Hello darlings!

As promised, I’m back with another guide!

Since we just started another year, I think it’s the best time for some organisation!

I started using Trello some time ago and it’s been a life changer for my blogging plans so today I’m sharing my experiences with you.

Previously on Tips & Tricks:

1. The Guide to Spotify Audiobooks 🎧
2. Surviving Edelweiss+ — Or, Everything I Know about This So Called Reviewer’s Monster

What is Trello?

It’s an app/website where you can create boards with lists and cards.

I first learned about it from Fadwa @ Word Wonders in her MY PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS – OR HOW TO BE A MASTER ORGANIZER! post.

She also shares the basics in her A READER’S GUIDE TO TRELLO BOARDS post:

I don’t like being repetitive so I will only gloss over it here and visit Fadwa for the details.

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This is how the board for my blog looks like.

As you can see, you can add columns called ‘lists’ and separate cards to each list.

If you click the card you’ll have this:

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1. I added the cover by simply copy-pasting an image into the general area of the card but you can also click on the ‘Cover‘ button and choose one from available graphics.
2. If you click on the ‘Labels‘ on the right side you can create the color-coded labels for your cards you see on both pictures.
3. You can also add a ‘Checklist‘ but I usually just note my points in the ‘Description’ area.
4. You can add a ‘Due Date‘ and set how much time ahead you want to get a reminder.

And that’s all you need to understand the rest of the guide.

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So, I decided to make a simple version of my planner

because I would have to blank out a lot in the original and where’s the learning in that:

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There are five columns here I use to post planning. From the last to the first you can see the journey each of my posts undertakes:

• Blog Ideas — here I put all the random post ideas I have. It became super cluttered fast so I also created the next column;
• Next to Write — all the blog post ideas that I plan on starting in the immediate future;
• Writing — posts for which I created a draft and put something in there;
• Sheduled — Yay! Post finished and now I don’t have to open WordPress to check when it should publish;
• Posted — I clear this column every month after I finish my Wrap-Up so I have a quick overview of what to put in there.

When I plan my posts I also note down ideas on post cards:

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As you can see, it’s possible to do that by either noting some stuff down in the description or for rec lists you can just copy-paste the covers in the attachments.

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Now, the rest of the board:

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Here I keep track of:

• Readathons — so I have all the relevant information in one place and a reminder for the start and the finish
• Collabs — Potential collabs and collab plans. Also, sometimes other bloggers post about possible collabs but I can’t think up anything at the moment so I save the links
• Weekly Memes — A list of weekly memes I usually participated in. The masterlist found here
• Tags — I keep a list of tags people tagged me in here if I’m too busy (or lazy) to draft a post. Also, the masterlist of tags found here

For the Readathons you need:

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• Due Date — Readathons don’t last forever and of course we are on a time schedule here. I set up a due date a few times, actually:
  • first due date — when it starts so I don’t miss it
  • middle due date/s — with yearly challenges I decided I need to check up on my goals every now and then
  • final due date — end of the readathon
• Link to the Announcement — so you don’t have to look it up every time you need it for something (Sign Up, Update, Wrap Up…)

(Also, the example readathon here is #StartOnYourShelfathon hosted by CW @ The Quiet Pond)

I’m not planning on doing weekly memes

much anymore but when I did it was useful to keep some info in the card as well:

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• Due Date — I used to change it every week so I would have a reminder but now I’ve fallen off;
• Link to the OG Post — to have it on hand whenever you need it;
• Prompts — I kept those in the comments so I had a monthly overview and didn’t have to look them up every time.

(The example weekly meme here is Top Ten Tuesday hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl)

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You can have one power-up with the free Trello version and I use the Calendar:

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As you can see, it shows me all the cards with their due dates and as somebody for whom time is a concept they can’t quite grasp it’s a blessing.

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