You already know that blogging is great for generating awareness of your property, highlighting your destination, and building credibility to your site in the eyes of the SEO gods. During most of the year, you post high-quality blogs at least once per month (...right?). However, all your normal routines go out the window when things start to get busy IRL. We know when the busy season for our property is coming, but year after year it still somehow sneaks up on us. This year, use batching to keep your blogging schedule on track, even during peak season.
Benefits of Batching
Batching is the process of combining similar tasks together in order to reduce the total time spent in completing the projects. This strategy allows you to get more done in less time - something we can all get behind these days! By minimizing distractions while batching, you will be more productive. This frees up your time to focus more on making guests happy, creating awesome packages, and connecting with other local businesses. If you batch complete blog posts before peak season, you won’t have to worry about it when you’re shorter on time.
The Process of Batching
Now that we know why batching is good, let’s break down exactly how to batch write blog posts. Complete each of these steps for each blog post at the same time. For example, write the outlines for all the posts in one sitting or find all the images for every blog post at the same time.
Prep
First, you’ll need to plan out your blog topics for the upcoming high season. If you don’t already have a content calendar for the year, that would be a great place to start. Don’t waste time brainstorming topic ideas. You can skip this step, thanks to our free download: 50+ Spring Blogging Ideas for Hotels and B&B’s. We’ve done all the hard work of thinking of ideas - you just have to pick out the ones you like best!
Outline
Next, write your blog post outlines. Break down each post into an intro, body text bullet points, and an outro. Turn off the distractions, set a 30 minute timer, and get to writing! You’ll be shocked at how quickly your posts come together after the outline is already done. Use Unsplash or snap your own photos to source eye-catching, royalty-free images.
Finalize
After your rough drafts and images are compiled, do a final edit of your posts. This is a great time to ask for feedback from a trusted companion or business partner. Next, set the posts to publish throughout your busy season. Properties with an Odysys website can schedule posts days, weeks, or even years in advance. Make sure to set an alert to remind you when each post is set to publish, so you can adequately promote them all.
If you loathe writing blog posts for your bed & breakfast, you’re not alone. That’s why we offer blog post writing as an a la carte service here at Odysys, starting at $149 per month.
Now that you have the tools to batch write blog posts, it’s time to actually go do it. The task can seem daunting, but you’ll be so glad you did it in the future. Especially when you’re fully booked and can actually spend quality time with guests instead of spending the evening on a computer.
Don’t forget to snag a copy of 50+ Spring Blogging Ideas for Hotels and B&B’s! Tweak the ideas to apply to the other seasons, so you can knock out posts for the rest of the year! We’re not saying you have to do that… but you definitely could.
