This is my third #HiveBloPoMo. My first one was completed successfully, the second one, I missed a few days. For me, preparation is the difference between success and failure. Here are four things you can do to help insure a successful HiveBloPoMo this November.
1 - Prepare!
I think this was the difference between the first time and the second time I did this challenge. The first time I really prepared and had no problems at all completing the challenge. The second time, I didn't prepare at all, and struggled through the entire month. Preparation ahead of time can really make this a much more pleasant challenge and make it that much easier to complete.
The best way I've found to prepare is to start with a list of post ideas. Just write out a simple list. Example
- bitcoin
- exchange security
- how to avoid exchange hacks
- best hardware wallets and why you should use them.
There are 30 days in November, find 30 ideas to write about and jot them down in a list. Once you have your 30 ideas, this is one less thing to concern yourself with. Think of it as a framework to complete the task.
2 - Start Writing.
Once we have our list, get out in front of this thing. START WRITING. This takes a lot of the pressure off. 30 posts in 30 days might sound easy if you haven't done this before but life always has a way of getting in the way! Holidays, surprise visits from family and friends, emergencies, so many different things can change our plans. Having a few pre-written posts in the pipe and ready to go can really save our bacon when something comes up. It's a lot easier to copy and paste the pre-written post into an editor rather than winging it and whipping something together all willy nilly. We all know that rarely works out!
3 - Find Some Weekly Challenges or Schedule A Weekly Topic
Think about it this way. If you can find a couple weekly challenges to write about each week you can deduct those from your topics list. For instance, if you write a weekly #MusicMonday post, we have four more Monday's this month. Deduct the four MusicMonday posts from your list and now you're down to 25 more posts.
Some weeklies I enjoy are #BeerSaturday, #MusicMonday, #FollowFriday.
You could also do a weekly cooking post or post about some other hobby you're interested in.
4 - The Story Technique
A couple weeks ago @epodcaster suggested during #HiveChat to approach the #NaPodPoMo (which is the podcasting version of this blogging challenge) like a story. So your first post would be an introduction to the topic you're writing about. The next several posts would dive further into the subject matter. Your last posts would be bringing it to a close.
Much like a storybook. Intro, everything on the topic (your daily posts), the ending.
Final Thoughts
I've learned a lot of tips and tricks over the years. Those were a few that seemed to work good for me. Everyone has their own way of doing things. I'm sure you'll find a few tips and tricks that work for you. I think the key of a 30 day blogging challenge is to make the commitment to yourself, then prepare in advance to make sure you overcome any obstacle that might pop up and put a damper on your posting schedule. As with all things, if you prepare in advance, not much can get in your way and if something does happen, you're already prepared to overcome it.
Image credits: Giphy
This is post 2 of 30 for this months #HiveBloPoMo challenge!