Are your clients all taking a break this summer and you want to take one too? Is blogging for your design business last on the list of priorities right now?
Well, I’m here to give you some tips on how to put a break into your schedule today and hopefully still maintain some contact with your readers.
My recent presentation for the Design Hounds, on how interior designers can use Pinterest and blogging to drive traffic to their websites.
While I try not to skip a day when I normally post, I’ve discovered it is not going to hurt so much at this time of year, when people are not dialed into much blog reading anyway.
Of course, that doesn’t mean to just be totally absent for 3 months and expect everyone to be ready to hear from you when you decide to post again.
The very last thing in the world I (and everyone else) hates to see, is a blogger apologizing for not posting when they finally return. (Eyeroll)
Do these bloggers really think everyone is waiting with baited breath for their posts to show up in their inbox? Do they really think they will be missed that much or that anyone will even notice?
No. Because blogging is not about the blogger.
It’s about the reader.
Face it.
It’s likely that they’ve moved on to other blogs that are still publishing new and interesting content over the summer. If you have readers that will open your emails and read your blog during the summer, then please pop in a couple of times to say hello…..on schedule.
Okay?
Tip #1
If you are going to skip some posts, make sure you deliver a good one when you can get back to publishing.
When you do find time to create some content, publish an evergreen post with tooth, meaning, and real helpfulness that will get traction on down the road with Pinterest and Google.
Just because your email list might not open it up right away and devour your content, because they are on holiday, does NOT mean that post won’t gain traction and become top ranked on your blog someday.
Tip #2
Use a slow time in your own business to develop content.
You could take this time when you might even be slower at work to develop more content, plan out your posts, and just write!
One thing I have always found, if I just start writing, it helps the ideas flow. You have to practice to become good at this, just like anything else.
Practice is good.
Tip #3
I must reiterate here……get your blog on a schedule of some kind.
Don’t randomly post! You want people to look forward to your posts. You want them to count on your posts showing up in their inbox at a certain time.
If you are doing once a month, post on something like the first Saturday of the month or if twice a month, maybe first and third Saturday. Posting once a week? Please…..the same day of the week!
Don’t be tempted to hit publish as soon as you get it done. I love looking at my little blog calendar on my sidebar and seeing all those dates bolded and lined up perfectly, showing my consistent blog schedule. :-)
I have readers that send me comments about how they look forward to Saturday mornings when my post will arrive in their inbox. I mean, that’s amazing, right?
They know they can count on getting that email with my Saturday post every week.
With my twice a week posting schedule, if I let one drop, it is usually the Wednesday post, when people are busy. I usually do a shorter post on Wednesday or one that is image heavy, not text heavy, just so people can scan the content easily. (And pin, hopefully!)
I want people to dig into my Saturday posts when they have time on the weekend.
BTW, I email every post on my blog when published. It makes my blog kind of like a newsletter. This is a bit old-school, but it has so many advantages and I’m so glad I moved to this format about 3-4 years ago. The positives are so numerous….I can’t begin to tell you.
Well, I will go into it someday, here on this blog. :-)
If you need some ideas for summer blogposts, I have just the post for you.
AND…..I have a link to my recent presentation for the Design Hounds, who gathered in Napa for an SKS Appliances immersion design experience. This might help you learn how to drive traffic to your site, using some good Pinterest practices. It’s for sale in my shop. :-)
How Interior Designers Can Use Pinterest To Drive Traffic To Their Websites