As previously mentioned, I am making full use of the WordPress timestamp feature to pre-post blog articles for the holiday season so I can spend time with my family rather than irradiating my face with my computer screen as usual.
While I was putting together my blog editorial calendar in Excel I realized an aspect of pre-posting, a danger that rarely gets mentioned.
Pre-posting does not get you off the hook entirely!
While your posts can be fire-and-forget, the blogs are not. You will still need to do or arrange the following:
- Comment moderation and answers – Alternatively you could turn off comments. Perhaps leave a message in your template explaining you will switch them back on later?
- Uptime monitoring – There are services you can pay for, but I just check using my mobile phone.
- Backups – You can use a plugin to automatically email you content backups from WordPress, also check your host. At the least you should take a full backup before you take your leave.
- Promotion – It could be you are happy to be promotion-free, just be prepared to come back with some ground to make up. Contrary to popular belief, the internet does not close down around December 25th and remember many people will be logging on for the first time around this time too.
- Answer emails – While you can do a Tim Ferris and leave it to an auto responder or just not answer them, it is probably still a good idea to check in every couple of days if you will be away for a week or so.
Before you think you have everything covered, just make sure you really do!
Can you think of anything I have missed?
