Recently I was wrapping up a blog post, trying to make sure I had all the t’s cross and and i’s dotted. I thought to myself, I really should make a checklist of all the things I need to do to streamline my blog post writing process, in case I need to hand off something to someone else.
So I did just that: I made a list of all the things I have to do to get each post out the door.
If I can just jump into what I need to do instead of spending a bunch of time thinking about it, I can do things a little faster. Use my energy making the thing instead of figuring out how to do it.
So a checklist or a template can speed up that process even though it is something I do a lot. I’ve been blogging for a while now with this format, but there’s always something that I might forget to do until after it has already been posted.
My own checklist
- Headline (this changes a lot)
- the post itself (duh)
- excerpt/meta description
- SEO keyword(s)
- category
- Featured Image: 980 x 440 (with 440 x 440 square in middle clearly visible). Might contain title?
- Shareable Image: 1000px wide – should contain a hook-y statement that resonates with people to be shareable.
- support images/illustrations
Michael Hyatt’s 6-part template:
Naturally, Michael Hyatt, template master extraordinaire, has a template for writing blog posts. He has a video that covers the following tips:- Headline: write something that will pull people into the body of the post. He recommends the book Writing Advertising Headlines.
- Lead paragraph: immediately relevant, explains what people will get in the rest of the post.
- Relevant image: Pictures catch the eye and pull people in.
- Personal story: Nothing works quite like stories. They connect with people and pull them deeper into the content.
- Scannable content: short paragraphs, short sentences, simple words. Use bulleted lists. Help people feel a sense of progress.
- Ask a question: Invite others into the conversation, ending with an open-ended question. And then participate in the discussion.
Social Media promotion schedule
On Pinterest the other day I discovered this schedule for publicizing your blog post on Twitter. I think I saw it on my friend Kyle Reed‘s feed. (If it wasn’t you, Kyle, it should have been. ;-))- On publish: “New Blog Post: (headline)” – sent when blog post goes live
- Same day, 2-3 hours later: Ask a question.
- Next day: Cite a fact
- Next week: Share a quote
- Next month: Add intrigue. “See how…” “Why…”
- Next _____: Optionally, additional messages can be scheduled for the three-month mark or beyond