Can You Perfectly Plan Your Blog?

Ha! No.

 

Sorry, a more detailed answer is probably useful. When I was thinking about how I wanted to plan my blog in 2017 I did some google searches and the word perfectly came up. Let’s clear up one thing: there is no perfect blog, nor is there a formula for blogging.

 

Can You Perfectly Plan Your Blog?

 

Can You Perfectly Plan Your Blog

 

Look, I realise the article titles I saw were probably just victims of the “must have 100 adjectives in blog posts titles” virus that has been going around the internet for the past few years. (You know, the not-quite-clickbait but they seem jealous of the clickbait page views?)

 

But I don’t like the word perfect. I think it makes it more overwhelming for new bloggers (or old bloggers who have had some time off) to start and creates a mental barrier. In some ways, I’m going to go all hypocritical again and say I don’t much like blogging advice. I find that much of it is written very prescriptively. I also find it … I don’t want to say actively not supportive, but sometimes that’s how list posts make me feel. Check this off, you’ll get this. I guess that’s why I started to talk about blogging in a way that I liked and personally find more suitable than other ways of writing.

 

Lets take that example a bit further. Say that my old blog, Bloggers and Bacon, was a perfect blog. (I’ll just sit here while the laughter dies down.) If you wanted to start an informational blog, you could do it in the same way, talking about ideas and issues and topics related to your subject matter. But list posts and tutorials full of screenshots might work better for you, so a more chatty blog like this might not be the best format to learn about your subject matter. I found that I had a lot of content I could have made with screenshots, only writing those posts bored the crap out of me, so I didn’t write them, and instead I just … talk… about blogging.

 

Perfect blogging is a myth. Strive for connection and you’ll do fine.

 

Do you think such a thing as a perfect blog exists? 

 

18 Replies to “Can You Perfectly Plan Your Blog?”

  1. I miss Bloggers and Bacon. Is there any chance you could leave it up, even if you don’t add to it? I often sent newbie bloggers there as a great resource!!!

    1. Vanessa Smith says: Reply

      I’m editing and republishing the content here, so you can send them to my blogging category if you want? I’d like to do a better home page so people can click through to the parts they want easier, but I can’t work out the design aspects currently.

  2. I completely agree with you about blogging – all those “how to” blogs seem to do so well because everyone is looking for the magic recipe that will turn them into superstars. After a few years I’ve come to realize that if I want to keep going, I need to blog in a way that is “me” and just hope others want to visit.

    1. Vanessa Smith says: Reply

      And I think that’s why having a separate blog for blogging failed for me – I’m not selling magic. I’m talking to you about my experiences blogging, and GASP, then you still have to do the work.

  3. As you know I’m all for talking about whatever takes your fancy. When I pulled back from blogging I thought I’d do the occasional book review and that’s it. But I missed the navel gazing posts (which now usually only appear on Thursdays so I limit the overanalysing) so that plan definitely went out of the window.

    Even now, as I start full time work again I’m not quite sure how things will work. I realise I’ll settle into a routine of sorts so I won’t make any rash decisions but at some point I’ll have to ask myself how rigid I want to be or how much I can (or can’t) plan ahead. #teamlovinlife

    1. Vanessa Smith says: Reply

      It’s always hard to say how things will go when you start a new job or similar big change like that. Literally it’s just time that’ll sort that out for you though.

  4. I learnt pretty quickly to not get caught up with all the blogging do’s and dont’s. I do think blogging etiquette is important but I think the key to blogging is to be uniquely yourself. That is what makes you stand out. Be yourself and do things your own way … not the way a set of rules says you should blog. That’s my opinion anyway! 🙂 #TeamLovinLife

    1. Vanessa Smith says: Reply

      Etiquette is always important – as with most things “do no harm” kind of sentiment/statement always applies. Beyond that, it’s up to you!

  5. Yep, it’s a myth…I haven’t yet come across a blog I could score a perfect 10 for (& yes, I have been watching the room reveals on The Block – although the rest of it has just been too nasty this year). Throwing perfect in a title does make for good clickbait though 🙂

    1. Vanessa Smith says: Reply

      I perfectly agree 🙂

  6. Overplanning leads to blogs that feel inauthentic, or forced into formulaic content. I’m not a fan.

    I’ll take irregular posting with a side of personality over regular clickbait any day.

  7. Yep I thought NO straight away too! I got somewhat caught up in the formula from the first (and only ProBlogger I went to when it was just little and for one day in 2011. All this stuff about SEO and key words and how to get your blog noticed. I did the formula. It didn’t work and more importantly it wasnt me!! Once I worked that out, I just blogged from the heart with some brain power for making sure it is not too long, too cumbersome and is read-able!! Denyse x

  8. My blog has grown organically and changed dramatically from my first intention for it. I think it depends on what you want out of your blog. If it’s a business, then you need a strategy, but if it’s simply something you enjoy writing, then why not just do it the way you want to? #TeamLovinLife

  9. Thoughtful post. I totally agree. Blogs change and morph as we grow, and they follow our interests. As individuals we can’t compete with the more ‘corporate type blogs’ writing about trending news, using clickbait topics and attracting advertisers due to huge followings. It’s taken me a long while to learn this – I am a late developer 😉 I think the perfect blog is about an individual, and what they’re interested in – people will respond to it if they have similar concerns and interests. Many won’t. We are all different and at the end of the day, we can’t please everyone.

  10. It’s not possible to produce the perfect blog for anyone but yourself. Staying true to your WHY and writing in a style that feels comfortable for you rather than publishing stuff that is SEO driven, will help you to achieve this. I can’t stand those posts that have a bait title and are full of lists and have no substance behind them. Another thing that really annoys me are bloggers that generate posts, for the sole purpose of pushing affiliate links. I get that bloggers need to earn money, but be up front about your motive for writing that post.

  11. I will always remember that quote from the ProBlogger event last year … can’t remember which speaker said it … “Perfection is a fairy tale” . I think I remind myself of it (or remind others of it) at least once a week. #teamlovinlife

  12. I would be paralyzed with hopelessness if I took on board everything I’ve read about how to blog. Much better to just go off on my own tangent and hope for the best.

  13. I am not sure that a perfect blog exists but what I know is that to create the illusion of a perfect blog is much like creating the illusion of a perfect life bloody hard work. All that I can do is my thing in my little corner of the world. Some of my blogs are good and others not so good. And that is ok. Like Kooks I will just keeping doing my thing and hope for the best.

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