Regular Maintenance is Critical for your Blog

Regular Maintenance is Critical for your Blog:

Do you take a day every week, month or a few times a year to make sure you are doing all you can to maximize your blog?  I believe a successful blog should be treated like a business.  Every so often you should schedule time to regroup and refresh your blog.

Let me give you an inside peek into what I do to stay on top of my blog.

1.  I sign out of my blog,  then I go to my blog site to see how everything looks from a reader’s perspective.  I want to make sure that things pop up correctly, that the page loads quickly and I will leave a comment, to make sure the process is easy.

2.  I look my blog over and tweak it.  I might add or delete widgets (for example).  As time goes on, and my blog evolves, some widgets might not make sense to use anymore.

3.  I go to all of my social media sites and make sure my posts are still popping up.  I look at my profile and make sure all of my information is up to date.  I check out what’s happening on the site to see if anything inspires me to try something new.

4.  I do some research and add new social media sites to share my information on.  I also delete myself from some sites if the site isn’t relevant to my blog anymore.

5.  I read to answer questions, learn new things and get inspired.  I will look over what I have bookmarked to see if there is anything new and relevant.  If not, I will delete the bookmark because I don’t need it anymore.  I try to keep things as clutter free as possible.

6.  I look on Twitter for new connections that are relevant to me and add them.

7.  I write down new goals, ideas and plans for my blog.

8.  I read my followers blogs to get a better idea of what type of people are interested in my blog.  I also want to support the people who take the time to read my blog.  When I stop by, I try to comment or at least like a post.  I always feel bad when I can’t figure out if there is a place where I can do that on a blog.

9.  I research freelance opportunities and write some queries.

10.  I look locally to find literary groups and blog groups to get involved in.

It feels good to have a few days each month to do a little maintenance.  It helps to keep me organized and focused on what I want to achieve.  What about you?  Do you have days where you do a little maintenance?  Do you find it valuable?  What are some of the things you do to stay organized and on top of your blog?