By Sam McFarlane

It’s no secret that blogging regularly brings new prospects in and keeps your clients coming back to your website, but sometimes you just get stuck. Like everything in life, if you don't prioritise it doesn't get done. I know that when I plan in advance and stay organised, I always accomplish a higher quality of work.

So here are my 3 tips for planning blog posts, like a pro:

1/ Brainstorm topics

The purpose of your blog is to establish your expertise, showcase your unique approach, and demonstrate your professionalism. Brainstorm what you want to talk about. I’ve listed some ideas to work from below:

Frequently Asked Questions

Look at frequently asked questions from your customers and prospects. What kinds of questions do you get in your e-mail or on social media? Make a list of the most frequently asked questions and decide whether or not there is a blog post within the question. You can even break a single question down into content for more than one blog post.

Build upon popular blog posts

Another alternative is to build upon previous blog posts that did well, create a follow up to that particular blog post and write more about the topic.

Search

Searching social media sites, blog posts, and forums will also allow you to see what people are talking about in your industry.

Start keeping a file in a notebook, a folder on your computer, or an e-mail folder. Whenever you receive questions, save the question in this document. It can be a simple spreadsheet or a word document. I use the notes function in my phone to jot down any blog ideas I have, as they usually appear when I am out and about.

2/ Create a blog calendar

Once you have your list of topics, start to enter them into a calendar and work out where they will fit best throughout the year. Take the time to create a calendar of topics and commit to writing regular updates. Click here to see my monthly content calendar. This calendar will make it easier for you to see what blog posts need to be written when.

3/ Write your blog

Once the topics are entered into the calendar, you need to commit to actually writing about the topic when you say you will. Now that you know what you are going to write about and when it needs to be written, you can start writing your blogs. You can use my blog post planner to assist in creating your blog content. The planner breaks down the steps you need to take in order to get started on writing your blog.

And that’s it! Take some time today to set up a system that will help you publish content like a pro.

How do you organise and plan your blog posts?

The talented Sam McFarlane from Sam Says is a Social Media and Content Manager for busy small business and SME's owners.

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