In the process of coming up with new posts, I also like to create various drafts in my WordPress account. That way, when I spot something interesting, I can jott down notes, links, pictures and outline what I have to say. The WordPress iPhone app is perfect for that. Then, I can come back to it at a later time. This is also where I keep some pretty baked posts handy for when I’m especially busy and don’t have time to blog. All I have to do is click ‘publish’!

Lovely post.

Thanks for your comments. I think they’ll really help people out!

Folders and clippings are great places to file ideas. I also receive *tons* of emails from many industry publications. If I have time when I get them, I read them and either file them into folders (with similar names as yours!), put them into a “read later” folder, or trash them. Like you said, it’s a great place to come back to when seeking inspiration!

It’s funny–I started blogging (and still do) to really help me process the information I read and figure out how to apply it to my own clients. It’s also nice to help other people figure it out! I do try to write as much as possible, but I also have my client work to think about. In the end, the day job pays the bills!

Thanks again for stopping by! Your blog’s design is really nice, btw!

Best,

Chris

To expand a bit on your #1 step, which is *so* true … I also read tons of industry emails and e-newsletters in my field and make a note of any subjects that seems to be “hot.” I also scan through industry headlines/news and draw inspiration like that as well.

Additionally, I keep various folders both in and outside of email. If I’m reading a magazine or newspaper and see an article of interest, I cut it out and place into my “blog inspiration” folder. Same thing for email … I have various subject-specific folders in my inbox and when an email comes in that catches my attention for blog inspiration, I drag it into that given folder (e.g. “email marketing blog posts”, “web publishing blog posts,” etc.).

I may not use the information I’ve filed right away but boy is it helpful when I think I’ve run out of ideas. I just start going through my clippings or inbox folders and almost *always* remember I meant to write about this or that; or maybe get some new ideas.

And probably the biggest thing I have to remember is to set my own pace, set my own tone and to WRITE FOR MYSELF. Meaning … it’s way too much pressure to think I am writing for others. I always try to focus on the fact that I write for myself. When I feel inspired, I blog. Period. If that means a few days go by, ok. I try to keep it very realistic for myself. If someone stumbles on my site and happens to enjoy what I write about, then that is a plus but not a must. That approach seems to alleviate the stress of blog-maintenance and upkeep. That pressure has been known to kill many a promising blog so I do what I can to keep it tamed.

Thanks for compiling this list. I enjoyed validating that some of what I do to keep my own blog up is identical to what you share here.

Best,
Mayra

Totally. And I think that’s what many of us experience, but probably not nearly as much as our clients. We need to try to encourage them to let go of “the process” because people want to speak with humans–not just an edited and revised version of a person!

The whole point of the post (or comment) is to provide fodder for conversation. Don’t overthink what you’re writing too much or it becomes too polished, which is boring.

At the end of the day, you just have to push publish!