In “Blog Exercises: Intentional Blogging” I encouraged you to review the first exercises in this blog exercise series, putting emphasis on the intentions behind your blogging.
I’d like to check in on your editorial calendar today.
In “Blog Exercises: The Editorial Calendar” I discussed the importance of adhering to a schedule with your blogging, planning posts throughout the year, and beyond.
I introduced you to the Content Project Form to help you flesh out your ideas and document them as you go.
Today, I want you to review those exercises and update your calendar. It has probably slipped a bit by now. The next year is coming and you need to make sure you are still on track and have a plan for next year as well.
Throughout the year I’ve assigned exercises to help you fill your calendar such as weather posts, monthly current event posts, industry event announcements and news, seasonal activities and topics, anniversaries and birthdays, holidays and memorials, and a wide range of timely post ideas. Go through these examples and add them to next year’s editorial calendar.
Look for more items to add to your editorial calendar next year. As you blogged this year, you probably discovered or were reminded about important events in your industry or life worth blogging about next year. You also stumbled on ideas for articles and article series you’d like to cover. Get those on your calendar for next year.
This year, I joined NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month in November, an international social event to encourage fiction novel writing. I knew about it for many years, but I’m a technical writer, not fictional. This year, with the encouragement of a few writing buddies, I entered the month long challenge writing my own technical stuff. Maybe one year I will be brave enough to do fiction, but I didn’t want to be left out so I jumped in with both unprepared feet. It’s been an amazing experience finding new great friends and writing buddies, and feeling like I’m part of something. I’m going to add a series of articles in advance and during NaNoWriMo for those wishing to blog their experience or stories during the month. That’s going on my editorial calendar.
I’m not sure if I will continue these daily blog exercises in honor of the 10th Anniversary year of WordPress past the end of the year unless the demand is great enough, but it won’t be daily. There are so many other topics I’ve been holding back on that I’d love to share, including tips, tricks, and lessons on specifically using WordPress, one of the great loves of my life. I’ve added plenty to next year’s calendar on those topics.
What about you? What lies ahead for you? It’s time to start adding those things to your editorial calendar.
Your blog exercise is to review your editorial calendar, update it, and prepare for next year.
We’ll revisit this again before the end of the year, but start thinking and planning now. Document those ideas and get them scheduled on your calendar. The further out you plan your site, the more energy and enthusiasm you may commit to it.
Remember to include a hat tip link back to this post to create a trackback if you blog about this topic, or leave a properly formed link in the comments so participants can check out your blog exercise task.
You can find more Blog Exercises on Lorelle on WordPress. This is a year-long challenge to help you flex your blogging muscles.
Via Feedburner
Subscribe by Email
Lorelle on WordPress 