My Blogging Process

So, I thought I would write about my blogging process. From inception to publishing and promotion, this is how the blog post is born on QLF. I follow the same routine most of the time and I post at least once a week. It’s not the way other people do it I’m sure, but it’s how I work.

The Idea

blogging processI get ideas from a few different places. Posts about my cats and my son are obvious, some things just come to me. others are prompted by current events or something on tv I’ve seen. Others are based on holidays and awareness days. I tend to have a draft post with a list of ideas, I also tend to create drafts posts with the idea as the title and nothing else or if it’s a list, a few of the points that have come to mind before I forget them.

Sometimes I’ll start writing straight away. Sometimes they’ll sit in the drafts waiting patiently to be written. I usually have four or five ideas there. If I’m out and about I write ideas down in notebooks and then transfer them to a draft post – I can never guarantee I’ll have the same notebook with me a month later. Or a week later. Or a day.

Writing

I don’t have much of a format when it comes to actually writing a post. If it’s a list I’ll start with an introduction and then write the list items in an order that makes some sense and so the points segue. At least I hope I do. Otherwise, I tend to just go for it, write and write until the story is done. Because that’s what they are, little stories. I like to round them up nicely but I find it’s not always easy to ‘end’ posts. It’s what I find the hardest, I think in part because the story isn’t always over and there isn’t always a lesson to be learned.

I do like to add a list of links for more information at the end of more informative posts though. Some sites that can help readers find out more and understand my story a little more.

I tend to write most posts in one evening, but some take a little longer, over the course of a few days. Whether it’s down to my mood, or my schedule at home or the topic. Most of the time I have a couple of, posts on the go. If I’m struggling to write or finish one post I’ll work on the other.

Editing

blogging processUnless it’s time sensitive (such as an awareness day is imminent and I’m behind as usual) I edit the next day. This gives me some space between writing and editing to get more perspective on what I’ve written. It also allows my mind to process the changes that need to be made better. I use Grammarly, the free version, which isn’t perfect is great for removing (or adding) those pesky commas. Something I definitely struggle with.

Any posts I worry about – whether they be controversial or about topics I’m not 100% confident with I ask bethend to look it over.

This is the point in which I add in any links through the text to other posts I’ve mentioned or sites and so on.

Pictures

Images break up blocks of writing, though I forget why this is a good thing. Something about the internet means that people;e can’t handle long chunks of text with a picture. Though most of us stopped reading books with pictures in them when we were teenagers. Sometimes I use pictures to do just that, break up the text. A lot of the time I use them to illustrate my point. It makes it easier to imagine my mum giving me if you can see her face. I tend to source pictures from my own photos, Pixabay and Wiki Commons. Edit them in photoshop if they need a little bit of light or love, and put them in my branded templates. I always have two images, usually three. I have templates for Instagram sizes, Facebook/Twitter and Pinterest. With this, I can just slot them in, assign the featured images and I’m ready to go.

Scheduling/Publishing

Rarely do I publish when I’m done. Usually, because I finished a post sometime in the evening and depending on the day I prefer to publish on certain days. Mondays and Thursdays if I can or whatever day the post I’m writing about falls on. So mostly I schedule my blog posts for the next day or whenever. Usually around ten.

Promotion

Just as important as the content so they say is the promotion of a post. Once my posts are published they’re immediately posted to my social media accounts. I used IFTTT to do this, though there isn’t a recipe for google plus yet. In the evening, I repost the link to social media. I also make a graphic or share a picture from the blog post to Instagram. I also post in on various blogging groups on Facebook and their sharing threads and add them to various link-ups throughout the week.

Back To The Beginning

Then I start the process all over again. a new idea, a new draft, a new post. It’s an endless cycle but I enjoy it for some reason.

Your Blogging Process

blogging processI asked a few other bloggers about their own blogging process:

Louise from Pink Pear Bear says: I take all my photos first and then sit down in my office with my laptop and most importantly a cup of tea. I write the whole post in one go usually, then read back and make changes and edits and add the photos at appropriate points. Finally, I check the SEO, that I have a featured image chosen, add tags and then publish. After that, I share on social media.

Leona from Wandermust Family says: To make sure I can publicise posts enough when published, I tend to batch write posts (try and always have a month scheduled) then can give sm plenty of time after publishing.

Pete from Household Money Saving says: When I have an idea for a post, I’ll write it down on my phone. Then, it’s a matter of finding an hour or two to sit down and research/write it. Once written, I find and add images, then double check spelling and grammar before publishing.

Carol from Virtually All Sorts says: I use printouts to keep me organised and tick off all the things I need: keywords, optimise images, Yoast, badges, keep a record of each URL and if shared to social media. I batch too, optimising all my images for a fortnight in one sitting.

Kayleigh from Candyfloss and Dreams says: I work exclusively on my blog between 9.30-1pm every day and I do things in batches like taking all photos, creating optimised images, writing up posts and scheduling. I find if I do it all together I don’t miss anything out or forget something!

Natalie from Mumworthy says: I write a post on the train in notes on my phone, or at night after my little ones in bed. I basically let my mind spill out. I then have a break and things I’ve missed come to me and I go back and edit and chop down. It’s hugely cathartic. I then add pictures and links. I will reread several times and spell check.

Kelly-Anne from Mimi-Rose and Me says: I tend to write down anything that inspires me on my phone which is normally at night time. In the morning I’ll sit and write the whole post, then in the afternoon take photos as this is better for lightening, edit and place them in the blog post. Proofread and then publish. All fuelled with tea of course!

And check out this post by Luke at Confessions Of A Blind Guy on how he puts together a blog post and this post by Rachel from Beauty and the Bird.

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Show 13 Comments

13 Comments

  1. This sounds really similar to me – i am all about scheduled posts! when I first started I was completely clueless and had no idea that you could even do that haha

  2. Isabel

    I had no idea about Grammarly, thank you for that! Sometimes I’m completely blind to my grammar and spelling errors until I read days later so it’s great to know there’s a tool I can use.

  3. hannah

    My blogging process is quite basic. I like to write an info first and then write about the main topic and then add photos

  4. Elizabeth

    My blogging process is quite erratic; I like to just let the creative flow happen when it feels like, but this isn’t always possible when there are deadlines. Photos are important because reading online is not the same as reading a novel – it’s easier to read small chunks of text broken up by relevant images than it is to be faced with a big wall of text. Plus, if you monetise your website it provides a better opportunity for longer posts with more ads. 😉

  5. I love to read about other people’s writing processes, it’s so interesting. I think you are a little like me (photos are a massive part of my blog though, I think people like pictures as part of the whole sensory deal), I take so long to write a really in-depth post and can revise it up to 30 times before I press publish! 😂

  6. My blogging process required photos first – so I can have something visual while writing. Then I write and put it straight on my site. I like your blogging process. xx

  7. I’m definitely a photo first person and then I write how I’m feeling at the time. As a fashion blogger, all posts tend to include some review element, but for the large part I just talk how I feel … sound so appealing, right?
    Cx

  8. I do exactly the same as you at the start. I tend to jot down ideas as draft post, add a bit of info and come back to it. Or if it’s a special occasion, I do write the post ahead of time xx

  9. danasia

    For my blog posts, I tend to try and look through my recent travel photos to figure out what I want to write about next.

  10. I’ve always been interested in hearing about others’ process! Thanks for sharing. x

  11. It’s really interesting to hear about someone else’s process. I’m a little bit all over the place when it comes to blogging. I wish I was more organised!

  12. Some useful tips here my blogging process is have a brain fart and put it in a draft lol

  13. Ah I love this post, sharing how other bloggers do their blogging too. I always one who takes photos first as it gives me inspiration on how to split my post up 🙂

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