Ok, SO What Really Goes Into A Blog Post?

You should know, it’s very, VERY difficult for me to share an outfit post just talking about my outfit. I mean, yes, I’ve done it, but it doesn’t tickle my pickle, you know? I just feel like a bunch of photos of me in clothes blabbing about the clothes is YAWN. It’s not enough content or value for you guys. Not saying I’ll NEVER do it again but I prefer to tell a story, share some tips, or talk about something more than just the clothes I’m wearing.

…Not that I don’t love clothes because this top is so vampy Chiquita Banana Girl that I think I’ll rock it 400 more times. Especially with some flirty flares.

Ok two sentences is my max for clothes talk today. Let’s talk about what this post is about, a question that I weirdly get asked on Snapchat a lot: WHAT GOES INTO A BLOG POST?

LET THAT SIT FOR A MOMENT THOUGH.

If you’re not a blogger, you may be thinking what the hell do you mean? You take a picture, add it to a post, & write a couple paragraphs……… get it together, Lauryn — how difficult can it be?

Well, I’m here to share what REALLY goes into one single blog post.

SO, WHAT GOES INTO A BLOG POST?

Well, a lot.

At least a lot for me because I want to make sure that EVERY.SINGLE.POST. brings YOU content, value, beautiful pictures, & a whimsical experience 5 to 7 days a week. An experience where you leave The Skinny Confidential feeling inspired & motivated.

I’m not here to make it all about me, I’m here to share & swap tips and tricks with a community of badass women. No competition, just collaborating. Overall this blog is meant to inspire.

So with that comes a lot of planning for each post. Think of blogging as baking a 3 layer cake…with that I sure as shit have my recipe for each blog post.

Every blogger has a different recipe, no one is better than the other but I wanted to share my exact recipe & what works well for me. Again, my way isn’t the only way!

SO, let’s break it down.

♡♡♡ How I plan a blog post: from start to finish ♡ ♡ ♡

1.) Figure out what the hell you’re blogging about. We do a sit down once a month with TSC Team where we Google calendar a month to 2 months of content. Each day, it says what’s going live. For instance: Wednesday, 6/22: summer vibes collage + blogging tips post. From there, the back work begins. Basically we have to plan the back work of: a.) when the photos are being shot & with who ( I use three different photographers: video, street style, & lifestyle ); b.) the photo shoot dates which get added to the calendar; c.) do I need: an outfit, food list, or a product? That needs to be addressed & planned too.

2.) After the back work is done, I create a shot list. I make sure I can shoot a couple posts within each shoot. We shoot like 3 to 4 times a month usually.

Also, I take a lot of the photos myself ( like food & product ). For food shoots, I make a list of what I need. Details matter: candles, flowers, place mats, cooking tools. Basically the list is a big ‘planning’ to-do list, you know?

3.) On the day of the shoot, I have a shot list ( the photographer has one too ). Of course, it’s all time-blocked. I usually get a blowout in the morning & my nails done the night before because no one wants crusty nails on camera.

If it’s a food shoot, Mimi – my right-hand woman, has everything prepped & ready. Since Mimi & I are in the kitchen A LOT, we do a lot of random spur-of-the-moment posts as well. So not everything is always planned out ( some posts come to me the day of, this list is more for the pre-planned ones ).

4.) We shoot the post with the videographer or photographer, or like I said – sometimes I shoot it myself.

5.) Once the photos are done, it takes a few days to get them edited. I am VERY specific about my editing. Editing photos is a MUST. I brand my photos through my edit.

I want people to look at a photo & know it’s The Skinny Confidential’s photo. My edit is bright, white, light, pretty, & specific. Details matter!

For TSC Instagram filters, you can check out the filters I created with Looksee.

6.) Once the photos are edited, they need to be named. Naming your blog photos is important, SEO-wise ( SEO = search engine optimization ). Choose wisely. After they’re named, they need to be uploaded to WordPress.org in the media section.

7.) Once they’re in the media section you need to position them on the post. I’m picky about this too. I like contrast. I don’t want 600 photos of me in the exact same pose next to each other.

8.) Now it’s time to WRITE.

I need silence when writing.

Well, Bossanova is fine but other than that – SILENCE! Work flow is key: candles, oils burning, a little jazz maybe, & an iced coffee make all the difference. The goal for me ( again, this is not every blogger, just what works for TSC ) is to write like I speak. The voice in my head needs to come through the screen.

Also, always use spell check.

To write a post, it takes about an hour to 3 hours ( depending on what you’re writing about ). I time-block this shit so I know. HA!

9.) Not done just yet. When the writing is done it’s important to LINK. Link things your readers will ask about. People want information: don’t be shady — give them info. Link outfits, favorite foods, articles, etc. Get creative.

10.) Once everything is linked, I add ‘tags’ & a featured image. The tags are keywords people are searching to get to the site. For instance on this post I wrote a bunch of tags like flared jeans, blogger tips, black off the shoulder tops, you get the drift. A featured image is the main photo to represent the post.

11.) PUBLISH. Once the post is published, you gotta work it! First off, I have TSC Team read over the post & edit any mistakes. This is important to have someone who’s reading over each post checking for mistakes, grammar errors, etc.

After it’s edited, my graphics guy will go in & add any font I want on the photos. He’s amazing & quick! For collages, we use another graphic designer who is insane too. Her & I work closely to create pretty, branded TSC collages.

12.) Ok, here’s where you really work it: I post on social media. This means Instagram ( another edit ) with a caption that works for my audience, a Facebook post, WeHeartIt, Pinterest, Twitter, Tumblr, & more…EVERY SINGLE POST. I haven’t missed one of these social platforms ever because promotion is very, VERY important. I micro-manage every last detail here. Delegation isn’t my strong suit… UGH.

13.) Lucky thirteen is the final step. I usually Snapchat or talk about the post on the podcast or write-up a weekly newsletter, but I’m never pushy.

Again, this is all about providing TSC readership with value so it has to feel right on these platforms. If it works for the specific platform, I promote. If it doesn’t ( not everyone needs to know about a summer vibes collage ) then I don’t go overboard. The last thing on earth I want to do is push shit on TSC community!

Another thing: I like to respond to comments on each post- this usually takes about 45 minutes a day.

+ if there’s a video on a post, there’s about 5 more added steps!

So ya, there you have it. Thirteen steps to one blog post. Sometimes you can feel… um, burnt out — JUST last week I experienced this & had a MAJOR anxiety-filled, crying breakdown ( should I do a post? LOL ). Creating content everyday can be creatively draining but I love it so much & it’s worth every second. Not complaining, just sharing the truth!

If you’re a blogger, please weigh in! Am I missing a step?

Oh, & a lot of my blog post ideas come to me in the shower… & during a workout. I just jot them down in my NOTES app to share at our monthly content meeting.

That’s all I have for you today. Hope this was useful to any bloggers out there ; ).

Ok off to listen to Audible. Obsessing over Audible lately.

– lauryn

+ BTW, the site I found this top on is having a MAJOR sale. Receive an additional 25% off all mark down items with code 25EXTRA. Happy shopping!

{ photos )

SHOP IT: black top | flares | pumps | sunglasses ( similar, not avail online )

Shop this blacked out look: