Autumn has finally begun, bringing with it sweater weather and colourful leaves! A ton of fall-themed content is populating the blogosphere right now, and it’s only just the beginning! Fall is a busy time of year for most bloggers as October 1st marks the start of Blogtober! This year, I will be participating in the challenge for the first time! I am working on 31 new posts for October that will cover various topics, but I am most excited about my upcoming seasonal posts!
If you’re an avid reader of blogs, you’ve probably heard the term Blogtober before and are familiar with the inner workings of the challenge. Alternatively, if this your first time hearing the word, read on to learn more about the challenge and how you can benefit from participating in it! Let’s dive into the basics!
What is Blogtober?
During the month of October, bloggers participate in a challenge that encourages content creators to post a new piece of content every day of the month! The content does not have to be fall-related, although you can expect to see a lot of fall-themed content as many bloggers enjoy creating seasonal content.
Why Should I Participate In Blogtober?
There are a lot of ways that your blog can benefit from your participation in the challenge. Firstly, it’s a great way to increase traffic to your blog and build a relationship with an engaged audience! Promoting your posts on Pinterest using Blogtober keywords and hashtags will help you reach many new readers who will be visiting your site for the first time. If you keep up with the challenge, there will be an abundance of posts for them to read. They can then determine whether your blog is of interest to them. Additionally, this is also the perfect opportunity to try and grow your mailing list. Be sure to include a compelling call to action on your blog to entice new readers to subscribe!
New bloggers with minimal content on their blogs will benefit significantly from participating! You will have 31 posts that you can continue to promote and share on social media, far past October!
What Do I Need To Do To Prepare?
The first thing that you should do is brainstorm! Take some time to plan out all 31 of your posts for the month. Start jotting down a list of potential ideas that interest you. You can also use Pinterest as a source of inspiration. If you need some help in the brainstorming department, check out my previous post here! I shared a list of 50 Fall Blog Post Ideas, sorted by niche, to help you with content creation for the season! Once you are happy with your plan, record them on a calendar that you can use as a visual aid throughout the month.
The next step will be to start writing! Don’t procrastinate on this step! Get as many of your posts written in advance as you can. Not only will this help to reduce stress later on, but it will also bring you ahead of the curve when it comes to creating new content in the future. You can start planning and prepping for future months and get a head start on Blogmas!
While writing your posts is a priority, you’ll also want to dedicate some time to take photos for your posts. Start thinking about which photos you want to shoot and write out a list of props you will need. I like to schedule all of my photoshoots on a single day. I find that it’s a much better use of my time, and ultimately, I can be more productive once they are out of the way.
How Do I Promote My Posts?
Pinterest is the number one source of the traffic to my blog. It’s a unique and effective platform but you need to put in the effort to use it properly. Canva is my favourite tool to use to create beautiful and branded pins. It’s simple, easy to use and has a ton of templates that you can use as a starting point. Be sure to create multiple pin designs for each of your posts! You’ll want to continue promoting them throughout the month, and Pinterest favours fresh pins! Aside from Pinterest, you should also share your posts on your other social media channels. Most platforms will give you the option to schedule your posts in advance. It’s a bit of extra work initially, but scheduling your blog posts and pins in advance will save you a lot of time in the long run!
Most of your time will be dedicated to creating your content, but you should also spend some time reading and commenting on other blogs! Doing so will help you form relationships with other bloggers and learn more about what readers are looking for in terms of content!
Are you planning on participating in Blogtober this year!? Let me know in the comments below, and I’ll be sure to check out your posts!
XO Angie
Hi Angie. My name is Scott Charleboix and I’m doing Blogtober this month too. It’s nearly over and I haven’t missed a day yet and it’s nearly over. Do you happen to know if there’s a Blogtober Badge for once you’ve completed the blog for the month?