One of the MOST challenging aspects of blogging is managing to consistently add new posts to your website. And if you’re like me, missing out on a blog post can lead to those nagging feelings of guilt and failure; like you’re not “doing enough” to market your therapy practice.
In this post I want to share with you my three simple steps to stay organized and consistently post valuable blogs on your therapy website.
You Need a Blogging System
Blogging does not come easily to me. It’s a lot of work!
Just like when my wife sits down to write therapy notes, I start to get completely distracted and find ways to do anything BUT write.
So I decided that I needed a blogging system in order to take the emotion and decision-making out of the process, so all I had to do was write.
When faced with a blank document, you tend to go blank in your mind and not know what to write.
The three steps below will ensure you never sit down to write a blog without know what to write.
For more on the benefits of blogging and why consistency is so important, check out this post here.
Step 1: Organize Your Blog Post Ideas Into a Spreadsheet
The first step to blogging consistently on your private practice website is to brainstorm blog post ideas.
I like to do this with a Google Sheet, this way I always have access to it (you never know when inspiration may strike).
But for the most part, I brainstorm blog post ideas/titles for just a few minutes every couple of months. That’s it!
These ideas don’t have to be SEO optimized and beautifully written titles. You can do that later when you write the post.
Just use this time to get ideas down and only write enough so you understand what the blog topic is when you sit down to write later.
Here’s a glimpse at my own spreadsheet:
I’ve also created columns for brainstorming headlines, including what category it falls into in my blog, and a spot for notes and links to any articles that support what I’ll be writing.
To download a blank copy of this spreadsheet for free (you can keep it on your computer or upload it to Google Sheets) just click here.
And if you’re really struggling for ideas, my friend, Kat Love has created this nifty psychotherapy blog post idea generator.
Or for a more in-depth guide, check out this post from Authority Hacker: 13 Creative Ways To Come Up With Blog Post Ideas So You Never Wonder What To Blog About Next!
Step 2: Organize Blog Ideas Into Documents and Folders
It’s this step that truly eliminates the dread we feel when we sit down to write and all we have is a blank page.
The next thing you’ll do is create a folder for each month of the year. Again, I do this in Google Drive so I can access it from anywhere and any device.
Once you have your folders set up. Go into each folder and create a new Google Doc (or Word doc if you’re just doing this locally on your computer) for each blog post that you’re going to post that month.
For myself, I try to post once a week, but if that’s too much for you, you may want to start with one or two blog posts per month.
As you create docs for each blog post, you can also include some idea starters such as tips you want to include or any research articles that support what you’ll write about.
This will ensure you have all you need when you go to write the post later on.
Step 3: Schedule a Time to Sit Down and Write!
Now that you have all your blog post ideas and documents started, you MUST set a time to actually write your blog post.
Not scheduling a consistent writing time pretty much destroys the whole system.
I like to write my blog posts every single Monday, because that’s when I feel most inspired and energetic for the week to come.
When you sit down, just open up that month’s folder and choose the blog post you want to write.
Take a deep breath, be thankful you’re not staring at a blank document, and just start writing!
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