Bloggers and gentlemen – prepare to be amazed!
I’m about to dazzle you with instructions on how to complete a feat of Internet magic: You can write your next fashion blog post in 30 minutes – or less.
But like any good magician, you’ve got to have your bag of tricks at the ready. Your metaphorical top hat and white rabbit, you see? And what are these props that will help you abracadabra your way through a great post in half an hour?
- Your bank of post ideas that you keep stored in a Google doc or notebook
- Get yourself warmed up with the blogging work out plan (yes, we have one of those)
- Close your distraction tabs: G-chat, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Buzzfeed…
Okay, are you ready? Put on your cape, the curtains are parting – it’s showtime!
Step 1: Choose your post topic in 2 minutes.
This is why your back-up stash of posts is so important; dreaming up something to blog about can take way too long if you let it. (If you need help – we’ve got plenty of ideas! Here are 31, and here are 20 more.) Once you choose your topic, make sure it’s not something too in-depth or requiring a lengthy photo shoot. Nail down a post that will require only one or two images, and only one or two paragraphs of text at most.
Step 2: Create your visual(s) in 10 minutes.
Time to razzle dazzle them with stunning imagery! If your magical 30-minute post requires a collaged image, you better get to gettin’ bloggers – those can be time-consuming. Limit your collage to 5 pieces or so and grab that embed code. It helps to have a very clear idea of what items you want to include before starting (the white rabbit, if you will).
If you’re whipping up an extra-quick outfit post, cue up the Camera+ app on your smartphone, and ask your obliging neighbor/roommate/parent/significant other to snap 10 photos in rapid succession: 5 vertical, 5 horizontal. Move your body, smile, strike a couple of poses. Make quick edits in the app, and email the photos to yourself.
Grabbing an image from another site? Be sure to note the URL of the source to include in your post, and size it appropriately for your blog’s dimensions. Generally, 600 x 900 for vertical images and 750 x 400 works for horizontal.
Save, upload, presto change-o!
Step 3: Tap out your entertaining text in 12 minutes.
The trick to quick writing is just to go. Don’t hesitate, don’t debate over how to get started just get started. Even if you can only make a bulleted list at first, do it! The words will come, as soon as your mind begins to form them. Whether your style is stream of consciousness, outlining or listing, the hurdle of the first word is the toughest – but don’t let the audience see you sweat!
Once you have your main ideas and points written out, go back in and fill in the flourishes, add your personality, make paragraphs and full sentences – whatever you need to do to make your post you.
Don’t read over what you’ve written until you’re pretty much done. Add in your hyperlinks to brands, affiliates, social media, etc. and then save your changes. Preview your post in it’s entirety and then look for corrections and edits.
Go back in and make your changes, then save and schedule your post to go live.
Step 4: The big finale – publish and promote your post in 6 minutes.
Drum roll please… You’re about to make your big reveal! Push “publish.”
Now quick! Grab the wittiest, most entertaining line or basic gist of your post and widdle it down to the briefest of sentences. Paste it into Twitter and add your post’s specific URL. Tweet! That took what, a minute and a half?
Summarize your post or grab the best sentence and paste it into your Facebook page’s status box, along with your unique URL. Upload the main image from your post to go with it (Facebook users love to like a good image). Publish that too! That takes 2 minutes, tops!
Go back to your blog and pin your post’s images to the Pinterest board that houses your content. Voila, 45 seconds later you are done.
Step 5: Take a bow, you’re done!
For more: How Long Does It Take to Create a Personal Style Post?
hahha this is brilliant!! I am definitely gonna try this! sometimes it takes me soooo long to write posts
but i enjoy it so its all good!
http://lazyobsession.blogspot.com