So with lots of people jetting off on holidays, I thought it would be a good idea to write up some tips on how to get your blog holiday ready. I used some of these myself before going away. There’s so many different ways to handle leaving your blog for a couple of weeks, if you don’t want to leave it completely then here’s some tips to make sure it runs smoothly without you.
Make a List – Start by writing down the dates you are away, extend it by 1/2 days either side. Make a list of all the things you do on a regular basis that have to do before you leave – posts, social media, affiliates, sponsors, guest posters, emails, newsletters, etc.
Schedule Posts – Choose a day you are feeling creative and productive, before the rush of your holiday preparations start. Write down a plan – what posts are you going to write? What will they be about? Give yourself an outline for each post. In doing this, you know what photographs or images you will need. Then move all to writing the content, check to see if you have any requested posts or drafts saved. Group task together – take all photos at once, edit all images at once, etc to save time.
Schedule Social Media – Have the published posts sent to your social media accounts, you could even schedule other updates or let people know when you’ll be back.
Use Guest Posters – If you don’t have time to write your own posts then a great idea is to look for guest posters. You could select a certain topic or let it be anything related to your blog theme. Interview type posts or a series works well. Allow enough time for them to prepare and send the blog post, as you may need to adjust some things before scheduling it. Send the guest poster everything they’ll need, including guidelines, images templates, etc. You could even invite a friend to be author of your blog while you’re away, allowing them to upload content and respond to comments.
Email – Try organise your inbox before going away so it’s not full of spam when you get back. Unsubscribe to any mailing list or spam. You could set up an “Out of Office” response letting people know when you will be responding.
Give Your Blog a Break – It’s okay to leave your blog while you’re away, write a post explaining that you’ll be on holidays. Link to social media sites if you’re planning to update them while you’re away.
RELAX and enjoy your holiday. Don’t worry about what’s going on at home. I scheduled a couple of posts before my holiday and for the majority of the time I was away, I was wifi and phone free. It was amazing to have a break away from the online world. If you are heading off on holidays soon, I hope you have an amazing time.
One response to “Get your blog ready for a holiday or a blogging break”