A Blogging Office Makeover

By Chris Gardner.

Sometimes, when I hop on my soap box and go on and on about how essential an editorial calendar is to every blog - no matter the size or topic - I begin with this photo:

This is my office when I was still working a full-time, non-blogging job. I was lucky enough to have a dedicated space to work on my blog posts, original DIY and craft projects, but my work looked like my desk.

I’d publish whenever I could, on evenings and weekends. I’d publish as many things as I could at once, this way I could make sure to get them up while I had the time, blasting off all kinds of new content in a row. And I’d work on things as soon as I could, hopefully getting them published while their information was still relevant, seasonal, and contextually appropriate. (Read: before the actual holiday or even the celebration).

This is my office now. And I share this not because I think having a clean desk is essential to blogging success, but because I do think that setting yourself up to work consistently and efficiently is the best way to help grow your blog and your readership.

Being organized, thoughtful, and consistent in posting is one helpful trick to stand out above all the thousands of other design blogs out there. I think the most practical way to achieve this is by creating an editorial calendar that works for you, your content, and your readers. If you want to turn your blog into a real business that can allow you do things like quit full-time jobs or go freelance, then behave like a business and keep organized.

Let’s discuss it on my Alt Channel class: Using An Editorial Calendar to Grow Your Blog: April 16th at 11:00 PST. See you there!

Comments

[Kimberly {Manifest Yourself}]

Your office looks fabulous! I completely agree with having a clean office. It really does increase productivity. I work full time (at a job that does have some down time which is perfect for blogging) but I find myself more stressed when my desk is a hot mess. Then I am cleaning instead of blogging during down time. I am still working on developing that editorial calendar though... I am launching a new blog on 6/1, and have it broken down with a "theme" for the month...ish...but not by post yet.