Ok, so this is a twofer this week, blogging about blogging, but damn it.. this is my blog.
All drafted up, nothing to post
Between drafts in Word, in WordPress and now my beloved Evernote, I have many ideas for posts kicking around. And yet, nothing is really publish ready; it’s half-baked or half-assed, or it’s too much of the same old stuff, doesn’t hit any of my targeted goals.
Perhaps it’s the goals that are the problem, or the focus of the blog – too much vs. not enough – as I run into many of the mistakes you can make that cause people not to read, comment or share your blog.
Google+ aka the Mini-Blog
When things are too short for a post, I’ve been sending those nuggets of random to Google+.
- Disney Verizon-only app.
- Brilliant poem on SEC football.
- Blogging, social, networking – the usual suspects.
The idea has been to mix up from what I share on Twitter, perhaps walk that tightrope in the balance of personal vs. professional. It’s been good as I’ve joined and started some nice discussions, seen some things I would not have otherwise.
Thinning out
I’m still using Twitter while enjoying Google+, remind myself LinkedIn does work.. even lurked my Facebook of late. Latest to the mix is StumbleUpon, which I’m finding it a little like Flipboard. I’m considering stumbling my own blog once in a while, since pimping to SU is the hot new traffic driver,
Perhaps my branching out from the blog to other platforms is an issue, I’ve spread myself too thin. Right now, I’m also distracted – trying to get everything done before I enjoy an offline vacation in a couple weeks.
Getting from draft to done
I’ll defer to the wisdom of The Gambler: know when to hold ’em, fold ’em, know when to walk away, know when to run. If there is some ‘there’ there on an old draft:
- Turn to your latest reading, updated links might be all it takes.
- Look at recent events and current news; a tie-in to a PR flap or marketing mismanagement can breathe new life into old draft.
- Review older posts, see if you can repurpose them with the newer stuff.
- Go back to the beginning, what sparked your interest in the first place, then give it another go.
How long do your posts sit in draft mode? Is there such as thing as too long before they go stale?
Photo credit: May I never run out of Someecards.
I have no drafts. I fly by the seat of my pants (when I wear pants) No, really. I get an idea, then I may flesh it out a bit. If it does not suck, it gets published. If it does suck, it either gets rewritten or trashed.
The only things I save at all are the social media posts for my old job that they rejected. I may re-purpose those. You guys didn’t know I blog about social media did you? I am full of surprises this week 🙂
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Heh, surprises can be fun. I used to – and still do – wing it sometimes Nancy. Maybe it’s a rant or a recent event that prompts a more timely post; sometimes a little thing will happen and it quickly, easily lends itself to something bloggable.
Other times.. not so much. I do tend to notice it more on more frequent blogs, that pressure to publish ‘something, anything’ and I don’t want that. So I draft, draft or share on a different platform. Getting harder to judge my own stuff, deciding what’s junk or if I’m being too critical. We’ll see, work in progress.
I have so many drafts… And a very large collection of titles as well. I moved to Mac a few months ago, and ended up getting a program called Scrivener. It has been amazing for organizing posts and ideas. It does make it easy to get back to unfinished pieces very easily.
I do like how you’re using Google+ for the partial thoughts (so to speak). I will probably do more of that down the road also.
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In a way, I’m using Google+ for business and social audience, almost like some would use Facebook. I do mix it up, have tried to find some rhyme or reason:
* If it’s really good and I want the discussion, blog
* If it’s good but doesn’t require much comment, Twitter
* If it’s good but I need room to comment, share on G+ (and/or FB, LinkedIn)
* If it’s AWESOMESAUCE personified, share everywhere.
I’ve started using Evernote a good bit, for drafting on the computer, on my iPad but still looking for a better way not just to clip or bookmark things, but an easier way to put them all together, bring them into posts. I’ll look into Scrivener, see if I like it too, thanks.
Davina,
I have about 37 drafts sitting in waiting right now. Some of them have been there since January and I just haven’t had the time to take to research them properly. I understand the spread too thin concept, so I have been focusing on establishing completely different audiences on each platform.
For instance, my Twitter platform is mostly my journalist and PR friends, while my Google+ account holds a lot of my creatives, such as designers, copywriters, etc. Then finally, my LinkedIn account is where I share my thinking with prospective clients and such – more work than anything else.
I find that it gives your more to spread with if you are not just re-posting to the same crowds on different platforms. Each platform has a sweetspot, it is just about finding out what that spot is for you and your goals. Besides, if you have a bigger piece of bread, you need a lot more jam. 🙂
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It happens Sal.. you get these ideas and you know that it’s something worth writing and yet, the draft doesn’t always quite get there. It’s nice to have that stockpile of ideas, but can hold you back if you never finish any of it.
The spread/strategy IS a big part of it. I’ve started mixing up my LinkedIn updates, a few more cross-posted from Twitter. I share some stuff across all channels – the SEC football poem I thought rocked, so that also went to FB and G+.
All of that goes into what I want to write and share from my ‘official’ blog, for that audience. I want to mix the content, hit social media topics, with PR and marketing and of course, do it all in a compelling way. Agree there’s a sweet spot for all these.. balance the strategy of it all while not over-thinking it too much. FWIW.
You’re making a HUGE assumption that I have posts in draft mode! I have tear sheets piling up as fodder for topics that I write in my head. This morning I wrote my post in 20 minutes and then spent another 20 trying to fix tech issues before posting at 9:10 a.m.
My inspiration comes from reading AdAge and B2B. On occasion I get inspired by another’s blog post, but not usually. It seems the topics make the rounds and then get overdone. Right now, everyone’s talking about being overdone, spread thin, not engaging on all channels the same, no time, etc.
YES.
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Heee.. I think Marcus also writes and publishes as he goes. I do it sometimes – see also, this post. I read lots of stuff too Jayme and you nailed it; whether it’s the HBR or AdAge or blogs, our reading impacts our writing. So yeah, we do revisit the same topics, blah blah.
I think I need to follow my own advice, REALLY take a look at a few drafts and either get them ready to go, or send them to the great trash bin in the cybersky. FWIW.