Would you love to improve your blog? You can with these 10 valuable habits.
Sometimes a few minor changes in your daily routine can make a big difference in the trajectory of your blog. What once was rolling along at a leisurely pace suddenly starts to sky rocket because of a small tweak or new outlook.
There are a lot of posts about what bloggers should do. Like, get a domain name, pay for self-hosting, and join social media. But besides these obvious, overplayed suggestions I would proposed there are 10 valuable habits that outstanding bloggers learn to implement with each post. They will not only save you time, they will also improve your blog.
These actions are simple and highly effective when carried out regularly. They also follow a pattern of systemization.
This means, you set up a way to implement the action one time, then repeat it time after time using a template, checklist, or formula. This eliminates the question, “How did I do this last time?” and replaces it with a quick uniform answer every time.
If you want to improve your blog, expand your reach, and grow, begin implementing these 10 valuable habits today. You’ll be amazed at the results.
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Make appropriately sized graphics for each post
Graphics for your posts do not need to take hours to create nor do they need to be difficult to see once you share them to social media.
You can create templates that are easy to find on your computer, simple to plug and play with your graphics program of choice, and will ensure consistent branding across all of the social media platforms you use. You can learn how to create these simple templates in just a few minutes with this key post:
Systemize:
Make a plain white or transparent template of each of these sizes in PicMonkey. Save them to your graphics file so they are at the top. I have saved mine with a number 1 in front so they are always at the top of my graphics folder and easy to find and use for my posts.
Schedule your posts and shares in advance
You don’t want to spend all your time on social media. This is where a scheduler becomes indispensable. Whatever your style, whether you use a pen and paper or online resources or both, when you schedule your posts and shares you have more time to do what you want and need, like write and live your life.
I am a hybrid girl myself. I use a combination of paper and online resources to schedule all of my posts and shares.
Systemize:
- MissingLettr – an amazing tool for scheduling post shares for up to one year. They do all the work. You just sit back and enjoy the results.
- CoSchedule – the best tool for scheduling posts right in WordPress. It saves loads of time.
- HootSuite – a simple tool for scheduling social media shares like pictures, links, questions, and personal insights that will engage your audience. Can be used for free.
- Buffer – another simple scheduling tool. Can be used for free.
Use a checklist to ensure posting consistency
I have been blogging for over 10+ years. You’d think I’d have posting down to a science but I don’t. I forget to add in elements all the time. Using a posting checklist takes all the guesswork out of the equation for me.
It can make a difference for you too. Readers want to see consistency when they come to your site. Do you have links, a tweetable statement, pictures, a signature, and links to other posts?
Sometimes you get interrupted when you are writing a post. Shocking, I know! Having a checklist to keep you focused can really help.
Systemize:
A blog posting checklist will help keep your posts organized and uniform, creating a positive experience for your readers every time they visit. It will also keep you on track when life gets in the way of your writing. Figure out what you include with every post, then make a simple checklist. It’s a real time-saver.
Read regularly
It doesn’t matter what your niche is, you must continually grow and learn to be an effective writer and communicator. It’s important for you to read what others are writing, read materials that relate to your niche or audience, read posts that are outside of your sphere of expertise, and read things that make you uncomfortable.
Your readers are depending on you for honest, helpful, and insightful content. Being an avid reader will improve your relationship with your visitors and make you a better blogger.
Don’t think you have to cram this in. Use a system to slide it right in to your weekly schedule and make it a habit.
You may see something you want to read while perusing the interwebs. Take the time to pin it or Pocket it and you’ll have it right at your fingertips when you have time to read it and won’t have to go hunting for it.
If you are looking for books to read to improve your writing, business prowess, and time management skills I recommend this article:
Systemize:
Create a secret pin board on Pinterest. Pin articles you want to read then visit it 2-3 times per week for a quick 5-10 minute block of reading. Take notes if you need to. Use Pocket to keep track of posts or articles that catch your eye. It’s easy to read them and move on. I also love Evernote for taking notes. Whatever method you choose, always keep learning and growing.
Learn simple tracking
Google Analytics (GA) is a complicated and powerful tool. It can make your head spin. But, it also gives bloggers great insights into what’s happening on their blogs.
When you are ready to dig into the amazing power of GA go for it. Read all you can, take a class, watch videos, whatever. I support you. Until then, keep an eye on just a few key elements:
Confused about what all these terms mean? I can help. Sign up for my weekly emails, chocked full of helpful information, and I’ll send you my Google Analytics starter pack for free. Inside is a very helpful GA glossary of terms cheat sheet. It explains what all these terms mean in easy-to-understand language. Yup, I’m that helpful!
Systemize:
Set some goals based on these numbers and percentages. If your bounce rate is high, do some research on lowering your rate. If you want to grow your pageviews, watch what happens when you post and when you don’t, how do the numbers change. Adjust your schedule accordingly.
Don’t try to control all these numbers at once. Pick 2-3 to focus on and set your goals to help you grow your blog.
Use a posting template
Writing blogs posts shouldn’t take forever but I always shake my head when I hear other bloggers say they can write an entire post in an hour. Whaaaaat?
I can’t do that, but I have sped up my writing process by using a posting template. I learned about this from Michael Hyatt many years ago and once I put it into practice it made a big difference.
By having the basic layout already in place I don’t have to spend valuable time arranging and rearranging my content.
I suggest trying it out for a month. See how well it works for you and don’t forget to tweak it for your own personal style and content.
Systemize:
Mr. Hyatt uses a particular template that is great for getting started. As you get comfortable with it feel free to play with it and customize it to your style of writing. You might even add in where you want to place pictures and links.
Build your social media presence daily
Building a following on social media doesn’t happen overnight, no matter who or how much you pay. Bloggers who last build authentic relationships and it’s done daily.
Social media can suck you into the abyss quickly, but if you have a plan you can get in and out without getting hurt. I kid, a little, the point is to be very purposeful when you are using social media to build your blog. Have a plan and stick to it.
Systemize:
Seeing how others do social media can be really helpful and inspiring. We talk a lot about planning and scheduling in my Facebook group: RealSavvyBlogger. Come join the conversation then commit to doing a little each day and your following will grow.
Make it easy for others to find you
As you visit other blogs and leave comments, make it super simple to get back to your site, regardless of which commenting system is being used.
Sign in as follows each time:
Name: Your Name @ YourBlog.com (Always required and shared)
Email: Your Email Address (Usually required but not shared)
Blog: Your Blog Address (Not usually required and not often shared)
As you can see your name is always required and shared. If you add your blog address to your name people who read a comment by you and want to find you will find it very easy to do so.
Systemize:
As you begin to enter your comments this way, the auto-fill option will pick up on this and make it very easy to auto-fill any comment system you come across.
Share and re-share often
Publishing a post and then hoping people find you is not a very proactive way to blog. Have you ever noticed that some of your favorite bloggers post the same thing over and over again?
They aren’t doing it to bug you. They are doing it because they know that social media shelf life is short. First, not all of your followers or fans are online at the same time. Second, there are hundreds of thousands of posts made every day. Yours isn’t going to stay on top for very long.
The best bloggers understand the idea of sharing a post and re-sharing it often. If you want to grow your blog and expand your reach, you have to set up a sharing schedule. It’s not hard to do and with the right tools it’s downright simple.
I share my posts out for up to a year. As my audience continues to grow I want to be meeting their needs with quality content. Some of that content has already been written, I just need to share it again, so I do.
Systemize:
I use MissingLettr for sharing my posts over a 365 day period. I also use their shorter campaigns for seasonal posts. All the scheduling times have been chosen for me. All I have to do is make it happen. It’s an amazing time-saver.
Work at your own pace
The 9 habits I have outlined here have taken a lot of time to make a part of my routine. Trust me when I tell you it did not happen overnight.
Don’t try to implement all of them at once. Consider this tip number 10: Work at your own pace. As you go forward from here, choose 1 or 2 of the tips mentioned above and get started turning them into your own habits. Then come back and choose a couple more to work on.
Blogging is a long term endeavor. You can’t grow a giant blog over night and you probably don’t want to, but you can grow a site you are proud of by working diligently and consistently.
Systemize:
Print out this reminder sheet and visit this post often as you build your own habits, improve your blog, and find success. I believe in you.
Which two habits are you going to work on first?
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