Planning Blog Content: The Ultimate Guide

Your content is the heart of your blog. But the online world moves at such a fast pace, it can be difficult to keep up. Over 2 years ago now, I started to actually take my blog seriously. I really knuckled down with my content, what types of posts I was writing and formatting a good schedule for myself. I’ve learnt a trick or two about what works and what doesn’t when it comes to effectively planning blog content. And I’m excited to be sharing that with you today!

Planning blog content, as opposed to just writing and posting when you feel like it can seem daunting and overwhelming but it doesn’t have to be. If you have the proper tools and strategies in place to be effectively planning blog content, it’s actually a breeze! And can save yo a lot of time and stress in the long run. Imagine heading into a new month without a care in the world because all your blog content is already planned?

So here are my top tips for effectively planning blog content, from start to finish!

Get a planner / blog organizer

I’d highly recommend the Digital Blog Planner from Tea Party Beauty for this because it’s online, quick and incredibly easy to use. Finding a organisational system that works for you is a game changer, so use something that you enjoy. If you prefer to write everything down by hand, then do that. There’s no right or wrong way to do it.

Figure out your posting schedule

To effectively plan blog content, you need some sort of schedule otherwise it sort of defeats the point. If you’re someone that just blogs occasionally and has no intention of changing that, then this post isn’t for you. But if you want to establish a solid blog content schedule then that’s exactly what you need… a schedule.

When I say schedule your alarm bells are probably going off but it doesn’t have to be a daunting prospect. Just figure out how many times a week or month you want to post and what days you want to post on (or what days you get the most traffic) and go from there. And the good thing is is that if you start with a schedule that doesn’t work for you, you can always change it up. I’ve changed mine multiple times over the years and I’ve finally found one I’m happy with!

Pencil in your regular monthly content first

So, you’ve got your schedule ready to go now it’s time to fill up those slots with ass-kicking content. When you’ve got a blank month staring back at you, it can seem really overwhelming because like, what on earth am I going to write about to fill up ALL THOSE DAYS? I’ve been there gurl. So break it down.

Are there any posts that crop up regularly on your blog anyway? I have a monthly advertisers post which goes up at on the first Monday or Thursday of every month without fail. So that’s one slot filled. I’ve also started to dabble with monthly wrap ups, which obviously slot in at the end of the month. That’s two. And just like that, you’re already on your way to planning your months worth of content.

Then pencil in any regional holiday based blog post ideas

It’s then worth checking to see which holidays or occasions are coming up in the following month (or whatever month you’re planning content for) and scheduling in any relevant posts you know you’re going to want to create for those occasions. Think gift guides and that sort of thing. Even if you don’t have a specific idea for a post just yet (e.g you want to write something around Halloween but don’t know exactly what) it’s still worth penciling in “Halloween Themed Post” into your slot and come back to it later.

Figure out what you really love writing about

I love being technically a niche-less blog. I love having the freedom to write about anything and everything when the occasion arises. However, over the past half a year or so, I’ve noticed I’m generally swaying towards 3 or 4 topics more regularly than others and those are the ones I enjoy writing about the most. For me, it’s blogging advice, blogging related style posts, well-being and personal development. So when it comes to creating new content, I tend to go for my “expertise topics” first (not an expert but you know what I mean).

Create a Google form, a poll or ask around

As well as the posts that you love writing the best, it’s always good to know what your readers love and the topics that they think you’re providing the best information for. If you can, create a Google Form or a poll on Twitter and get some feedback as to what your readers / potential readers like or would want to see from you in the future! This is a good way to get inspiration for content and you know you’ll be creating content people want to read and will find useful.

And if we’re getting really into it, reflect back over your previous 6 months of blogging stats and note down the most popular 3 posts from every month and see if you can find a pattern

This is a handy little trick and it’s also really intriguing to see which posts continually do well. For me, blogging related posts are almost always at the top of my most viewed every single month. Which is good because those are my favourite type of posts to write! This will give you an even clearer idea of the content your readers like the most and where your strengths lie.

Get inspired

So now it’s time to get inspired! You have your scheduled nailed. You have a clear idea of what content you want to write, what content your readers want to see and what content does the best in terms of views (I know this post isn’t really about getting dem viewz but it’s still a nice extra!) so now you gotta put it into practice. And don’t forget, there’s no shame in seeking out blog post ideas. I’ve create a few lists of blog post ideas which you’re welcome to use:

• 25 Bookish Blog Post Ideas
• 25 Spring and Summer Blog Post Ideas
• 25 Winter and Christmas Blog Post Ideas
• 25 Autumn Blog Post Ideas

And inspiration is everywhere. Don’t force the inspiration because rarely does that ever work and you end up with less ideas than you had in the first place. Head to Pinterest – a hub of inspiration – and take notice of the media you’re consuming. Has someone said something in a TV show you’re watching that you’d like to expand on? Have you seen a tweet that you don’t agree with that you’d like to discuss?

Brainstorm ideas and note everything down

And when that inspiration does strike, make sure you note everything down. Everything. Even if you don’t have a clear idea of a title or a direction you want a particularly post to go, write down a general idea and come back to it later. I have a note on my phone on blog post ideas and some of them make no sense at the moment because I don’t know where I want to go with them but I do know it might be a decent post for the future.

You can set yourself time to actively brainstorm ideas. Sometimes this doesn’t work and you draw a blank but when it does, make the most of it. As well as jotting down any and every idea, you could also try a spider diagram, a chart of some sort or any other creative way to brainstorm ideas that works for you!

Having a solid method for creating blog content can save you time and effort as well as increasing your views and followers in the long run. A system like this won’t work for everyone but it’s been tried and tested and certainly works a peach for me! I hope you found this post helpful if you’re looking for advice on effectively planning blog content.