5 Tips for One-Man Bloggers
I have no time anymore! School takes up my days, homework takes up my evenings, and sleep takes the rest, but when do I get to write? I’ve tried setting aside time to write, which often is lost in the hurricane known as college. I know I’m not the only one though, so many blogs out there have great potential, but end up faltering due to lack of time they have. Here are some tips that will help those one-man bloggers out there, I definitely need to follow these too:
1. Write in advance: There always seems to be a boring Sunday morning every so often where there is absolutely nothing to do…so why not write? Not just for that day, but for the whole week or even month. WordPress has a very simple publish feature that allows for a change in publishing time. Spread out the posts throughout the week and even pick the time they are published. It may be considered a really simple feature, but don’t overlook it. My “Wallpaper of the Week” section is often written two weeks in advance.
2. Offer guest posts: I just recently posted that I’m looking for some guest writers to bring r3fresh some much needed content. I’ve yet to receive any serious emails (no, I don’t want to write about your product) and I’m still looking. When looking for a guest writer, try to offer them something in exchange. It could be money, a gift certificate, or even a post on their blog. Guest writers are often the easiest way to get more content on a blog, without having to hire a staff.
3. Shorter Posts: Instead of writing lengthy posts that many will just skip through, try writing shorter (few paragraph) posts. Shorter posts mean less work and more current content. Instead of writing a huge post (like this one) try posting a video or a short opinion on something. On the other hand, quality content is better than quantity content.
4. Pictures: Everyone at some point will be lazy, it’s a fact. The big review on the surround sound you just bought is taking longer than expected and you haven’t posted anything in a while, what do you do? To give yourself some more time, take pictures of the speakers and post them. The pictures don’t even need an explanation, readers are smart and will know what they are looking at. Engadget does this quite a lot, especially on just released products (cough…Apple…cough). The pictures also prepare the readers for a review and will bring them back when the review is finished.
5. Long lasting content: A blog doesn’t have a concrete definition and can be about anything. What a blog isn’t is a place to blog other blogs information, it’s just garbage. Write long lasting content that will still keep readers interested sixth months after it was published. Use comedy and stay away from current news, which only stays current for about a week.
Picture by: John Scone
Tags: blogging, ideas, list, tips
