PLAN, PLAN, PLAN.
The key to getting all of your content down in one day is to plan it all out. This involves a lot of prep, and it isn’t always easy. But trust me, they pay off is huge! One of the biggest blogging stressors is posting content. On days where I don’t have my Instagram pic and caption prepped and I don’t have any new blog posts to promote, my anxiety is at an all-time high. I start to freak out and scramble. Then, we all know what happens when we start to scramble – ether we post something random, poor quality and sloppy, or we don’t post at all and fall into a slump. It can start to tarnish your brand and lose some of what you’ve been working so hard on.
Trust me I’ve been there, and it’s been the worst!
Over the summer I started to really plan out my content. I’m talking weeks in advance, writing drafts for posts, making deadlines, doing the whole bit. I’ve found that planning my content has really given me more time, peace of mind, and an overall better blog and influence. I’ve noticed my followers and my views start to grow, along with my passion and love for writing.
I’m getting more time to do what I actually love about blogging – getting to style looks and write about some of my favorite topics. I’m also able to be more present in my life. Which is personally one of the most important things to me. I hate the feeling of ignoring Logan or missing out on fun family moments because I’m struggling to write a caption or link an item. So, let’s get into the details on:
How to Shoot a Month’s Worth of Fashion Blogger Content in 1 Day.
So, this is going to be more of a planning guide than a how to. Because like I mentioned, this takes A LOT of planning.
Step #1 – Get Your Calendar Ready
Take a look at the upcoming month (or 2, which I usually do now). Are there any major holidays or events taking place? What season is it? Is there something that everyone is bound to all be talking about right now?
Print your calendars and start by marking down any of those standout dates mentioned above.
Here, I also take the time to black out any important days that I will be away from blogging. If I have a birthday, or it’s a holiday/vacation time or if I know I won’t be able to spend much time on the computer working, I block off that day or period.
Step #2 – Pull Out Your Idea List
We all have that bank of golden post ideas, right? Well, if you don’t already, I highly suggest getting a notebook and keeping it somewhere close by. I like to use a big planner that has a notes section each week. I write down my post ideas and then highlight them so that I can easily look back when planning. It saves a bunch of time when you start to make your calendar if you already have some ideas prepped.
Try to think of some fun new post ideas too – Especially if there is something to mention on a holiday or event. For example, it’s November right now and I’ve got the end of this month filled with holiday-themed posts. I’ve taken a few of my original posts and just added a holiday theme to them.
If you do style outfit posts, add those in too. They don’t need to be detailed, especially if you don’t know your outfits yet. I just write in “weekly outfit post”.
Step #3 – Get Organizing
After I’ve got my post ideas I like to start to play around with the order I want to post them in. Sometimes a post can get really long and need to be a 2 parter. Just like this one is going to be.
If you are blogging about different topics, like me, you might want to break up the posts. It’s better to have a variety schedule then to post one whole week about beauty and then the rest of the month stick to personal or fashion posts.
After I’ve got my posts secured in my calendar, I then finalize the schedule in my planner.
Step #4 – Time to Draft
Okay, so here’s the nitty gritty part that not everyone likes. You will now need to open a word document for each of your post ideas and write a quick draft for your post. This will help you get a sense of the visual content that will accompany your post – which is going to help you shoot one month’s worth of content in one day.
I like to write the headlines, intro and the conclusion. It’s the fasted way to get down your ideas without taking up much time.
Step #5 – Get the Dirty Details
Now, I start to take notes of what I will need for each post. In a separate word document, I put the titles of my posts and make quick points of the picture ideas. This will just help you stay on topic when you are shooting.
After the breakdown is ready, I start to round up all of my looks and props. I like to use a laundry basket. Each outfit is stacked together completely – including all accessories, shoes and any other things I might need to include (product if it’s for a sponsored post).
Step #6 – Plan the Shoot Day
Everything is ALMOST planned! We just need to get the shoot day ready. I like to start by planning out my locations. I try to keep them all relatively close with parking options that are close by too. On a shoot day, my car is my change room. I have used public restrooms, but I don’t like to rely on them – they can be gross, small or aren’t always available.
After I’ve got my locations, I like to match the look to the location.
Most important tip: start with the complicated/glamourous/sponsored looks first. I always like to over plan and sometimes end up not having enough time to get all my looks down. I’d rather not be able to shoot a casual everyday style look that can be taken during the week than miss a sponsored post.
Planning a shooting a month’s worth of content in one day can be tricky, but it can be done. Don’t forget the plan and you’ll be golden pony boy.
