Editor’s Note:
Since the publication of this article I’ve significantly changed the way I approach my work. However, while I no longer use some of the tools mentioned in this post, I kept them as a resource others may find helpful. ~Steph
Okay, so I have some confessions and now’s as good a time as any to come clean. Since my workload has practically doubled I’ve been asked what it’s like and how I do it. I thought the best way to proceed forward would be to go through my workflow and share some helpful tips:
Confession #1
This blogging business is hard! Don’t misunderstand, I’m not whining, although if I do say so myself I’m pretty gosh darn good at. When I say “good at it” I mean whining not blogging. Not that I’m bad at blogging but I’m better at whining when I put my mind to it.😆 Seriously though, whining is not the purpose of this post.
When I first began blogging the major concerns from my point of view were content creation and time. If I thought developing fresh content was stressful I didn’t fully take into consideration:
- managing the website
- research
- writing
- editing
- picture taking
- video making
- connecting and engaging with fellow bloggers
- and social media, just to name a few tasks.
Confession #2
It was so exciting watching Bold Blind Beauty grow. With growth came greater responsibility:
- not nearly enough time to visit my favorite blogs (because there are many and yes, I have a list)
- curating relevant content to share on social media is ongoing
- connecting with, scheduling and following up with featured guests is also ongoing
- sometimes no matter how well I plan things go awry
- additional features on the back end of the website make managing it a little more challenging
- as the blog grew so did I as in age, as a result, the way I work has changed
- growth on social media channels means more connecting and engaging with more people
Confession #3
Upgrading to WordPress Business Plan provides greater flexibility ie plugins, an e-commerce solution, access to instant help, and more. On the other side of the upside:
- it’s more costly
- even more, time to update and sustain the site
- learning to use new plugins to make life a little easier
- because of confessions 1, 2, and 2, there’s even less time to engage with my blogging buddies
Confession #4
Since so much of what we develop as content creators are visual, this can make things a bit challenging. Limited eyesight compounds the issue yet there are many adaptations and workarounds we can use. But what about design elements? More importantly, how do you keep it all organized then post to multiple social media channels?
- Canva, a web-based design platform is so easy to use a person without any design experience can create nearly anything.
- Sendible is a social media management tool that lets you schedule and post to multiple social media platforms. Yes, even Instagram so no more emailing images to upload to Insta on your cell phone.
- G-Suite like the name implies is a suite of Google products (docs, sheets, calendar, contacts, Gmail, etc.) With G-Suite you can create set up email based on your domain, i.e. smccoy@boldblindbeauty vs. smccoy@gmail.com. All of my images are grouped into general subdirectories like events, logos, products, quotes, and selfies. These directories are further broken down by more specific topics. For example in my boatload of quotes folder, there are advocacy, authenticity, empowerment, fashion, funny, etc. related quotes.
- Trello is a project management tool consisting of boards, lists, and cards that I use to keep myself organized.
- Sales Navigator Lite for Gmail extension allows me to see what contacts are on LinkedIn. This enables me to send them a connection request directly from Gmail.
Confession #5
I draw the line at SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
- At my age, I choose what’s beneficial for me. Since my eyes glaze over whenever I hear the word “SEO,” Yoast SEO plugin for WordPress has been a lifesaver.
Summary of Confessions:
While the work I do can be incredibly complicated and time-consuming it is by far the most rewarding I’ve had the pleasure of performing. The amazing feedback I get from people all over the world is more than enough compensation. An additional bonus is meeting all of you and featuring some of you here on Bold Blind Beauty.
Do you have any tips or tricks to share that make your life easier? Please do tell.
Featured Image Description:
The photo is a blank checklist with a pen laying on it on top of a wooden desk.