People ask me how I can write so many articles over multiple blogs. What do I do to maintain the posting frequency and the many varied topics?
The answer can be summed up in one word: Lists.
My favourite list making tool is the online service from 37signals, Tadalist.
Anyone who follows my writing on other blogs will have been aware of my fondness of the Tadalists service. I write about the many uses I have for found for Tadalists here. Specifically for blogging I make lists for:
- Post ideas
- Articles to read
- Top 10 List Articles
- Keeping track of promotional projects
- Blog Setup Checklists
- Brainstorming
- Comparing notes in collaborations
- …
One use you might seem strange is I use a list to keep track of my most popular posts. Why do I not use a plugin?
The thing about automatic plugins is they are dumb, they just track page views and show the top N items. I don’t always want to display those posts in my most popular list, partly because what is most popular can be skewed by being present in the list, and also because a post might get a lot of social media attention but not be a perfect fit for a new visitor to the blog. By controlling my own list manually I can make best use of my limited sidebar space.
Do you make lists to help you stay creative and organised? Let me know in the comments …
