New Year, new you, new…content calendar.
Sigh.
Content creation can feel overwhelming, but all it takes is one afternoon, some focus, and this step-by-step guide to plan exactly what you’re going to blog about for the next twelve months. Don’t stress, I’ve got you.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Calendar
Internet access
Notebook or app—whatever you use to take notes
Timer
Snack (This is absolutely non-negotiable. Bonus points if it’s something cozy.)
Got it all? Let’s get started!
Step-by-Step Guide for How to Plan a Year of Blog Content in One Afternoon
Step One: Do the Math
Don’t worry, this isn’t calculus. We just need to figure out how many blog topics you need for a year’s worth of content. Is your goal to post once a month? Once a week? Once you know how frequently you want to blog, you’ll know exactly how many blog posts you need.
Step Two: Break Down Your Blog Categories
If you’re a photographer, you’re probably thinking in terms of sessions: Weddings, newborns, families, seniors, cake smashes, etc. This is great, but you also want to think in terms of topics. Session blog posts are a category unto themselves. Why? Because they all do the same thing. They allow people to check out your recent work. (And they can come in handy for keywords too). But what else do people want to do when they come to your blog? What other things do you (or should you) blog about?
I always recommend that my clients find a niche—a subject that overlaps nicely with their business and helps them serve the same audience.
For example, if you’re a newborn and family photographer you might decide to blog about your sessions, your services, and parenting tips. Your category breakdown might look something like this:
Sessions (Things like: Jade and Mike’s Wedding, Aria’s Newborn Session, Outdoor Photoshoot with the Tomlinson Family)
Informational about Services/Sessions (Things like: What to Wear for Family Photos, How to Prep for Your Newborn Session, When to Book a Cake Smash)
Informational about Parenting (Things like: Tips for Holiday Hosting with a Newborn, Low-Key Alternatives to Screen Time for Toddlers, Making Memories with Your Teen)
If you’re new to figuring out your niche, here are some questions you can ask yourself to spark ideas:
“What do I blog about most frequently?”
“What do I want to blog more about?”
“What other topics might my ideal client be interested in?”
“What adds value to my clients and also makes sense in the context of my business?”
Step Three: Create a Pattern for Your Categories
Now that you have your categories figured out, as well as your total number of posts for the year, it’s time to spread those categories out across the calendar. How many posts do you want per category? This doesn’t have to be equal. Maybe you want to do session posts three weeks out of the month, and an informational post once a month. Just work out a fairly consistent pattern for your blog categories.
Step Four: Mine Your Blog
If you already have a blog, look over your posts from previous years. Which blog posts performed well? Which did you get good feedback on? If these topics are still relevant to your audience (evergreen content) you can freshen up these posts with a rewrite and some new photos, and use them again. Recycling content is a great way to make the most of your work and avoid content creator burnout.
Another thing to look for are points you mentioned in a previous post that you didn’t have time to really dive into. For example, you may have mentioned in your what-to-wear post that you have maternity gowns available at your photo studio. Why not do a whole new post featuring some of your favorites? Looking for opportunities like these can give you a jumping off point and inspiration for brand new posts.
Step Five: Look at the Calendar
While evergreen content is the most flexible and easy to re-use, seasonal content also has its place. Just looking at the months ahead can be a good way to get inspiration for seasonal content. Do you offer holiday mini sessions? Fall family photoshoots? Senior and graduation photos? Plan to have blog posts on these topics ready for publication before you open for booking so you can get all your slots filled. Or maybe particular seasons spark other ideas. Spring may remind you of spring cleaning, and inspire a blog post on how to purge and organize your digital photo library. Look over the year one month at a time and jot down any ideas you have.
Step Six: Research the Competition
Focus on sites that are ranking well for your target keywords and see what they’re blogging about. It’s easy to get sucked into the rabbit hole of the internet here, so set a timer (no more than an hour), take notes as you research, and then stop when that timer goes off.
And I know you know this, but I’m going to say it anyway. No copying! Use other people’s content to inspire you, spark ideas, and help you to better understand industry trends, but don’t steal their material.
Step Seven: Brainstorm!
You’ve probably already got a nice list going just from taking a careful look at the calendar and a few blogs (including your own). Now it’s time to brainstorm and see if there are any other ideas lurking in the corners of your brain. (I can guarantee there are!)
Brainstorming is sometimes easier with other people, so if you have a couple of friends or family members who might be willing to brainstorm with you in exchange for some of those cozy snacks, all the better. But if it’s just you, that’s fine too!
I find a timer helpful in the brainstorming step too—I usually set mine for about 15 minutes. During this step write down every single idea that comes to mind. No stopping to judge if it’s “good” or not. Just get it down.
Step Eight: Start Filling Your Content Calendar
Now that you’ve got an epic list of ideas, it’s time to start plugging them into your content calendar so you know exactly when you plan to post.
Start with your seasonal content. These are the topics that need to go in a particular month or season, so you want to make sure they’re in place first. I usually grab a stack of 3X5 cards, write the month on top of each card and then start jotting down the ideas that I think would go well in each month. (Obviously you can do something way more high-tech…I’m just one of those weird people that still likes pen and paper.)
Once your seasonal content is in place, review your other ideas and start filling out the rest of your calendar with that evergreen content. (It’s fine if some of this is a bit sketchy. For example, if you plan to do a monthly session post, then just penciling in “session post” on the third week of every month is great. You don’t have to know yet if it’s going to be a family or newborn session.)
Step Nine: Celebrate!
Wow, you did it! You just planned an entire year of blog content in one afternoon. And as someone who blogs professionally for small business owners, I can tell you that you are already way ahead of most people. (To keep it that way, I recommend taking a look at your schedule so you know when your busy times are and try to write those posts ahead of time. Or get me to do it for you! This post has a bit more info about that. But don’t worry about it today. You’ve earned a break!)
Go ahead, take a few minutes to admire that beautifully filled-in content calendar. Doesn’t that feel great?
It’s going to feel even better in a few weeks when you head back to the RedFox blog to find out how to recycle your blog content for social media. In the meantime, stay tuned on Facebook and Instagram, and happy blogging!
Need a little extra support?
RedFox Blogging specializes in helping photographers and other small business owners reap all the benefits of blogging with none of the hassle. I can help you:
- Brainstorm topics
- Find your business niche
- Plan your content calendar
- Create and maintain a consistent blog schedule
- Edit and recycle blog posts you’ve already written
- Write brand new blog posts
- Optimize your blog posts for search engine rankings
I can even take the whole blogging thing off your plate and just manage your blog for you. Want to learn more? Please get in touch. I’d love to hear from you!
