I try and do a couple at a time and schedule them in advance, likewise the mailchimp notification I do for each; then I hootsuite them out on the day they appear and/or schedule that, too – depending on if I’m in town.

What I’ve found helpful is that whenever I get an idea and/or a link I want to talk/blog about, I go ahead and paste or write it into a new draft post and save the draft – I may not be ready/able to write it yet, but there’s always a few ideas there that way.

Also use CurationSoft for days when I’m empty – I pick a relevant term and see what pops up and do a quick blurb around what other folks are talking about that week…

Blog on!

@sharijstauch

It actually works! I think it is a best way to save idea!

“What I’ve found helpful is that whenever I get an idea and/or a link I want to talk/blog about, I go ahead and paste or write it into a new draft post and save the draft”.

Thanks, Anis. As for timing – it takes about an hour a post on average – and only a few minutes to design/schedule mailchimp (from template I built early on – it includes the last several post intros so I just delete the bottom one and add to the top).

It only takes a few minutes to update the social media (I do most thru Hootsuite) but what I find takes the MOST time is approving comments, answering them, and reacting to comments on FB, Linked In, etc… Not something you can ignore because if folks are taking the time to comment, you want them to know it was appreciated, eh?

I look for topics that will engage a good thinking process for at least three posts—and as many as 20 or so. This gives me an outline which I can follow — or not follow, depending on how it plays out.

I try to get my writing done before 10 am, beginning at 7 or 8. Sometimes I draft rough ideas in the evening to make things go a bit easier in the morning.

I am usually too excited about an idea to schedule it for later though. For the last year or so, I’ve posted daily and sometimes three times a day.

I can usually come up with an image in less than 15 minutes. 30 years as a graphic artist counts for something, I guess.

But the most important part of this tip is finding that theme that will work for a few days or weeks.  It gives a sense of direction and I think it has helped create a following as people return for more. 

To make sure I am still serving the same audience (growing it and not constantly replacing it) I always publish on one popular theme on Tuesdays. This theme attracts a good 70% of SEO. So I don’t want to ever abandon it for trendy and more ephemeral topics. It keeps me on track.