Blogging consistently is much like making chocolate chip cookies. There are a million different variations of chocolate chip cookie recipes most only vary slightly and yet everyone claims their way is best. I don’t know if my recipe is best but I will share it with you in hopes that it will help you create your own version.
4 Tips to keep you blogging consistently:
1. Keep a rolling list of ideas – This can be done on paper or digitally. I use Evernote for this because It’s cloud based and highly searchable. Whenever I think up an interesting idea to blog about I write it down and then work through my blog idea list when it’s time to blog. If I try to come up with something clever when I have some time to blog I always come up short.
2. Learn your blogging sweet spot – Blogging everyday for me happens by scheduling blog posts through WordPress. I sit down on Sunday night and blog as many posts as I can in one sitting usually 2 -4 and the schedule them out for the following week or so. Blogging all my posts in one day helps me keep my blog as a priority but not one that dictates to me what my schedule should be.
3. Write to yourself – I find that blogging for hits is not helpful and doesn’t last. I blog to process my thought and to help others who are in the same boat I am in. If you write what you know you will keep writing and push through the resistance to stop. The first person I write every blog post for is me. I know roughly what I want to say I am just not always sure where that will lead. The second person I write for is my wife. She knows me best if she thinks it’s lame she’s right and I’m wrong.
4. Don’t quit – Life is busy but if you realize that you grow as a leader when you help other leaders grow you won’t quit. I find it odd when churches discourage their staff from blogging. Pastors should force their staff to blog, but that’s a blog post for another day. When I started this blog 7 years ago I was a different person. I am a different leader today than I was 7 years ago partly due to this blog and what takes place in you when you put on paper the craziness in your head. As I look over my blog posts for the past few years I am blown away at God’s amazing grace in my life. I would never be able to say that if I quit. As much as this blog may have helped others God has used it as a means of grace to transform me. If you started blogging don’t stop. Don’t quit it’s not a waste of time and 7 years from now you still won’t regret it.
Thanks for the great ideas! I am brand new to blogging and appreciate the advice of veterans.
Thanks for hit he tips. I completely agree that a blogger must blog first for themselves, second to help others who might be going through what you have/are going through. I track my stats, but that is not why I write.
Matt N.