Blogging

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What I'm Reading: April 2016

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Ages and ages ago, I used to do weekly link round ups of what I've been reading and enjoying on the internet. I think it's time for this practice to return--especially as I spend more and more time curating content for my personal life and my professional life. Here's what's been on my (internet) plate lately! 

Got any good links or great reads for me? Share on Twitter! 

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Should You Use an Editorial Calendar?

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"Use an editorial calendar!" How many times have I read that phrase in an article about better blogging? 

Too many times, to be perfectly honest. 

An editorial calendar is, essentially, a schedule for your blog. It can be complicated (a detailed spreadsheet or calendar of posts, needed pictures, and other steps) or it can be simple (a list of blog topics, potentially arranged on a calendar). 

If you're running a big business or a marketing company, editorial calendars make sense: with two-tiered editing processes, you need to have materials written far in advance to ensure they are posted on time. The practice of editorial calendars has traveled down to blogs: it has long been suggested that all bloggers use an editorial calendar of some kind to help plan their posts and keep content posted regularly. 

However, for a vast majority of personal bloggers, editorial calendars just aren't realistic. 

The reason for this is really two-fold. Firstly, editorial calendars remove the spontaneity from blogging, so if you're blogging purely for hobby or enjoyment, you're going to remove a part of the fun from the process. Second, editorial calendars can often start to feel oppressive, even for the most seasoned of entrepreneurs and those who use their blogs as a source of income. I don't know for certain that those who use editorial calendars are more likely to experience burn out, but whenever I've tried to strictly plan a month of blogging, I've found myself resenting it.

That being said, having a plan for your blog--either week-to-week or month-to-month--can be helpful in staying organized and always have something to post. If you're like me (and super busy with a job, a newborn, or an active social life), if I don't have content planned, my blog can be silent for days. 

There are lots of ways to keep content on your blog. An editorial calendar is just one method. Here's what I'm doing to keep content posted--but avoiding an editorial calendar: 

1. I write posts a week in advance at most.

I try to schedule all my posts for the week on Sunday, which means I spend the week before writing and editing them. I don't like to write posts more than a week in advance because 1) I end up really confused about what time period I need to write about and 2) I think it removes my voice from my blog too much. 

2. I keep a constant list of topics. 

I keep this list in my Happy Planner, where I write my daily journal and plan blogs for the week. This is just the easiest way for me to store ideas for future posts. Instead of trying to plan for a month or two months at a time, I plan for the week ahead (and potentially for major holidays). 

3. I don't do weekly features. 

Weekly features are great--I used to love Things I Love Thursday and the like. However, after a few weeks, I find it's easy to use them as a crutch: I don't plan content because I know I'll have a pre-set post for Thursday or Friday. Also, weekly features tend to get a little boring after a while. A few times a year is fine, but who wants to read a list of things you love every single week? 

4. If I decide I don't like a topic, I don't write about it. 

Last week, I intended to have this post written and posted on Friday. But I couldn't figure out an angle: what did I want to write about when it came to editorial calendars? I don't use one and I generally don't think they work for individual blogs. Because I couldn't decide what I wanted to post about, I waited--I didn't just churn out a post to have one. If you can't think of anything to write, writing fluff isn't the way to go. It doesn't benefit anyone. 

Some bloggers thrive on using editorial calendars. It entirely depends on how you write and how you run your blog. Do you use an editorial calendar? How do you keep content organized? 

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Improving Your Blog in 4 Steps

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How can I make my blog better?

It's the question I've asked myself hundreds of times. From the minute I started my first blog back in 2005 (those heady LiveJournal days), I wanted whatever I created to be the absolute best it could be. I learned HTML to write LiveJournal and Myspace layouts; I taught myself rudimentary graphic design skills to create my own icons. My tastes (as well as my platform of choice) evolved with time: I moved on to Wordpress, then Blogger, then Squarespace. I kept finding new ways to make my blog better. 

I am, by no means, an expert in the blog world. I write as a hobby, as well as professionally, but there are still many things I don't know about when it comes to blogging. I wouldn't call myself a standout success story; I've never gone viral and I don't count myself in the group having thousands upon thousands of followers. I do, however, consider myself to have vastly improved my blog since 2005 and even 2008, when I started Locked Out (my first semi-successful blog).

Here are just a few things I've done to make it happen: 

1. Pick a Platform. 

Pick one that works for you. I hated Wordpress the entire time I used it (granted, I was using the free website and not hosting my own site); I hated it even more when a blog post of mine (that I'd written in about 5 minutes) was picked for their Freshly Picked feature, leading over 50,000 people to my blog in one morning. It was a nightmare and I was mad they hadn't asked me to be featured because I would have undoubtedly said no. I moved to Blogger and I stayed there for five years. 

I loved Blogger: it's integrated with Gmail and it's incredibly easy to use and customize. I loved being able to easily change my background or header without having to use complicated HTML. I also loved that I could create simple CSS customizations. I really enjoyed Blogger, but after a while, I outgrew the platform: something about it felt too simple after a while and too childish. I was also ready to move on from my blog at that point and my heavy fashion and lifestyle focus. 

Squarespace has been a really enjoyable site to use: I find the variety of templates easy to use and customize, but they also always look professional. Over the past year, I've tweaked my website into one that I find incredibly visually appealing, while still retaining aspects that are professional and still individual to me. 

Your platform of choice doesn't matter to anyone but you: if you find it easier to use than any other platform, then stick with it. 

2. Keep It Simple

It's really easy to go overboard with the wild designs. A frilly, girly, and highly colored layout was popular during the Myspace days, but currently, the easier it is to read a blog, the better. That means limited, easy-to-read colors and fonts, white backgrounds, and limited graphics. It can be tempting, especially on platforms like Blogger and Squarespace where you have hundreds of fonts to choose from, to go crazy or pick the cutest font you can find--but please resist that urge. Future readers thank you. 

3. Limit Pictures

Sometimes, I get really embarrassed about the number of outfit photos I used to post: each post included at least 10 photos. 10 photos! Of the same stupid outfit! I drive myself crazy. Not only are so many pictures absolutely unnecessary, it makes your entire blog load slower than it needs to. If you need to post photos, limit yourself to five or less. Really. I promise, this will change your blog for the better. 

4. Use Free Stock Photos

It can be tempting (very tempting!) to use websites like We Heart It or Tumblr to find beautiful photos for your blog. The problem with these two websites is that it's nearly impossible to find the original owner after a while--so you can't actually credit the person responsible for that piece of art. Instead, you contribute an Internet culture of posting and reposting the same images over and over so that the original owner is forgotten in a mass of links. Instead, try out some free stock photo sites or mailing lists (like Death to Stock Photo). I've written about my favorites before here. 

What are some steps you've taken to improve your blog in the past? Share with me in the comments or on Twitter!