45 Essential Blogging Tasks Mum Bloggers Actually Need to Do (don’t miss #43)
“It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect it's successful outcome.” - William James
Blogging sounds easy right?
Open up your laptop (with a yummy coffee☕in tow) write a post, publish it and boom – you’re a blogger…
This is probably what you see on Instagram, where all those influencers and bloggers share how beautiful and easy it is to have the so-called “laptop lifestyle”…
Well technically, that is what blogging is, however, trust me when I say, there’s way, way more to it than that mama!
And when you’re a mummy, the reality of blogging definitely kicks in after a while.
Over my years of running a blog, I’ve come to realise how much actually goes into keeping a blog running and to be completely honest with you, if I’d have known then how much hard work, sleepless nights and energy it would drain out of me, I may not have continued…
BUT… I’m happy to say though, that I stuck with it and I absolutely love my blog, and I’m hoping that by sticking with me and signing up for my freebies and by reading my posts, it will be a lot easier road for you, as I’m literally here to hold your hand and show you the way.
When you first start your blog, it may seem like you don’t need to do too much…
Write a blog post here, post a social graphic there, but I can tell you now, the more you blog, the more things you need to do to keep your blog not only going but on the right path to success…
So let’s get into it and look at the 45 essential blogging tasks mum bloggers actually need to do (don’t miss #43).
They’re in no particular order at all. I’ve tried to place them under a category that I think they represent the most, but mainly, I just wanted to pop all the things I could think of and that I do, as part of my everyday, weekly and monthly blogging life…
”This post does contain affiliate links throughout and if you make a purchase using one of my links, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you”
Blog Content
In this section, I’ve tried to think of all the essential blog content tasks, such as things to do with writing blog posts, and other things that come up when putting blog posts together…
So let’s dive right into it mama 💕
#1 - Think up Topics for your Blog Posts
The first task I wanted to talk about is the one of thinking up topics to write about.
You need to research what it is your audience is actually going to love and want to read/learn about!
I tend to research a ton of ideas and then put together a rough Content Calendar for the year (although this changes a lot and is never set in stone).
Finding blog topics can seem overwhelming at first, but it really comes down to looking at the following few things:
What problems does your audience have within your blogging niche?
Check out other people and influencers within your niche on social media etc and see what comments are being made! What questions are being asked and what do they want to know?
Go to YouTube and see what videos are popular and again, what comments and questions are being made and asked.
Check out Pinterest and see what topics are being pinned about!
Research on Google and get an idea. Use the “People Also Ask” section for more ideas…
You get the jist of it!
Just do some research and write down lots of ideas you can write blog posts on.
It doesn’t need to be perfect or in any kind of order, just jot them all down so you have a list of topics to hand when you need it…
I like to do fresh research every month or two, to add to my blog ideas bank.
That way, I never run out of things to write about!
#2 - Keyword Research
Blogging would not be blogging without good old keyword research.
It’s a fact – as bloggers we HAVE to carry out keyword research to make sure we’re producing content that people are actually searching for and that we’re able to rank for.
I’m not going into the ins and outs of keyword research within this blog post, because quite frankly, it’s a huge topic to talk about and I have a whole post dedicated to keyword research and the simple tools I use to do it…
So you can head on over there and check it out if you’d like because it’s super helpful 😄
#3 - Writing Blog Posts
A blog isn’t a blog without posts, so one very important blogging task is most definitely writing blog posts!
Lots of things are involved when it comes to putting a blog post together and one of the main things I like to always make sure I do is write naturally and honestly…
This is my main focus when writing posts because I want to make sure I’m getting across what I want to say, in a manner that’s fun, enjoyable and that reads well!
You can always tell when a post’s been written for keyword purposes only – it’s stilted and stuffed with the same keywords all over the place (which you should never do as this violates Google’s rules and will stop your posts from being shown in the “SERPS” search engine results pages).
All I can say about writing blog posts is to keep writing and publishing so that you build up a library of awesome, helpful information for your readers.
Keep going, as with every post you write, you’ll get better and more confident with not only your writing skills but with the kind of content you produce.
We all need to start somewhere, and I can guarantee every blogger’s first post was not amazing, so take the pressure off of yourself, and just write, write, write…
#4 - Checking Grammar, Punctuation and how your blog posts read and feel
Another essential task is to make sure your blog posts are readable and have good grammar and punctuation.
No one wants to read a blog post that has no breaks, is a huge mouthful, because there aren’t any commas or full stops, or just has a sea of text to wade through etc…
I use Grammarly, which is completely free and it really helps me to correct all my sentences so that they read properly and sound good!
The layout of your posts matters too, because you need to make sure they’re easy to read and pull information out of.
9 times out of 10, people are only skimming your posts, trying to pick out the information that’s relevant to them.
Make it easy by breaking your text up with relevant images, bullet points, headings and subheadings…
Come up with great Blog Post Titles
Another task for every blog post is an eye-catching, clickable blog post title.
Your titles are super important as they’re the first thing people see, plus they’re what draw people in and make them click.
If your headline doesn’t pique their interest – you’ve lost them, and they won’t click through to the rest of the post.
When you go to Google, and type something in, a whole array of information comes up!
Usually, a mix of articles and videos that are relevant will show.
I typed into Google “How to get soft hair”.
And tons of things came up…
The first post was very catchy and enticing and stated that within the post, there would be 12 treatments to get soft, smooth hair.
If I was looking for ways to get soft hair, this is definitely something I would click on.
In the next screenshot below, you can see some of the other articles which came up.
Again, they all have catchy titles and make you want to click:
How Can I Make My Hair Soft & Silky?
8 Easy Tricks That Will Make Your Hair Super Silky
7 Simple Ways To Make Hair Silky, Long, And Soft
How To Get Soft Hair – 15 Amazing Tips & Tricks
Using words such as “tricks, amazing” and “super” will draw your readers in and compel them to click through to your posts, to find out more…
When I write a blog post, I usually come up with 5 different headlines and titles.
I do this because I want to see what reads well, what goes with my post topic and also what feels natural to the post.
By creating multiple title options, I’m able to be clearer and more specific on the title, and I can choose which one feels best.
It gets my brain flowing and I create so many more title ideas by doing it this way.
Try it! It works for me and I think it could work for you too…
TOOL TIP: While we’re talking about blog post titles, I started using an awesome tool called Headline Studio and it’s brilliant.
You can use the free version and it will give you some options, but the Pro version, which I paid $99 for the year, allows you to have 10 premium headlines a month and for each of those 10, you get 25 versions per headline – so you can really play around and the tool looks at two scores:
Headline Score
SEO Score
It’s very simple to use as well:
Type in a headline/title that you want to use.
It will show you the headline version you’re on (out of the 25) It will stop once you’ve used all 25.
It will buffer for a while and then it will show you a Headline Score and an SEO score.
You can click on both of those scores, and it will give you all the information you need and tips on how to make the title better. You can even open up word banks, to get words you can use for a higher score.
This is the version history, and you can see all the titles you’ve created, along with their scores.
Headline Studio uses a traffic light system, so Green means it’s great, yellowy amber means it could do with some tweaking and improvement, and red means it needs a lot of work.
As with any tool, don’t get fixated on the numbers too much. I never aim to get 100%, as that’s virtually impossible.
I aim for the higher 80s if I can and then I leave it at that!
Remember to always, always make sure your title reads well, is relevant to your blog post and is enticing – even if a tool like this gives a low score!
It’s always about what is best for the reader and the post you’re writing, and having a title which scores 100%, but doesn’t make sense, or has any kind of relevance to your blog post is a big no-no…
#6 - SEO is Super Duper Important
SEO should always be at the forefront of your mind because it’s good SEO practices that will see your blog in the search engine results.
Search Engine Optimisation is one of those blogging tasks that can seem like a lot to get your head around, but once you’ve learnt it, you’ll thank yourself, because it affects your whole blogging strategy!
My advice is to get really familiar with SEO and what it is, and then you can apply it to every piece of content you write.
The great thing is, you don’t have to carry out SEO blind, because there are awesome tools out there to help you, right from within your blog dashboard.
Again, I’m not going heavily into SEO within this post – I have a post all about what SEO is and lots of strategies if you want to learn more!
But, if you install an SEO plugin like RankMath (the one I use) then it makes carrying out SEO on every post and page of your website super easy!
You can see in the image above when the plugin is installed and set up, you can use it within your post editor and it will give you lots of information.
You can enter your blog post title (in the focus keyword area) and then see what scores come up.
Again if it’s green and a higher score, your SEO efforts are on track.
The plugin will also share with you basic SEO errors, additional errors, title readability errors and content readability!
I do use the Pro version of this plugin, as it’s one tool I think you really, really need to have, because SEO is such a huge part of blogging.
It’s also something you need to aim to do the best you can, in order to rank well.
#7 - Go through Old Posts & Update
Writing blog posts is not a “do it once and forget it” task…
In order to continue giving your readers the most up-to-date and relevant information, you need to make sure you’re going in and updating your posts every few months or so!
When people are searching the internet for information, they want to know that what they’re looking at is new and fresh, and in a world where things are ever-changing, having a post with a date that’s 5 years ago may not cut it.
I’m always in and out of my blog posts, adding extra tips and removing something which may not be working anymore.
Try and go through your posts every few months to see whether they’re still relevant or need tweaking.
Refreshing them will give them a boost in your SEO efforts as well, and Google will love this!
#8 - Always add Internal & External Links within your Posts
This one is SUPER important for SEO and building authority for your blog!
I have gotten into the habit now of always adding links to my posts as I’m writing the draft versions of them within Google Drive!
By doing this, I don’t forget to add them in later on.
I tried going back at the end and adding them in, but by that time, I’d lost my train of thought on what I was writing about and what articles to link to.
It’s important for SEO to link to external, more authoritative sites (within your niche and that are relevant) as this can really help your blog out.
You also want to be linking to more of your own blog posts within each article you write, as this helps Google to index your pages and gives them a better understanding of your blog.
#9 - Add Alt Text to your Images, Audio and Videos
Adding alt text to your images, audio and videos is something you’ll want to get into the habit of.
This allows screen readers to pick up on what the images are, helping out people who are blind or visually impaired.
Whenever I’m adding any media into my media library, I always add the alt text then, so I don’t forget.
Just giving a very brief, concise explanation of what the image/audio or video is and why it relates to the content you’ve uploaded, will help massively.
Graphic Creation
Next up, I wanted to share some important graphic creation tasks.
Part of blogging is sharing the amazing posts you’ve written, and that’s done by sharing graphics and posts on your social media platforms!
Below are the things I do for every blog post I write, and they’re essential blogging tasks every week.
#10 - Design Pin Images for Pinterest + to add to your Blog Posts
Pinterest is one of my favourite platforms to share my blog posts.
It’s actually a search engine rather than a social media platform, however, it’s the perfect place to share not only your latest posts but to create new, fresh pins over and over again for all your old blog posts.
Pinterest is one of the best traffic sources you can utilise when you blog!
The difference between Pinterest, to say Instagram, is that people don’t go to Instagram to come off the platform and read articles.
It can happen, as I get a lot of clicks to my posts from Instagram, however, they go there to scroll endlessly and see what latest workouts their favourite celebs are getting up to and what new vegan cakes their friends are baking!
Pinterest is where people go to find specific information and they want to be taken to blog posts and articles…
Creating pins is one of my fave things to do as I love creating graphics.
The only tool I use to do this is Canva. Canva offers a really good free plan, which is perfect for when you’re starting out, however, I now use the Pro version as it offers a lot of other amazing things I can’t live without.
Within this post, I talk all about how to use Canva and all it can do, so you can check that out if you want to, as it will be a massive help if you’ve never used it before.
I create 3-5 pins per blog post and then I schedule and publish one on the same day and time as the blog post, and then I schedule the others over a period of a couple of weeks.
You can do this directly inside of Pinterest (as seen in the screenshot below).
#11 - Put together Social Graphics for Instagram, Facebook, YouTube etc…
Depending on what platforms you’re on, you’ll also want to create posts to showcase your blog articles.
You can do this in so many different ways:
Instagram Stories
Instagram Reels
Carousel Posts
Single Posts
Facebook Posts
Facebook Stories
Video Shorts…
From one piece of content (your blog post) you can create tons of repurposed content for your other platforms.
You can create a video for YouTube, then a carousel post, highlighting the top tips from the post, and then a short clip from the YouTube video for a reel…
You get the picture!
It’s not always about thinking up fresh content for all your platforms, you can repurpose the content, which makes life so much simpler and gets your blog content out there on a wider scale.
#12 - Make Infographics
Infographics are also another great way to share a ton of information.
People are usually very visual and find it easier to consume information in a fun way!
If you can create an infographic to place within your posts, this can add a lot of value to them and give your readers a better experience overall, in consuming your content.
#13 - Create New Freebies Regularly
One of my favourite things to do is create freebie opt-ins!
I absolutely love it… and with Canva by my side, I can create anything…
I try to create a freebie for every blog post – known as a Content Upgrade.
It’s just something small and simple that is an attachment to the blog post, and can help add even more value for my readers!
Some of my Content Upgrades include:
Planners
Checklists
Calendars
eBooks
Templates etc…
I think it’s really important to keep your freebies fresh and revisit them often, to see how they’re performing and what you can tweak and change, to make them even better.
#14 - Create Small Digital Products + Courses
Another great way to give value to your readers is to create digital products and courses.
This is a great way to really ramp up the information you want to share, while also making an income!
A digital product doesn’t have to be some giant, scary eBook or a course filled with 100 videos…
Simple is almost always BEST and also, you can sell small digital products for as little as £7- £10!
This is a really affordable product for someone to buy, especially when they’re just starting to get to know, like and trust you.
As you grow and gain more confidence, you can start adding bigger products and courses into the mix, until eventually, you’ll have a whole library of paid products to offer to your readers.
#15 - Record Videos – for YouTube or Products/Courses
Another essential task which needs to be included is recording and creating videos!
With video maintaining its spot of being one of the most popular ways to consume information, all bloggers and marketers should be including some kind of video within their business.
According to WyzOwl – 91% of businesses use video as a marketing tool in 2023!
Video doesn’t just have to be tutorials though like most people assume bloggers create – it can be animations, vlogs, behind-the-scenes – anything that relates to your blog and niche which you think your audience would find helpful, useful and entertaining.
Your videos also don’t need to be long – they could be a quickfire list of easy tips or a simple product review – lasting 10-15 minutes …
If you’re not already including any videos on your blog, go to one of your posts and then create a short video highlighting the best and most important bits.
Adding videos within your blog posts will help you rank higher in Google, as the search engines prioritise video content, and place it nearer the top of the search results pages…
Tip: When you’re adding videos to your blog posts and pages – don’t add them directly to your media library. You don’t want large video files being hosted on your blog, as it will slow it right down!
You want to be using a Gutenberg block or a block of some kind, depending on what WordPress editor you’re using, and add the video URL into the block instead.
I upload all my videos to YouTube and host them there for free!
#16 - Find Images for your Blog/Social Platforms…
We all know that visuals are extremely important, especially when it comes to your blog!
Therefore, you need to make sure you’re finding some great images to include within your posts and maybe even your social posts too.
There’s tons of places you can go to find stock images and even videos for free.
A few places you can check out are:
Just make sure you always check out the terms and conditions, so that you’re not using stock graphics illegally.
Images and videos are great to use within your blog posts, to break up text and make things more interesting.
They’re also great to be used as your Featured Images and within your social graphics too!
They can also really help readers get an understanding and idea of what your post is about (although this should be very evident from your post writing in itself).
Continue Learning and Gaining New Skills
As a blogger, you’re always going to be learning, learning, learning…
Things change constantly in the blogging world and the way things are done changes too, so you need to make sure you’re keeping up and continuing to give your blog the best in order for it to succeed…
#17 - Buy Products and Take Courses That Can Really Help You…
One thing that has been extremely essential for me in my blogging journey is taking courses.
I’ve never been one to steer clear of buying products and courses, and this has actually been quite bad for me in the past.
I’m not ashamed to say that I’ve made some bad decisions when it comes to purchasing things and bought some really awful products/courses.
That said, I’ve learned my lesson 🙂and invested in some really awesome ones…
I recommend here the blogging courses I’ve taken and learned a ton from.
Take the time to find people who are either recommended to you or that you’ve researched and they’re genuine and know what they’re talking about.
Also, don’t take too many and buy everything (shiny object syndrome at its finest).
Just take one at a time, do the course, put in the work and take action, as you don’t want to buy courses and leave them sitting there collecting digital dust!
It’s so important to improve yourself, be continually learning, growing and building your blog up – just not at the expense of you wasting time and money.
#18 - Attend Online Events + Webinars
Online events and webinars are great ways to not only learn new skills but to get to know other people who are within your online space!
They’re also a great way to ask questions at the end, as most hosts of webinars/events hold a Q&A at the end, so you get to have a real benefit of their time…
The other thing with webinars is that they’re a great way to sell courses and products to your audience.
Hosts will 99% of the time be selling something at the end of their webinars, which you can usually get a good discount on for attending the webinar/event live!
A lot of the time too, bundles are offered, not only at a discounted price but with several bonuses you wouldn’t usually be able to get hold of as well.
This is a good thing to keep in mind if you tend to host your own online events/webinars in the future, as people make a lot of money from them.
#19 - Check out other Blogger’s Posts + Socials
To keep on top of trends, check out other bloggers within your niche/market and see what they’re writing about!
Not only is it great to read other bloggers’ articles (as this helps them out) but you can see what they’re writing posts on.
You can also see how their blogs are laid out and what sort of things they’re giving away as freebies and what they’re selling too.
Note: This is only for inspiration purposes, you do not want to be copying or taking anyone else’s work and ideas, as you’ll get into serious trouble.
Going onto other bloggers’ Instagram accounts or Facebook Groups etc will also give you some inspo on what people who are in the same niches as you like to see and interact with.
You can check out what comments are left and how many likes their posts are getting, to get an inkling of what people love on socials…
Comments are a great place to read through, as you can get fab blog post ideas from these…
#20 - Listen to Podcasts
Podcasts have been a real godsend to me, as I love listening to them while I’m cleaning and working on my blog!
You never know when some nuggets of wisdom are going to hit you, and I’ve gained a lot of tips and tricks from podcast episodes.
I’d say find some really interesting podcasts within your niche (and also some not in your niche, as you can still find inspiration in all kinds of podcasts)
Some of the ones I’m loving at the moment are listed below:
Podcasts are really amazing, as they can help with your mindset, give you ideas and the best bit about them – you can listen to them whenever and wherever you are…
#21 - Watch YouTube Videos
Another task which I love to do every week is watching my fave YouTube videos.
I love, love, love reading blog posts, as I love reading lol, however, watching videos for me is a great way to pick up tips and learn new things, that I can integrate and try on my own blog!
Find a few people you resonate with and are along the same lines as what your blog is about, and subscribe to their channels.
Watch their videos and take notes and see what you can pick up and gain from them.
It all helps to give you ideas as well for your own blog content.
Some of the YouTube channels I’m subscribed to and love are:
#22 - Be Part of Communities
A very important part of blogging (because it can be lonely mama) is that of being part of communities.
You want and need to be surrounded by like-minded people who get you!
People who you can talk to when you’re stuck or need a positive ear when things are going off track!
Sometimes when it comes to this blogging game, the people who you love the most just don’t get it!
It’s not that they’re being mean or unsupportive, it’s that they don’t see what you see…
Great places to be part of communities are Facebook Groups, Pinterest Communities, people on Instagram who you have connected with, coaching programs you may have been part of…
The list goes on of where you can find people to hang out with and have each other’s backs.
#23 - Networking
Another part of blogging which can be crucial is networking.
Building networks and being part of communities as I mentioned above, are things that as a blogger, you can’t live without.
Attending conferences, networking events and meetups with people (locally or otherwise) are all amazing ways to connect with others, build your brand and grow, with a support system in place.
Never underestimate the power of having like-minded people around you.
Technical Essential Blogging Tasks
Now I’m going to mention a few essential technical blogging tasks, which may not be as interesting as the rest, but they are equally, if not more important than everything else talked about in this post…
#24 - Backup your Blog regularly
Backing up your blog is absolutely crucial!
Not only do you need to secure your content, but if you make a change and something goes wrong – you want to be able to go back to a previous version of your site, without losing everything!
Most hosting companies include regular, automatic backups, however, if you want to backup your site yourself, you can and the best way to do this is with a plugin, such as UpdraftPlus.
#25 - Update Plugins + Themes
Keeping any plugins up to date is also a must!
Every time you log into your backend dashboard, you will get warnings of any that need updating, with a little red number next to the dashboard menu on the left!
I wanted to take a screenshot to show you, but I’d already updated them today 🙁
You can also click on the Updates menu option, and any update will show here too and you can simply select each plugin and update it.
This is also where your blog theme update can be done.
A good blog theme, with great support, will ensure you get regular updates, to iron out any bugs or issues, so choose one that’s affordable and does a good job!
I use Divi by Elegant Themes and I absolutely love it. I talk all about Divi and what it can do in this post.
Updates can sometimes cause issues with your blog, which is why task #30 is a must.
You do have the option to enable Automatic Updates, however, I strongly advise against this because of the issues updates can cause.
I went through my list of plugins and disabled all of them.
This does mean you have to go into your dashboard most days to check on them, but it gives you peace of mind that your site isn’t going to crash and burn 🤣
#26 - Check for Spammy Comments + Report and Remove
I often go through my blog posts (and social media posts too) checking for spam comments.
I’ve had a few weird and wonderful things left on my posts, that’s for sure, and you can use a really great plugin that makes you aware by email (and within your dashboard) of any spam comments that have been left.
The plugin I use is Anti-Spam by CleanTalk and it’s fab!
You can see in the screenshot below that you can click on the start button, or click on the Accurate check and specify a date range to check, and let it do its thing!
It will run and let you know any spam comments it finds across your blog, and you can then report and remove them.
#27 - Check your Analytics and see what’s getting seen and what isn’t
This task is one of the most important tasks of all because it’s so important to check what people are reading on your blog and what they’re not!
This helps you to write more content on the things that people like so that you don’t waste your time.
I use Google Analytics and Google Search Console every month to see what posts and pages are being checked out.
I also use RankMath Pro from within my WordPress dashboard as well, because you can link it to Google Analytics and see your stats when you log in.
Other Essential Tasks
In the final part of this post, I wanted to list other things that are an essential part of blogging, but they didn’t really come under any specific category, so I’m listing them here in no particular order…
#28 - Scheduling Posts
Once you’ve written your blog posts and created your social graphics and captions etc… it’s time to make sure you’re scheduling them to be published!
You can write and publish as you go along, and to be honest, I do sometimes do this on a whim with posts that I write ad hoc, however, you want to make sure you have a good Content Calendar, so you at least know what your next month or two’s blog post topics are going to be.
Once you’ve written your blog posts, you can schedule them directly within the WordPress editor for each post.
When it comes to your social posts, you can either do this manually, which I did when I started out and it took a long time, or, there are several scheduling tools out there that can help you out!
I used Tailwind for a while, which also has an app which is great for on-the-go scheduling from your phone.
It does a lot more now than it used to and is a great tool to have when blogging.
I use Canva Pro though now, as it has a built-in Content Calendar.
Seeing as I use Canva every single day for graphic and freebie creation anyway, it seems like the go-to place for me to schedule social media posts too!
There’s several ways you can schedule all your social media posts in Canva.
You can look at the monthly view calendar and schedule a post from there, as in the screenshot below.
You can click on the little cross button within a specific date on the content calendar and schedule a post from there.
You can also schedule it directly from the design dashboard itself, for the particular design you’re creating.
You can share and schedule all kinds of social media posts to all kinds of platforms within Canva, so whatever you’re on, you’ll be able to share directly from within Canva.
#29 - Plan out your Week ahead of time
As busy blogging mamas, we need to have some kind of plan/schedule/list in place to help us manage everything – am I right…
Trying to fit blogging around being a mum can be so difficult, but it certainly isn’t impossible and we’re all about making things possible😀
This is why I try to sit down on a Sunday evening and write a list for the week.
This list is only very basic and includes all the things I want to get done on my blog, for example:
Monday – look at the content calendar and see what the next blog post is and start research
Tuesday – start a draft outline of the blog post and write
Wednesday – continue writing the blog post
Thursday – finish writing the blog post and check, spelling, and grammar so that it reads well. Schedule posts and create social graphics for Instagram – 1 x reel and single/carousel post – schedule them in Canva
Friday – roughly script a video plan for YouTube video and record video…
You get the idea – just a basic outline of what it is I want to do each day and of course, if I need to go to an appointment, or catch up with a friend for coffee, these things will be allotted too!
It just means that on a Monday morning, I’m able to get up and know roughly what I’m doing for the week, even though I know it will change, because things always, always come up as a mum.
Try it – sit down and write a rough plan for the week ahead and see how it goes.
If the whole week is too much, just write a plan until midweek and then on Wednesday evening, write a plan/list for the rest of the week.
#30 - Check for Broken Links on your Blog + fix them
Another task you want to be doing regularly is checking your posts and pages for broken links.
There’s nothing worse than a reader going to click on a link you’ve included and it’s dead and doesn’t go anywhere.
It’s really simple to check your site for links that may be broken, and I use a tool called Online Broken Link Checker.
You start off by just entering your website and clicking on the “find broken links” button
Then enter in the security code, choose which option you want to check – distinct broken links only or all occurrences of each dead link (which is slower) and hit “find broken links now!
It doesn’t take long at all and it scours your site for any broken links, and gives you the URL for which post or page they’re on, so you can go in and fix them/remove them etc…
#31 - Check Affiliate Links work and are still correct
Following on from the broken links, you also want to be making sure any affiliate links you’ve been given or created are still working properly.
If you’re using affiliate marketing to make money, then you do not want people clicking on your affiliate links, only to find the error out or send them somewhere else.
Check them regularly to make sure they’re all in order and that you’re making the money you deserve…
#32 - Check Affiliate Courses and Products are still active
When you’re an affiliate for different products and programs, you need to be making sure they’re still available.
If you’re affiliating yourself with reputable people, then usually if they change anything to do with their products, they’ll let you know, but, you can never be too careful and it’s down to you to make sure you aren’t selling things to your audience that are no longer available.
This will hurt your own reputation and will unfortunately make you look bad!
#33 - Keep track of your Sales and Expenses
Another very important task when your blog starts making you money, is to keep track of all your sales and expenses.
The simplest way to do this when you first start out is with an Excel spreadsheet.
Lyrical Host shares some great tips on tracking blog expenses and it even includes the free simple spreadsheet below, which you can download and use.
It’s best to track your income and expenses on a monthly basis and make sure to include everything you earn and everything you’ve paid out for, that’s related to your blog!
This way you’ll always be on top of it and won’t get caught out trying to remember things.
#34 - Update your Products, Freebies + Courses
If you’re at the stage where you have your own digital products and courses, you need to keep them relevant and updated.
Things change so much and you do not want to be selling something to people that’s out of date.
If you go in and check them monthly, it won’t feel daunting and like you’re trying to do it all in one go.
I also feel it’s important to not forget your freebies because they need to be relevant and kept up to date as well.
I also like to create freebies often, either as a content upgrade to a blog post or just because I want to share something awesome with my audience.
My latest freebie was my goal-setting workbook (you can grab it below) which was a content upgrade to my last post Why Setting Smart Blog and Personal Goals For the New Year Is a Must.
#35 - Redo Purchased Courses to see what’s new
Course creators (if they’re reputable and genuine) will keep their own courses and products updated, and seeing as digital courses often come with lifetime updates – you’ll have access to them (and the updates) forever…
I love seeing that a course I’ve purchased has new updates, and I can’t wait to revisit it and see what’s new.
It means you can learn and implement new things on your own blog, which is awesome!
We all know that blogging isn’t just a “learn it one time and that’s it kinda thing” it’s constantly a work in progress because things rapidly change all the time!
#36 - Write & Schedule Emails for your List
Once you start to build your email list, you’ll need to ensure you’re keeping in contact and engaging with your subscribers.
Keeping people entertained on your email list is super important, and you want to make sure you’re sending them something of interest and great help each week!
It can be something as simple as a great tip you want to share with them, a recent event happening in your life (people love the real-life stuff) or promoting your latest product…
Bloggers can get put off emailing their list, as they feel it has to be some crazy, long email full of everything, and this isn’t the case at all!
As long as what you’re sharing is helpful and entertaining, and you’re not just emailing for the sake of it, you should find you’ll get good open and engagement rates.
I find that for my audience (busy mums) shorter, to-the-point emails work best, as my subscribers just don’t have the time to sit and read lengthy emails.
Emailing your list comes with trial and error and finding out what works best for you and your audience.
You will lose subscribers, it’s inevitable and all part of list building.
Concentrate on the subscribers you do have, rather than the ones you don’t!
I use a really simple tool for all my email marketing. I can set up forms, sequences, automations, send broadcasts and so much more with Converkit.
You can schedule as many broadcasts in advance as you want with Convertkit, so if you’re super organised, you can batch emails ahead of time!
#37 - Create Templates for things you do all the time
This one thing has been a game changer and life saver for me when it comes to saving time.
When it comes to things like Pins, quotes for Instagram, my blog post layout etc, I have quick, go-to templates for these!
It makes my blogging life so much simpler and I don’t have to start over from scratch every single time.
Canva is a really great tool for creating pins and social graphics and the ONLY one I really use now.
I have used Canva to create several templates for Instagram (among loads of other things), making it super quick and easy to put a post together.
My brand colours and the layouts I like are already set up and ready to go, so I can just select a template, change the text/graphics etc and away we go – all done in just a few minutes…
#38 - Reply to Blog/Social Comments and Engage with your Audience
A super important part of blogging is interacting with your audience.
After all, it’s because of your audience that your blog can survive and thrive!
I feel it’s a must to respond to people’s comments, whether that be on your blog or social platforms.
Your tribe has taken the time to leave a comment and share their feelings and thoughts, and unless they’re trolling or being rude and out of order, responding is a great way to build connections and a community…
It also shows you’re a real person behind the blog and brand.
You also never know where it’s going to lead.
Collaborations and making friendships are one of the great things that can come from engaging with your audience.
#39 - Answer Emails
Following on from answering comments across your platforms, you also want to be responding to your emails.
I have a support email for Blogging for Mums and a generic email address as well, and I just use Microsoft Outlook as my set-up for emails, because it’s super simple and easy to do what I need to do.
It’s important to reply to people and answer support queries, as you don’t want to be known for not getting back to people, especially if they’re having issues that need to be resolved.
You also want to have your support email address placed on your blog where people can see it, or have a contact form.
I have my support email address within my footer across all posts and pages, so it’s clear for people to find it.
You want to make it as easy as possible for people to reach out to you.
#40 - Update Sales Pages & Landing Pages
Seeing what works and what doesn’t is THE #1 thing in blogging – fortunately or unfortunately – however you look at it!
There’s constant trial and error in all kinds of things:
Colours for your Brand – do they work?
Colours on sales pages and landing pages – this article by The Daily Egg talks about proven colours that boost sales
Wording on posts and landing/sales pages
Layout on your landing and sales pages etc…
When it comes to your landing and sales pages, these are super important, as they’re what draw people in to sign up for something, or buy something from you!
You’ll need to test out different pages with different fonts, button colours and what you say…
Some things are going to work and some things aren’t, it’s just all about seeing what works for you and your brand and audience.
You can do split tests on different landing/sales pages and see which one works the best…
When you have one which converts really well, create more like that!
TIP: My advice for seeing what works and what doesn’t is to tweak and adjust one thing at a time, as you’ll then be able to see what it is that’s attracting people, and getting them to click…
#41 - Scrub your Email List Quarterly
It’s great to have email subscribers and I love it when a new subscriber signs up for one of my freebies on my blog!
It still gives me a real buzz, because it makes you realise someone has come to your blog, stopped on it and taken the time to sign up for something they want – from me – that I’ve created 🫶👏🙌
But not all email subscribers are going to open your emails, and unfortunately, that can really affect your stats and open rates.
Once every few months, I recommend you go through your email list and remove any subscribers that haven’t opened your emails for a while!
Most email marketing platforms, such as ConvertKit (which I use) charge you per so many subscribers, so although you may think it looks good to have 1500 subscribers on your list if only a small proportion of those are actually engaging, you’re paying for people to just sit there and take no action!
You only want your true raving fans on your list, those who look forward to getting your emails every week.
They’re who you need to speak to, and if that’s just 10 people, then so be it!
If you’re a bit worried about just deleting people from your list, you can send a one-off email asking them to click a link if they wish to stay!
It doesn’t have to be lengthy at all – just a quick:
“Hey there, you haven’t connected with me in a while, so I just wanted to check in and see if you still want me in your inbox – if so, click here so I can continue sending you all the awesomeness…”
Here’s the email that I send out below…
You can then wait a week or so and then go ahead and delete the subscribers who didn’t click to stay…
#42 - Ask your Audience what you can help them with!
Blogging is all about helping people and answering pain points and much-asked, burning questions!
The best way to produce content that people actually want is to ASK…
If you’re on social platforms, or you have blog comments set up, ask people what they want to know and hear about.
If you have email subscribers, ask in your emails what you can help with, create and put out there for them.
I love, love, love putting together freebies and blog posts that can really help my mum blogger audience.
So go ahead and ask your people what it is they need to know, and then go ahead and create and put together something amazing for them!
#43 - Perfect your Message & make sure you know who your Target Audience are
Knowing who your target audience is is super duper important.
You need to know who you’re talking to, so your message reaches the right people.
My audience are mums who want to start blogging, therefore all the content I create has that “busy mum” in mind.
I know that as a mum, we don’t have as much time as everyone else and that the time we do have is precious.
You’ll notice 99% of my posts are shorter and listicles, because I know that my mums don’t have the time or energy to sit and read lengthy blog posts that go on and on!
I like to get straight to the point and produce content that’s skimmable and easy to retain the information.
#44 - Set Blogging Goals
Having goals for your blog will help you to keep on track and get from your blog what you want.
You want to be setting small and big goals and have steps and timeframes in place to reach them!
I have a whole blog post on blogging goals that you can check out, as it will really help you plan for the future of your blog + there’s a goal planning workbook you can grab too…
#45 - Be Active wherever you are!
My 45th and FINAL essential blogging task is being active!
Wherever you hang out, be consistent, stay active and keep your community thriving.
Continue to put out amazing content consistently and you’ll see your blog grow.
Your blog may start out as a hobby, but it can turn into something truly amazing. A place where you can create awesome content and earn an income too…
Let’s Wrap it Up!
So there you have my 45 essential blogging tasks mum bloggers actually need to do…
I know it’s a long list, but I never said blogging was quick and easy. It takes a lot of hard work and effort to succeed with a blog, but you can totally do it mama!
I also want to say that you’re not expected to be doing all this straight away when you first start out.
It takes time to get into the swing of things, and you’ll find the more you blog, the simpler things will become for you.
