5 easy ways to blog better

Sometimes I repeat myself.

When I chat with my consulting students or answer comments or emails, a lot of the advice and encouragement I give is the same. Most of the time if a blogger is struggling to really find their groove or find their voice or blog consistently or just blog better in general …. I give them the same advice over and over again.

Which means that if it’s working for someone else, chances are it will work for you too.

Today, let’s talk about the top 5 easy ways you can be a better blogger. Easy. Really.

Use an Editorial Calendar

This is one of my soapbox preaching topics. I have written about the wonder and glory of having an editorial calendar and then also how to maintain your editorial calendar. I’ve written about how the limits of an editorial calendar actually help get through creative blocks. Beyond those posts, my most helpful tip is just try it. Give it a shot for a month. If you hate it I won’t be offended but I 100% believe an editorial calendar will help you be a better blogger.

If you use WordPress, this Editorial Calendar plugin is helpful.

Reduce the number of posts each week

Again with limits. Your readers will REALLY be ok if you don’t publish 7 days each week. If you are currently publishing 7x / week, and cut down to 5x/week all that extra time can be put into crafting even better content. Either longer posts or better DIY projects or even more effective marketing of those posts so you can be helping even more people.

In fact, one of my favorite bloggers publishes once a week? Maybe even once every other week. And you know what? I don’t even care because I know that EVERYTHING he puts out is amazing, instead of having to click past ‘filler’ posts.

Show-off your personality

Please don’t be a faceless corporation. Please don’t water down your opinions or quirks just to try to appeal to a larger audience. It’s not likely to work. You’re unique, fantastic, maybe slightly eccentric and you will find your tribe if you show off your personality. There are readers out there just like you, who share your Austen obsession or who will love to hear all your estate-saling tips week after week.

It’s only through showing off those peculiar facets of your personality that you’ll be able to find those other members of your tribe who will be thrilled every day to see your newest blog post.

Focus

Ok, on the OTHER hand from showing off your personality, you don’t need to show off ALL of your personality. For example, I love to travel but I don’t post my travel stories on this blog. That would not fit into my L&R content. I love to cook (and make up recipes), but that doesn’t fit here. I will write about creativity and reading and blogging and storytelling here at Lemon and Raspberry but I’m not going to nerd out about how much I love my dutch oven.

Be able to focus your blog content enough that you can describe your blog in 1 sentence. It will make you a better blogger AND help your readers be able to share how amazing you are.

Include a takeaway

Your readers need a REASON to read your blog. Yes, your workspace is gorgeous; thank you for showing it off. But why do I care? Maybe it’s because you have a tip for working in a mess. Maybe it’s because you want to show off this new tool you think I should buy. Regardless of what it is, your blog post should have a takeaway, a valuable piece of info that will make your readers’ lives better.

Extra credit: Sign up for BUILD ecourse!

5 easy ways to blog better is a post from: Lemon and Raspberry | Amy T Schubert

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