I’ve been working with my clients over the last few weeks to get their content plans in place for the next year. As with most things in business (and life – or is that just me?!), having a clear, structured plan is the best way to avoid overwhelm. When you plan your content in advance, you won’t find yourself procrastinating, struggling to come up with ideas, or wondering what you should write about this week.
So how do you plan weekly blog posts for a whole year?
Here are my 3 steps to get you started – and keep you on track.
1. Make a plan for the year
Break the year up into quarters. Try choosing a theme for each quarter that’s aligned to your business goals for the year. Or, depending on your product or service, think seasonal, highlighting different products. If you run events, you could build your monthly themes around these.
Add in your key dates. What are the key dates for your business over the next year? Plan to create content around these, to highlight and advertise particular products. (If you can’t think of any key dates, it may be that your content isn’t the problem – you may need to work on your business planning. I had a major lightbulb moment back in the autumn when I realised this.)
Now add in key industry dates. What are the key dates for your industry over the year? What about relevant national and international days?
2. Focus on the first quarter first
Once you’ve made a themed plan for the year, and pencilled in your ideas for each week’s content, focus on the first quarter.
Plan the different ways you will write about your topic. In each month, think about including how-to content (the most searched for phrase on Google is ‘how to…’), and content that answers common questions your customers ask you. And remember to include some sales content that directly relates to the product, service or event you are highlighting that month.
Now focus on your posts for the first month. Firm up your ideas. Do any research you might need to do, including keyword research on your blog titles. Write or record the skeletons for the first month of posts – get your subheadings in place, maybe add a few bullet points to jog your memory later. It’ll make it so much easier when you come to write the full posts.
Rinse and repeat for months 2 and 3. Make sure you schedule in time in your diary to plan – maybe get the first three months planned to give you a headstart, then work on the second quarter during month 2 so you don’t get behind.
3. Focus on keeping blogging top of mind
Get in in the diary! Getting your planning in place will give you a solid foundation, but you’ll need to keep blogging top of mind, so decide when you’ll do the work, make sure to diarise it and stick to it – treat it as an important appointment, as important as a client meeting. You’re blogging to build an audience, solve your customers’ problems and bring in more business – so it make sense to treat it as a priority.
Keep yourself accountable. If you’re going to be writing your blogs yourself, you’ll need to keep yourself accountable. When I work with clients on their blogs I am helping to keep them accountable, as I need to get their recording/draft/bullets/title in good time each week to be able to write the finished post, and if I don’t receive it I remind them! But if you aren’t in a position to outsource yet (or don’t want to), you’ll need to keep yourself accountable.
Make blogging a goal with your business coach (I’ve tried this and it really works!), or make a public commitment to post regular blogs.
Hire someone to edit and post your blogs for you. If you really do struggle to find the time and/or the motivation, consider finding someone to keep you organised and on track.
Are you planning to launch your membership site in 2020?
I support my clients with building, marketing and managing their memberships and online courses, helping them to:
- Plan, create, edit and upload course content
- Join the dots behind the scenes to automate processes and make things run smoothly
- Integrate CRM, course delivery and marketing
If you'd like to have a chat about getting some support with your membership, you can get in touch to arrange a free 30 minute chat here.
I'm looking forward to finding out more about you, your business, and your goals for the coming year.
It can seem overwhelming to think of a whole 12 months’ worth of content. That’s exactly how I used to feel (and lack of direction was one of the biggest reasons I didn’t blog regularly myself, even though I regularly helped clients with their content).
I’ve been working with my clients over the last few weeks to get their content plans in place for the next year. As with most things in business (and life – or is that just me?!), having a clear, structured plan is the best way to avoid overwhelm. When you plan your content in advance, you won’t find yourself procrastinating, struggling to come up with ideas, or wondering what you should write about this week.
So how do you plan weekly blog posts for a whole year?
Here are my 3 steps to get you started – and keep you on track.
1. Make a plan for the year
Break the year up into quarters. Try choosing a theme for each quarter that’s aligned to your business goals for the year. Or, depending on your product or service, think seasonal, highlighting different products. If you run events, you could build your monthly themes around these.
Add in your key dates. What are the key dates for your business over the next year? Plan to create content around these, to highlight and advertise particular products. (If you can’t think of any key dates, it may be that your content isn’t the problem – you may need to work on your business planning. I had a major lightbulb moment back in the autumn when I realised this.)
Now add in key industry dates. What are the key dates for your industry over the year? What about relevant national and international days?
2. Focus on the first quarter first
Once you’ve made a themed plan for the year, and pencilled in your ideas for each week’s content, focus on the first quarter.
Plan the different ways you will write about your topic. In each month, think about including how-to content (the most searched for phrase on Google is ‘how to…’), and content that answers common questions your customers ask you. And remember to include some sales content that directly relates to the product, service or event you are highlighting that month.
Now focus on your posts for the first month. Firm up your ideas. Do any research you might need to do, including keyword research on your blog titles. Write or record the skeletons for the first month of posts – get your subheadings in place, maybe add a few bullet points to jog your memory later. It’ll make it so much easier when you come to write the full posts.
Rinse and repeat for months 2 and 3. Make sure you schedule in time in your diary to plan – maybe get the first three months planned to give you a headstart, then work on the second quarter during month 2 so you don’t get behind.
3. Focus on keeping blogging top of mind
Get in in the diary! Getting your planning in place will give you a solid foundation, but you’ll need to keep blogging top of mind, so decide when you’ll do the work, make sure to diarise it and stick to it – treat it as an important appointment, as important as a client meeting. You’re blogging to build an audience, solve your customers’ problems and bring in more business – so it make sense to treat it as a priority.
Keep yourself accountable. If you’re going to be writing your blogs yourself, you’ll need to keep yourself accountable. When I work with clients on their blogs I am helping to keep them accountable, as I need to get their recording/draft/bullets/title in good time each week to be able to write the finished post, and if I don’t receive it I remind them! But if you aren’t in a position to outsource yet (or don’t want to), you’ll need to keep yourself accountable.
Make blogging a goal with your business coach (I’ve tried this and it really works!), or make a public commitment to post regular blogs.
Hire someone to edit and post your blogs for you. If you really do struggle to find the time and/or the motivation, consider finding someone to keep you organised and on track.
Are you planning to launch a membership site in 2020?
I support my clients with building, marketing and managing their memberships and online courses, helping them to:
- Create and upload course content
- Join the dots behind the scenes to automate processes and make things run smoothly
- Integrate CRM, course delivery and marketing
If you'd like to have a chat about your membership, you can get in touch to arrange a free 30 minute chat here.
I'm looking forward to finding out more about you, your business, and your goals for the coming year.