Tuesday, February 02, 2010

I'll have my people call your people and we'll do lunch. WFMW


This week's theme for Works-For-Me-Wednesday is "Blogger tips."

My tip is:  Scheduling your posts. 

How to do it (in Blogger):
When you are writing your new post you will see at the bottom a link that says "Post Options."  Click on it and you will see some options like:


  • Reader comments
  • Edit HTML Settings
  • Backlinks
  • Compose Settings
  • Post date and time

 Post date and time is what we're looking for.  Click on "Scheduled at" underneath the Post date and time and you can schedule when that post will show.  You can make it say any time you want!  If time doesn't matter to you, leave it at 12:01 AM and just change the date.  But if you want it to appear as if you just spur of the moment wrote it, you could schedule it for say 8:07 PM.

So say you're feeling particularly chatty one day and you want to show all the pictures you took over the weekend and all the thoughts you had breaking them down into separate posts but don't want to overwhelm your 33 followers with THREE POSTS IN ONE DAY but you just HAVE TO POST THEM ALL ie.  Pookie's birthday party, Twins update pics, Rude things people said to me at the store, etc., you can schedule them.  This makes your readers happy to see posts coming in at a regular rate; versus going a week and then BAM! four posts at once. 

Some posts I really want responses to.  I want to know your advice on things, like when I needed a blog name for Tater. Sometimes I want to know that you think I'm funny.  Those posts I do not post on the weekends.  People don't seem to comment much on the weekends.  And some posts, like journal entries, I don't really care if people comment; so those are more likely to appear on the weekends on my blog.  But I feel like you are thinking, Oh my that's boring.  Moving along now.  when you don't comment.  Comment dangit.  If you took the time to read it, couldn't you possibly bring yourself to leave a smiley face or SOMETHING?  ahem.  Anyways, I digress. 

Sometimes I get inspiration for like three WFMW posts at the same time.  This is rare.  But when it happens, I grab my calendar and see what the dates are for the next three Wednesdays and enter them in individually in scheduled posts or drafts if incomplete.  But usually, it's Tuesday night and I go, oh yeah, Works for me Wednesday is tomorrow........... umm......hmm....tumbleweed.... what should I post about....there must be ...errr... umm...diapers.... what can I offer? ......  do I know stuff? ...... I must know something......  On those days, I am SO GLAD when I already have a prescheduled post.

And sometimes when I'm feeling particularly frugal and wise, I break up those WFMW posts into WFMW categories and Frugal Friday categories.  Then I can post one on Wednesday and another scheduled for Friday.  But if I don't start typing it up when it comes to me, it may as well never have happened.  I have severe post-partum twin mommy brain and it empties frequently.  I've got to at least get the thought started on a saved draft in Blogger.

So, if you're still with me, if you schedule your posts you feel ahead of the game.  You can provide a regular update and increase your subscribers.  When your last post shows your baby's birth picture and now she's on her way to Kindergarten, your followers start to drop off.  Scheduling works for me!  Visit Kristen at her site to view more WFMW entries from hundreds of other smart folk. 

21 comments:

Kim said...

Couldn't be able to blog without scheduling my posts. It is a great tip to share.

Anonymous said...

Yep, I'm a scheduler, too! I actually plan out weeks in advance, with gaps for spontaneous blog ideas, and that seems to be working well for me. :)

Melissa said...

I love scheduling!!! (I hate word verification!!!) Scheduling is my friend!! Loved your post. It made me laugh all the way through. Thanks!

Sandra said...

I love when I schedule my posts, too! It just makes life easier!

Ms. Leigh said...

i don't ever schedule my posts. i think i may have to do that next time i come up with several posts on one day. :-)

Rach said...

Love that option...love it! It makes me happy when I have many posts ready & scheduled to go out. Then I have a week without any posts....oh how I struggle. I love your many posts lately. LOVE IT>

feywriter said...

I use Windows Live Writer to write and post my blog entries. It has a schedule option, but last times I tried it didn't work the way I wanted (set the date, but published it anyway, instead of not posting till I wanted). So I just try to remember to press publish on the day I want. I do need to write more posts in advance. Then I won't have three Tuesday Tally's in a row.

sara@augustfields said...

i need to start scheduling out my posts! :) thanks for the tip.

Courtney said...

I just wrote about how scheduling works for me too! It really has made a huge difference in the way I blog and takes the stress of posting off!! great tip!

Leslie said...

I loved learning about this and am going to try and do it especially when I have lots of good ideas and want to spread them out.

Melissa said...

:-)

Just SO said...

I know about this but I have only done it once or twice. I need to be better at this.

Becca @ My Crazy Good Life said...

Dang it. I was going to leave a smiley face comment.

Anyway, thanks! You know, I have never scheduled a post? I give what I have when I have it...

I might now, though... Thanks!

CM said...

Great tip! I've never used this feature, but I need to! Nice to meet you and I'm a new follower!

Laurie HF said...

:) Thanks for the tips!

That Girl said...

I'm huge on scheduling. The only time I can really blog is at night, when My Man is studying. But then it's in increments - I'm constantly saving and going back to it.

My only problem is trying to remember that I can't so much write "so we just had dinner ..." when I'm scheduling it to post at 8AM.

FluffyChicky said...

I have a hard enough time coming up with one post, let alone extras that I could schedule for later on!

Tubbs Family said...

I didn't know you could do that! I get fustrated when I work on a post and isn't complete until I've done others, then that post gets buried and never read. Thanks! Also we got your socks! I was surprised to get two! My little lady loves them. I've been trying to copy the bead work (hope you don't mind) because I did some but they're different and I like yours. Thank you!!

Lisa said...

We got socks in the mail today...what a fantastic treat! Tomorrow Annalisa will wear them, and I will take pictures, and blog all about it.

Kirsten said...

I like scheduling my posts too - or at least drafting them in blogger so I can go back and finish them off later!

Unknown said...

Thanks! I schedule posts all the time. It makes my blogging life so much easier.