images, collage ephemera
create calendar - draw lines to create a calendar inside a manila folder. using a folder is a great because you can tuck other planning notes and pages into the folder. write the dates and weekdays into the calendar. add in holidays or special dates. you can decorate the folder with additional doodles or collage. record blog statistics, traffic numbers and notes onto the calendar.
write blog post ideas on post-it notes. use different colors for tutorials or blog series. pin calendar open on the wall for easy access or fold it and carry it if you're on the go.
organize blog planning calendar...place the post-its onto the dates. keep your extra post it notes brainstorm list on the wall. If you decide to write a different post you can easily move around your blog calendar ideas. sometimes I use washi tapes to secure the post-its. when you are finished with the month you can file it away. This is what works for me, it may not be for everyone but I hope it sparks ideas for you!
>>>>>>>>>>>>do you have additional ideas or comments about planning your holiday blog calendar? share them in the comments.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
join the AUTUMN creative business CAMP forum {which opens 10/17} for additonal creative business planning worksheets, pdf workbooks/digital downloads and discussions related to all the blog series posts. I will also be hosting a couple of LIVE stream chats in the forum. If you register for my self-guided Discovering YOU creative business e-course bundle you'll recieve FREE access to the ACBC forum. more details & register here
Love this idea that's pretty clever!!!!
Posted by: Meghan Thimjon | October 17, 2012 at 09:14 PM
Very creative work.... Thanks for sharing cool stuff.
Posted by: term papers | October 18, 2012 at 08:22 PM
That is how I plan my blog for work. I do have regular days (Mondays and Thursdays) to post, but the post it notes allow me to be flexible with topics, and sub in other ideas when a planned post doesn't work out. The post it notes are very visual, it's a great method!
Posted by: Lady J | October 19, 2012 at 03:23 PM
Your post is quite interesting and great research skills required for such type of post.
Posted by: writing practice | December 07, 2012 at 11:38 PM