Blogging Smarter, Not Harder – 9 Time-Saving Tips Every Blogger Should Know
When it comes to blogging it can be a time-consuming task. Read on as we explore some time-saving tips that can help you blog smarter, not harder and may even help to get more engagement from your audience.
Don’t use a to-do list
To-do lists don’t work because people write really big tasks on them. A next action list can work much better. Where a to-do list might suggest write a blog post, your next action list would detail the steps you need to make that happen for example, research a topic, or edit post. These steps are quicker to achieve and help keep you motivated.
Work out where you lose time
Do a time audit – write down what you do during a day, do this every day for a week. You will soon see where you are losing that all important time.
What are your golden hours?
Golden hours are when you work best. They may be during the morning, afternoon, or evening. Once you figure out when you are most productive you can adjust your schedule accordingly.
Take productive breaks
If you find yourself doing household tasks before you write, then you are not alone. Instead, take breaks from your writing to so other tasks and you will find you are more productive. These breaks can help you clear your mind and also recharge.
Break up your writing
Vary the things that you write about, and you will find that you work harder. Some things might be necessary to write about, but they may not be the most interesting so break them up with things that are.
Monotask
Multi-tasking does not exist. It is in fact very difficult for the brain to process several information streams at once. You cannot fully concentrate on writing an email and discussing something important on the phone. Switching your focus can take far more energy. So, stay on task and concentrate on one thing at a time.
Use email sparingly
Email can be a huge time waster particularly if you leave it open all day. Rather than continually checking your emails, take a look at them at certain times of the day and only then. The same rule can also be applied to social media, not only will this be less of a distraction, but it can also be much more productive.
Strengthen your will power
Will power be something that you need to train. You may only be able to start out doing a small amount of work, but you should be able to increase this over time. There will also be times in the day when your will power dips, for example after your evening meal so you should learn to read these cues.
Follow a blogging schedule
It can be a good idea to force yourself to follow a blogging schedule. This means writing posts early and scheduling them ahead of time so that you are always prepared. This will allow you to post just a few time a week and will help you to be a better blogger. You could also create a folder of posts for emergencies just in case.
