4 Things I Do At The Beginning of Every Quarter as a Blog Writer
In the fast-paced digital world of business, where the to-do list never ends, it's all too easy to get caught up in the relentless churn of daily tasks and deadlines.
When you accomplish one thing, you check it off and you’re on to the next… and the next… and the next.
It’s a vicious cycle that you can very easily get wrapped up in if you don’t take the time to intentionally pause, take a step back, and really reflect on what you’ve accomplished.
It can be hard to do this in the day-to-day or week-to-week of your business, which is why I’ve personally incorporated a quarterly system to help me do just that in my business – pause, reflect, and properly plan.
Doing specific things at the start of each quarter allows me to recognize how far I’ve come, while still acknowledging where I want to be and, most importantly, making a plan to get there.
If taking the time to pause and do this doesn’t come natural to you, I encourage you to keep reading and consider how one (or all) of these things can be applied to your own business as well!
4 Things I Do At The Beginning of Every Quarter as a Blog Writer
1. Quarterly Blog Content Plan
If you’ve been around awhile, you know I’m a BIG fan of planning mine and my client’s blog content quarterly.
And if you’re new here – first, hello and welcome! Second, you’ll often hear me talk about having a quarterly blog content plan and the main reason for that is because: strategy.
(There’s 4 other reasons that I mention in this blog post, but strategy is what I want you to focus on first.)
A lot of times business owners view blog content as just another thing on their to-do list that they need to check off each week.
This is often because they believe that blogs on their website are ONLY for SEO purposes – that’s one of the five most common myths that I bust i this blog post.
As a blog writer, this is one of the first perspective shifts that I help people make when they decide to implement blogs into their business.
YES, I want you to populate higher in Google searches and YES, that can happen when you implement blogs consistently, but NO, that is not my primary focus for you.
There is a way you can implement blogs in your business strategically, so you not only boost your search engine visibility, but you also stay relevant, generate leads and even convert readers into customers.
The only way this can happen is when you PLAN accordingly, which is why having a quarterly blog content calendar is a must.
When you plan your blog content quarterly, you’re able to zoom out, look at a calendar for the next three months and align your blog content strategically and intentionally with what’s going on in the world AND in your business.
For example, if you’re launching a new course in December, you can ensure that you have pre-launch blog content planned that prepares your audience for what’s to come.
Additionally, you can look ahead and ensure that your content aligns with important events, holidays, or industry trends that keeps you timely and relevant in the eyes of your audience and maximizes your engagement.
Which brings me to the second thing that I do quarterly in my business…
2. Review National Days for the Quarter
Most of the time when you hear people talk about blogs for your business, you’ll hear them mention how they need to be evergreen.
And while this is TOTALLY true and the bulk of your blog content should be evergreen, I believe it’s important to create a happy medium of evergreen and seasonal content, so that you bring a sense of relevance and timeliness to your blog that people may not get elsewhere.
In addition to the traditional holidays that you might create content around, I always encourage people to also consider any fun national days that can relate to their business, industry, or niche as well.
Now, it's important to note that the main content or the main points of your blog should still remain as evergreen as possible, but the time sensitive piece could be in the way you title it or the way you introduce the topic to your audience on social media or other channels.
Here’s a quick example so you can see this in action:
In Q3, I noted that August 9th was National Book Lover’s Day and I took this as an opportunity to create a blog post all about The Top Business Books I’ve Read This Year.
The content of the blog is entirely evergreen, but I was able to use the national day as a fun way to promote the blog on social media!
3. Reflect on the past quarter and celebrate wins
Aside from strategically planning my blog content at the start of each quarter, I also take this time to reflect on a personal and professional level.
I’m a big believer in reflecting on what you’ve accomplished and celebrating those wins. 🥳
As mentioned earlier, it’s so easy to get caught up in the “go, go, go” and feel like you have a never ending list of things to do, but taking the time to pause and reflect on what you’ve actually done in the past 3 months is so important!
When I do this, I usually shock myself by how much has been accomplished and it gets me even more excited for the new quarter ahead.
4. Set quarterly goals or adjust as needed
Lastly, after I reflect and celebrate what’s already been achieved, I’ll reflect on my quarterly goals and to-do’s, make an action plan for each of them, or adjust if needed.
At the beginning of the year, I always make a long list of the things I hope to accomplish and then I prioritize those by quarter.
Each quarter I’ll review the list and decide if anything needs to be re-prioritized or moved around to make sure I’m staying laser focused on what’s most important at the time!
Doing this helps me make sure that I’m working on the right things at the right time – because let’s be real: as a business owner, EVERYTHING can feel equally important. This helps me avoid that feeling and hone in on just a few things at a time.
If you tend to feel the same way, I encourage you to adopt a similar process for your business so you can have full clarity and full focus!
What You Can Expect From Natty Writes in Q4
Q3 was consumed with a LOT of new – from branding and websites, to a few speaking opportunities, and guest experts on the blog.
It was a very FULL (and fun) quarter and as we head into the last 90 days of 2023, I’m excited to fully settle into the foundation that I’ve worked hard to set in the business this year.
This looks like maintaining a few of the things you’re already used to, like:
New blog posts every Wednesday
A new edition of Notes From Natty in your inbox every Friday morning
And continuing to work with my current clients on their blog content!
I’m currently fully booked for DFY Blog Writing and Management, but if you’re looking to implement blogs in your business before 2024, there’s a few other ways I can help!
PLUS I’ll be introducing one last FREE opportunity for you to get into the rhythm of consistently writing (and publishing) blogs in your business before the new year even begins.
STAY TUNED FOR THE DETAILS 👀