Scheduled content refers to a post that you write but do not immediately publish. Different blogging systems do it in a different way; the main thing you'll need to do is choose the date and time when the post should be released to your readers, and then schedule it (or just publish it).

I'm still new to scheduled content.

I went for more than 3 years without scheduled content in Injader. I got used to writing a post and releasing it as soon as I finished it. This worked fine for me because I can get very impatient, and I want feedback on my post now! But it doesn't usually work that way even if a post is published immediately, due to timezone differences and the fact that some people might not actually read the post for a day or two.

Earlier this year I added scheduled content to my list of things to work on for Injader, but I didn't get around to it. Then I was asked by Snoskred at the Aussie Bloggers Forum if it was possible to schedule a post:

Does Injader have a post in the future feature? I made a post for the 3rd of June and it seemed to post it right away. Not that I necessarily use this as much as I used to, but I think this is one feature a lot of people currently using Wordpress would want from a new blog system.

Source: Post in the future?

This gave me a nudge and I added the feature to the next release. Once the new version was complete, I upgraded my sites and gave it a trial run. It worked well.

It wasn't until a week or two later that I started to use scheduled content properly. I've never looked back. Here are a few reasons why.

You can prepare for dry spells

When you're in the right mood, you can write loads of posts. But I wouldn't recommend posting them all at once. Schedule them and space them out by a day or two. That way, you'll have lots of posts ready to go. If you get more ideas before the last post is published, you can always add posts to the end of the queue. Then if you hit a dry spell, you've got some content to tide you over.

The blog/life balance becomes easier

With a bit of careful planning, you can have nights away from the computer. Sometimes we get tired or just can't face going on the computer, but with a blog, you might feel bad if you don't update it. Also, we always have other commitments, such as going out of the house (no, really!).

Writing a few posts in advance relieves the feeling that you have to be on the computer every single day. I was rather pleased when I was out for dinner with my wife and the in-laws and a post automatically published itself without me needing to be there.

You can establish a regular posting time

Even if you manage to write every day, or every couple of days, immediately publishing a post can lead to a rather inconsistent approach when it comes to the time of your post.

I have recently settled on a 7:00pm (AEST) schedule for new posts, and I usually release new content every other day. This means it's fairly easy for readers to work out when a new post will be coming up (timezone permitting, of course).

You can have a cooling off period

Some people write a long and frustrated post and hit "Publish" before they've really thought of the consequences. Once your post is out there, it's very difficult to take it back.

Scheduling a post means you may decide to tone it down a bit before it goes out to your target audience - very handy!

What do you think?

Do you use scheduled content? Why/why not?

Posted by Ben on July 08, 2008 19:00 | Comments: 6 | Permalink

Unless you write a group blog (where multiple authors contribute), I think that the majority of posts on your blog should be written by you. Sometimes, though, you can invite other bloggers to contribute to your site. A guest post refers to an entry on your blog written by someone other than you.

Getting people to write guest posts

I covered this in a previous post - How to get guest writers for your site. I usually ask the authors of blogs I enjoy reading, or the people who write interesting comments on my site.

Requirements for guest posts

You should aim to keep guest posts relevant to your site. You might want to discuss the subject with the author before they write it. You can review the post afterwards as well, but it's best to talk first to ensure you don't get something totally unsuitable.

Other requirements are up to you - again, ensure that these are mentioned before the post is written. Best to avoid a complete rewrite if you can.

Writing guest posts for other sites

You can also write a guest post for another site if you have the opportunity. Some site owners will accept guest posts if you simply write a post and email it to them; others prefer to be asked first; some may only accept posts if they ask you.

Keep an eye on the site you want to write for and see how other guest posts are submitted. Look out for posts asking for guest writers as this is usually the best time to write a post. On the other hand, it's also the time when you will have the most competition. A site that openly asks for guest writers may publish a post if you send it to the site owner outside of this time bracket.

You'll have to experiment to see what works best. It varies from one site to the next.

Advantages of guest posts

In the past I have asked people to write posts that I wanted to write myself, but that I'd had difficulties writing. Asking someone else can give the subject a fresh perspective.

Guest posts are a great way for a site to promote a different author. This means the readers of one site may also start reading the guest writer's site.

Disadvantages of guest posts

I think the main disadvantage of guest posts occurs if there are too many of them on a site. It's one thing if the site owner goes away and published guest posts for a week or two, but if the guest posts come up as often as the posts from the site owner, or there are more guest posts than "regular" posts, it can look like the owner has lost interest in their site.

What do you think?

How do you feel about guest posts on the sites you read?
Have you written any for other sites or published guest posts on your own site?

Posted by Ben on July 06, 2008 19:00 | Comments: 4 | Permalink

Over the last couple of weeks I've put a great deal of thought and effort into my posts. I have also tried to make them feel a bit less "rigid" in structure, adding a personal touch here and there.

There's only so much of that I can do when writing about blogging and website tips. Every now and again I'll try and include a more personal post. Don't worry, I'm not going to write an entire post about the less exciting aspects of my life. I'll also try to relate the post back to blogging if I can.

Today's post is a list of 9 things (I couldn't think of a 10th) you might not know about me. How many did you already know?

1. I live in Australia, but I am British. I visited Australia for the first time in May 2006. The purpose of the trip was to meet my wife's family, but I also wanted to consider whether Australia might be a suitable place for us to settle down. One of the main reasons for moving was because of the ridiculous house prices in the UK, but there a lot of differences between the countries. I miss family and friends back in the UK, but I don't miss the place at all.

2. All of my technical knowledge is self-taught. I've learned programming mostly from books and websites. As I read a tutorial, I'm typing away, trying to get the examples to work.

Recently, I think I've figured out why I teach myself things. Whenever my job sent me on a training course, I often had difficulties picking things up. People said to me "oh don't worry, you'll get it in the end". And I couldn't work out what was stopping me.

In the end I realised that most people don't explain things in a way that I can understand. I don't know if it's a learning disability (I've never pursued it to find out) but I seem to pick things up much better when I do them at my own pace.

If you're new to my site and you think that because I'm technically minded, this all comes naturally to me - well, I have problems learning new things too. I try to explain things as clearly as I can, because I know what it's like when someone explains something and it doesn't make any sense!

3. I met my wife on a message board. We talked online, phoned each other, then met up and got on well. We actually noticed a shift in our relationship after we emigrated to Australia. We got on well before we moved, but currently, we're closer than ever.

4. I would work for free if I didn't need the money. I've met a lot of people for whom work is simply a means to an end. It supports them and they have to do it to live. I am not currently in a position where I could survive without an income, but I really enjoy the work I do. As an example, if I won the lottery tomorrow, I'd still work. I'd be bored if I didn't! I might take a short break first, though.

5. I hated school. I did enjoy my music class, but most of my school life felt like a nightmare that just refused to end. I hated homework. I hated having to do work for subjects I found boring. I hated teachers telling me I wasn't working to my full potential after I put in loads of effort. I hated having big glasses and crazy hair. There were some people I liked, but there was really nothing that could make school work for me.

On the other hand, I love work, and at one stage I really wanted to be a teacher. But once I had become totally disillusioned with school, I decided not to put myself through the pain of studying for a job in teaching. I didn't go to University because I hate studying. And because of that, I am infuriated by companies who insist on employing people who have degrees, as if that means the person is automatically suitable for the job. I'm not saying a degree is a bad thing, but it is not the only way to determine if someone is a good worker.

6. I have completed four albums of original music. I write for myself; if other people enjoy my music, I'm happy, but I accept it's not to everyone's tastes. As with anything really. You can hear the albums for free via my Music page - they are the first four graphics (the others are unfinished).

7. Some people think I'm a complainer. The truth is, I love making things better. I can be very critical, but I'm honest. Usually my comments focus on some kind of software. If I can see something that could be improved, I'll make a point to mention it. If I find a bug, I'll report it.

Complaining might not seem productive to some, and may even seem annoying. But if your comments are constructive, they can help more than not saying anything at all.

8. I am not actually bald (and I'm not in denial!). I shave my head out of choice. It looks ridiculous otherwise. If I actually went bald it would be a convenience - less hair to shave!

9. I don't fear getting old. One of the biggest issues I had with being young was that a lot of the things I said were not taken seriously. Laughed at, ignored, you name it. Who cares about the opinion of a teenager?

At my last job, we used to send round an email when it was our birthday, usually sharing cakes or other sweet foods with our department. I was probably the only person who didn't lie about my age and told them how old I was every single year. Someone once joked that I was rubbing it in, as they were all 10 years older than me (and more).

My response? It doesn't matter how young or old I am, I'll always tell people how old I really am. I do not see myself changing my mind as I reach 30, 40, 50 and so on. The way I see it, with age comes respect.

Being older doesn't automatically make you wise, being younger doesn't make you stupid, but for some reason people are judged based on how old they are. I don't agree with it at all, and I hate it. I just know that as I age, certain people will be less likely to write me off as "too young to know better" when simply voicing an opinion.

Still, I guess some people will write me off as "too old" at some stage in my life, so maybe it doesn't matter all that much. Either way, I don't have an issue with my age, and I never will.


So... Did you know any of that?

Posted by Ben on July 03, 2008 19:00 | Comments: 13 | Permalink