Happy new month to you my valued friend :). As you can see, we’re already coming to the end of the year and I hope you’re keeping up with your goals so far. It’s never easy dear but, we have to keep pushing it or, all our efforts so far will be in vain and, I know you don’t want that to happen, neither do I :).
OK let’s get to today’s post. I know that most of us like travelling a lot and In case you don’t know, it’s one of my hobby, I enjoy travelling. In fact right now, I’m not in my state. I travelled a month ago to the Northern part of Nigeria and I had a horrible experience while on that journey and, that was what prompted this post in the first place.
While on the road, I contacted cold which finally resulted to Malaria and Typhoid fever as some of you may know, I was sick for almost a week and few days which means that, I wasn’t online for this period of time, which also mean that I didn’t update my blogs.
The thing was that, I never expected to be sick at all. My plan was to write a new post the following day because, the journey was too far and, I knew I won’t get there on time to update my blog but, I planned to update it the next day before sickness caught me.
I know you might have had this kind of ugly experience before so, Freedigitalphotos.net or, will it also go on vacation?
I know that none of us has ever and will never plan to be sick but, it doesn’t give you any notice when it’s coming, it will just take you unaware so, the best thing is to always be ready for it and plan ahead of time in case of anything.
So, How Do You Update Your Blog While On Vacation?
Now, this is something you will have to figure out but, I will share with you what I think are the best things to always do in such condition.
One of the best things to do whenever you plan on going on vacation to ensure that your blog is updated is to always plan ahead of time. So, how do you plan ahead of time? Its very simple.
Schedule some posts. I discovered that the best thing to do whenever you want to go on vacation is to write and schedule some posts that will go live on your period of vacation. With wordpress, everything is possible and very easy which is why I love it.
Recommended Reading: When Is The Best Time To Write Blog Posts?
Before you go on vacation, its obvious that you already know how long you will spend there so, the best thing is, since you also know how many times you updates your blog in a week, lets assume you publishes 2 articles per week like myself and assuming you will spend 2 weeks on your vacation then, all you have to do is to write 4 posts and schedule them to go live on your choosing publishing days that way, your blog will be fresh all through the 2 weeks you’ll be away.
I’m sure you already know how to schedule a post but in case you don’t, just click the Edit link next to “Publish immediately” in your blog post edit screen. From there you’ll be able to set the date and time you want the post to go live.
This not only help when you’re on vacation, it’s also good to be scheduling some posts once in a while in case of any uncertainty like, if you become sick or in a situation whereby you encountered writers block, your blog will also be updated.
I know the amount of traffic I lost those few days I didn’t update my blog because of my illness but, had it been that I scheduled some posts, it wouldn’t have happened so, it’s good to sometimes, schedule posts ahead of time.
Another thing you can do when going on vacation or while on a sick bed is to contact a trusted friend to help and be updating your blog. He will publish new posts for you, promote it and also respond to comments that way; your condition will not in any way affect your business.
If you have money, you can also hire a ghost writer to do the work for you.
It’s also proper to let your readers know that you’re going on vacation and, if you’re also into email marketing, you should also send your lists an email notifying them that you will be away for so so time, this is to make them to not expect anything from you during that period.
Or, on the other hand, you can also maintain your email frequency by scheduling some emails to be sent out on your desired dates and time. I’m sure every email marketing company has this feature.
Finally, you should never let your blog to stay idle while you’re on vacation because, this will result to your loosing huge amount of traffic and, I’m sure that’s not what you want.
Now, its your turn to tell us your own strategy……. How do you ensure that your blog is updated while you’re on vacation? Please, lets keep the discussion going via the comment thread.
And please, remember to tweet and share this post with your friends. Use the Buffer button to tweet.
I pray that this month of August will bring us closer to our dreams….. Amen.
Photo Credit: Freedigitalphotos.net
Shantanu Vishwanadha says
Theodore , HI Bro !!
Really Useful and Awesome Post….. I Always Face this Tension When My Net Does’nt Works or I’m on a Vacations
Good Work , Bro 🙂 🙂
Theodore Nwangene says
Thanks a lot Shantanu,
I really appreciate the visit. Yea, i also do encounter that connection issues sometime which normally prevents me from posting sometimes. Thats also why its good to be scheduling ahead of time :).
Thanks for stopping by:)
Emmanuel says
Hey Theodore,
Happy new month as well! Here you’re again with another great post for August!
Scheduling posts is indeed an ideal thing to. It helps a lot and I of course enjoy doing it. That does not mean I love traveling. Hahaha.
Theodore Nwangene says
Haha,
Why don’t you like travelling? Are you afraid of road, air and see :)? You have to like it o because, i will soon invite you to Nigeria. Yea, i love scheduling as well and, i love travelling :). Happy new month man
John Gibb says
hi Emma and you guys
Happy New Month! 🙂
it’s weird you say you don’t like travel… I needed to take a full week break from my business… over the last months I worked like crazy, and needed to spend some quality time off… I now check emails just one a day for 30 minutes, and leave my eyes rest on the sunny beach and feel the weaves and sand on my feet.
That’s amazing!
I couldn’t have my business run without me if Aweber and WordPress wouldn’t have their “automation” options available; also, without outsourcing, your business will never grow bigger than you.
Hope it helps…
Theodore Nwangene says
Thanks a lot for taking the discussion further John,
Any blogger or Internet marketer that really want to take his business to the next level cannot achieve that without automation and outsourcing. They’re both very very necessary indeed.
I also enjoy traveling a lot because, you can also learn from that.
Thanks a lot for your valued opinion Jon 🙂
Oluwaseun Babajide says
Hi Theodore,
Happy New Month! Yay 😀
I love scheduling posts too, automation is the best way forward.
Thanks for sharing,
-Seun
Theodore Nwangene says
Yea my man,
I’m with you. I also love scheduling :). Thanks and this is wishing you a blissful August :).
Harleena Singh says
Hi Theodore,
Ah…just the experience I can share with you as you already know I returned recently from my vacation too 🙂
Well it’s not easy to maintain or update your blog when you aren’t home. Yes, scheduling the posts does help, but if you are on a longer break like I was, for nearly a month, it doesn’t really work out. I did have one uest over in the meantime, and also scheduled 1-2 posts, but like you, as I also post bi-weekly, I wasn’t able to write more posts than that. And what did it result in – me sitting and writing a few posts, during my vacation (if you remember those fun holidays ideas one).
That is one part of the story, but the other main part is of seeing to the comments that you recieve at your blog, which never end! You do need to reply to them too, and visit other blogs as well. I had to do all of that as well. It’s a different matter if you are away for a week or few days, then things can be managed, but if it’s a long period, it does become tough. Luckily for me, I wasn’t travelling for the while one month, but around 10 odd days that I was, it was pretty tough.
Conclusion – DROP all your work if you are taking a long holiday – period! This is the lesson I’ve learnt. Or else, if you must, have a few more guest bloggers whom you trust, share their posts those days, and have very few of yours, though keep the comments closed! If you do that, you too aren’t obliged or committed to comment on those who visit your blog, if you are the kind who does that, which I do. Your family and the time you have with them, while you are on a holiday – is something you need – so leave aside everything because people understand if you mention it in a previous post about your plans. This mistake I won’t commit next time 🙂
Thanks for sharing. Have a happy new month, and a nice week ahead 🙂
Theodore Nwangene says
I agree with you Harleena,
Its very tough to maintain a business while on vacation because, it will really come between you and the fun :). I think its a wise idea to inform your readers that you will be away for so so time.
Talking about responding to comments, i can easily respond to my comments via my mobile phone but, i know there is also a plugin out there that can automatically send out an email to someone once he comments on your posts. Now, all you have to do is to write a shot notice that you’re on vacation and will surely respond to his comment once you’re back this way, the plugin will always send that email to someone immediately he comments on the scheduled posts, isn’t that awesome.
I know that i will not even enjoy the vacation if I’m aware that I’ve left my business for so long, i will not be comfortable at all but, when you know that everything is still running then, you will certainly have peace of mind.
I really value your candid opinion Harleena, thanks a lot for the visit and extend my warm regards to your family.
Harleena Singh says
I agree that we can use our mobiles for replying or even do so through our laptops, but that too takes time – which isn’t yours when you are on a vacation – it’s your families or loved ones 🙂
More so, the hills where I went on a vacation, didn’t have any network, so I was totally out with only a limited area where the Internet worked! Yes, I’ve heard of those plugins and even your Gmail has the featured of automated replies, but you would have to eventually return and reply to ALL those comments, which I also did and that resulted in a huge backlog of pending comments on a few of my older posts, which I still haven’t been able to sit and reply to. So, pending work keeps adding up for the time you return, which is why it’s best to take a complete break whenever you do so – you will be more relaxed and at peace – believe me on this one 🙂
Thanks once again 🙂
Theodore Nwangene says
Well,
You have an awesome points Harleena and, i agree with you. It all goes down to say that we should not allow anything to come in between us and our vacation, it should be a fun, resting and a time to be with loved ones so, I rest my case :).
Thanks a lot for your response.
John Gibb says
I agree
And… even if you run a small business, like one or a few mini sites, and deal with zero customers, you’ll still have to check your site to ensure everything runs smoothly, as sometimes you may have site related challenges…
I run 300+ niche sites myself, and had some hacking issues lately, been a major issue for me, so I learned to backup my files often, and secure my blogs with some reliable plugins… also, I coach affiliate students, and they often email me.
I used to get 100+ daily emails from ’em, and now I’ve found a solution to better manage my coaching program… hope it’ll turn into something good next.
Cheers!
Theodore Nwangene says
You’re right John,
No matter what, it’s very vital that we do check out sites always to know if everything is going well. This site was also hacked some months ago as you’re aware so, I’ve also learnt to be backing up mu DB once in a while in order to be on the safe side in case of anything.
Thanks for your contribution John, really appreciate.
Martin says
The best thing to do is plan in advanced…. If you know you are leaving then write enough posts to cover when you are gone. It takes a little time but I’d rather do that than to mess up the flow of things or even worse- sit on vacation blogging. This is what I did for my 4 blogs before I went on my honeymoon. I started a month before I left and each day I’d write an extra post or two)
Theodore Nwangene says
You’re right Martin,
Its always good to plan in advance and, I’m happy you agree with me on this :). BTW: I hope you enjoyed your honeymoon :). Thanks for stopping by my valued friend.
Chadrack says
A truly interesting post my man. Scheduling posts is a sure way to keep the blog going if you are on holiday or sick. But I think I will also go with Harleena. I know you can always check the blog while on the go but if you are on holiday and you are going to be away for some time, then inform your readers before you move and then try as much as possible not to care about updating your blog. At least you are on holidays!
But on the issue of sickness, I think there is no way one can really prepare for that understanding the fact that it comes without any warning! 🙂 However, if you suspect something amiss happening you could do something at the early stage of the sickness when the sickness had knocked you down! However, if it happens without warning you just have to learn to let things be. At least we are all human! 🙂
Thanks for sharing.
Theodore Nwangene says
I understood where you’re coming from Chadrack and i quite agree with you,
Yes, its good to announce to your readers that you’re going on vacation but for me, i think it will also be good to schedule some posts so that your blog will not be idle while you’re away.
And you never can tell, you might even plan on staying for 2 weeks but, something might come up that will make you to stay away for another 2 weeks making it one month and, I’m sure no one will like to leave his blog for that long both for your visitors and for SEO purpose.
At least, there are those times when we’re always motivated to write more posts, we can write and schedule them ahead of time in case of any uncertainty.
I really value your point of view my man :), thanks a lot for the visit.
prince says
Nice post dude, updating a blog while on vacation will be a great and uneasy task for anybody but scheduling some post will really help keep the blog alive while you travel around the world thanks for sharing this awesome post
Theodore Nwangene says
You welcome Prince,
I’m happy you like and agree with what i said. I love reading your comments here Prince and i really appreciate all your valued support. Thanks and have splendid weekend :).
Sergio Felix says
Hey Theodore, well you already know I do not write in advance nor I schedule anything but I can see your point here.
If I stop writing and creating new content on my blog, traffic does take a dive and I certainly don’t like that but I also need to take time away for product creation (which is way more profitable than blogging alone).
Having said that, everything can be scheduled in advance including wordpress publishing like you mentioned here, youtube video publishing and also the email marketing side.
I would never hire somebody else to write in my name but I’d do it if it was a small niche site.
Great article and sorry that you got so sick man, hope you’re doing better now!
Sergio
Theodore Nwangene says
I’m very well now Sergio, thanks for your concern,
It’s really very good to be writing and scheduling ahead of time especially when you know that you will involved with some other thing that will take you away from your blog for sometime like product creation as you said.
If you can schedule some posts that will go live on those days you will be away then, your absence will not in anyway affect your blog which is great. I will not also hire someone to write for my authority site except for my niche sites as I’m already doing.
Thanks a lot for your valued comment Sergio and, have a great weekend.
Jan Koch says
Hi Theodore,
I hope your doing better now 🙂
Scheduling is important for me, as I’m part time working as employee (hope to quit that soon!).
So I use my free days to create content in advance and then schedule the publishing. Though I don’t have a fixed day to publish posts, I like to publish once a week. So I make sure to have one pot per week.
Currently travelling isn’t a big part of my life, but who knows what happens? 😉
All the best 🙂
Theodore Nwangene says
Hello Jan,
Yea, i also pray you quit the job soon :). I think you should have a set day and time you updates your blog, this will make your readers to know when to always expect something new from you and, its very vital.
It’s good to be scheduling posts ahead of time in case of any uncertainty. Thanks for stopping by Jan and have a great weekend.
yourblogcoach says
Every i learn new things in blogging, there are some things you see with your own eyes that and never take cognizance of. I really thank you for this information. well for me am always going around with my laptop, even vacations. i work when others are asleep, but with what you’ve just discussed i think that is just the best way to run it… as much as 10 even, bcos my work is kinda taking time and i love blogging with many articles on my PC that i have not posted. I love you post. Thanks a lot man.
Theodore Nwangene says
Thanks dear,
I’m happy you like the post. I’m still urging you to use your real name while commenting on blogs for your own benefits
Carlie Hamilton says
I can’t believe it is August already!
I was sick for most of July with a cold, which sucked a lot, but it’s got nothing on malaria!
I like to write my blog posts in batches. I always try and stay at least a week ahead. It is interesting at the moment because I am challenging myself to write at least 26 posts this month, as I am covering every letter of the alphabet. I am currently a week ahead, and hopefully I’ll stay that way.
Theodore Nwangene says
I’m sorry for your ailments on July Carlie,
But, the most important thing now is that you’re well again so, happy survival :). Yea, i also love scheduling my posts ahead of time because, we never know what will happen next.
I read that post of yours about your challenge and I’m going to follow you up on that but, i know you can do it because, you’re already a great writer.
Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend.
Adesanmi Adedotun says
Hi Theodore,
This is s great advice, and as well a preparatory class. The best way to learn is to learn from experience, your experience is a lesson for me and I will have to put in more effort on my blog so as to get things going even when I’m really busy .
Theodore Nwangene says
Thanks Adesanmi,
I really appreciate your comment and, I’m happy you like the post. Have a great weekend.
Susan Velez says
I am glad to see that you are doing better now.
I really need to consider scheduling some posts in advance. I am getting ready to go back to school this month and I know that I will have a difficult time writing a new post on my blog. If I take the time to schedule it in advance then I will have fresh content that can keep my blog updated.
I have personally learned something from your experience and will start to schedule some posts in advance. I would like to have at least a week’s worth of content ready to be published in case I don’t have time to sit in front of my computer. Thanks
Theodore Nwangene says
Good to hear that Susan,
And yes, I’m well now, thanks for your concern. It’s really great to start writing and scheduling those articles now before you go back to school because, I’m also a student and I know how difficult it could get.
I’m also happy to hear that you will be going back to school as education is power. So tell me, what course are you going to study there and, what level have you attained so far in education?
I wish you all the best Susan and, thanks for your valued comment.
BTW: Hope you’re enjoying the weekend 🙂
Martin says
Some good advice. I always schedule my content and have some in reserve just to be on the safe side if I can not get online for a few days and then I just quickly schedule it.
I would also recommend the use of guest posts. This really helps add diversity to your content, gets some fresh stuff you may not have thought of before and it is free, quality content. I use this method not just for when I am ill or on vacation. This method really is powerful to fill your blog with great content.
Theodore Nwangene says
You’re right Martin,
Guest posting really helps too but, I think it’s also important that we be careful of the guest posts we accepts on our blog.
I’m very happy that you’re already scheduling ahead of time, it’s always good because we don’t always know what will happen next.
Thanks for the visit Martin and for leaving this awesome comment.
Navid Moazzez says
Hi Theodore,
This is a great post, thanks for sharing this with us! I try to prepare my posts in advance, especially my interviews so I can stay ahead a bit at least. For the last few months I have been working full-time, so it’s hard sometimes to have a consistent schedule (I will only work part-time from now on though which will free up a lot of time).
I love traveling and I really need to find a posting schedule that fits my current lifestyle. Right now I’m posting 1-2 times per week, and when I cut down my working hours at the job I may do 3 posts per week and 1 of them can be a guest post by someone in my network of friends and mentors. I will only use guest writers who I know can provide massive value, otherwise I prefer not to have guest posts at all, since my site is more of a personal branded site so I have to be careful with that.
Btw hope you are feeling better now!
All the best,
Navid
pewne pozycje says
It’s a pity you don’t have a donate button! I’d definitely donate to this outstanding blog!
I suppose for now i’ll settle for book-marking and adding your RSS feed to my Google
account. I look forward to fresh updates and will talk about this blog with
my Facebook group. Chat soon!