4 Ways to Make Extra Time When Blogging

Time is something we all say we don’t have enough of, yet it’s something that we think nothing of wasting.

As a blogger, it’s all too easy for time to run away with us as we’re blogging, and then of course we blame the clock and say we didn’t have enough time. The truth is, we did have enough time, we just didn’t use the time we had productively.

Look at some of your favourite big bloggers. Now think of this:

They have the same twenty-four hours in a day as you do.

Sure, their commitments and priorities might be different to yours, but they know how to spend their time effectively.

Here are four simple ways to make yourself some extra time when blogging:

Schedule

Scheduling is one of the most important things you can do to save time. There are several ways in which scheduling can help you:

Schedule your Time Into Blocks

Instead of jumping from task to task, work in blocks. For example, block one might be to write three posts. Block two is to take and edit the photos etc.

Working in blocks this way keeps you focused on the task in hand, and batching tasks means you have everything to hand for each stage of your tasks.

Schedule your Posts

Got a spare half an hour? Use it to write a blog post. It doesn’t have to be the one you want to go out next. It could be one that just springs to your mind. Use the inspiration to get you writing and schedule the post for when you do want it to go live. That will save you time on the day you would normally write that post.

You should also try to have a posting schedule where if nothing else, you at least know the working title of what is going out when on your blog. This can be done as far in advance as you want to, but at least a month ahead will give you some breathing space. This saves you staring at a blank screen for ages trying to decide what to write about.

Schedule your Social Media

Obviously it’s called social media for a reason – it’s meant to be social. Schedule in a time slot where you are present on social media to chat, answer questions and share other people’s things. Don’t let it eat into your other time.

You should also schedule in your social media promotion ahead of time. Sitting writing tweets etc. on the day the post goes live can be time consuming, but if you schedule ahead, it can be a batching task. Use a scheduler such as Social Oomph.

Plan Ahead – And Stick to It

This might sound like it will use up more of your time, but trust me when I tell you it won’t.

Plan Your Content

For at least the first year of blogging, I used to wing it. I’d write my posts as I wanted them to go out and I would just write about whatever came into my head. It was fun in a way, and terrifying in another.

I posted daily and I often found that I spent more time trying to decide what to write about than I did actually putting the post together.

Now I have a scheduler (which isn’t half a posh as it sounds; it’s an Excel spreadsheet). I have at least titles planned for the next few months worth of content and then I add notes as ideas come to me. This means when I come to write the post, it’s so much quicker.

Plan Your Time

Make yourself a daily to-do list and make sure you allow yourself the right time for each task. Stick to the list and you’ll find that you get much more done in a day than if you’re just floundering around from one task to the next.

Plan Your Equipment

What will you need to complete your daily tasks?

It might be that you just need your laptop, or it could be that you’ll need your camera and some props. Having everything to hand saves time going off and looking for things and then having to get back into writing.

Don’t Waste Time

It can be so tempting to go and check your emails, or have a scroll through Facebook. But this is a major productivity killer. Not only will you end up wasting more time putting off working, but it also slows down your creative thinking process and you waste even more time getting back into a working mentality.

Procrastination kills productivity and a task that should take an hour ends up taking two. This is another advantage of having your time planned. You know what you should be doing, so there’s no reason to not get straight on with it.

To see just how much time this will save, just try it once and you won’t go back to dotting around wasting work time.

Outsource

There are so many ways you can save time as blogger by outsourcing. Here are a few examples of how outsourcing can help you save time:

Use a Freelance Writer for Your Content

If you’re writing posts that aren’t about your personal life, hiring a freelance writer is a fab way to get your posts written quickly and efficiently, and a good freelance writer will proof read and edit the posts properly too. Many of them will also have the post fully SEO optimised to match your key words too.

If you like this idea, why not hire me? You can contact me via email debbie@myrandommusings.co.uk for more information.

Outsource Your Social Media

Social media mangers who run your entire accounts and have strategies in place to grow your following and engagement don’t come cheap. If your budget won’t stretch that far, why not consider hiring someone just to schedule your weekly post promotion.

This will work out a lot cheaper and will save you a lot of time.

Job Share

Another idea if your budget doesn’t stretch to employing anyone yet is to job share with a friend. Maybe they are willing to write a post in exchange for you editing one of their videos.

Although you’ll still have to invest some time, if you can find a balance so you can switch a task you don’t like for one you do, you won’t be so tempted to mess around on social media while you’re meant to be working if you’re completing tasks you enjoy.

Do you always feel like you need more time? Do you tend to waste time instead of working productively? Let me know in the comments 🙂

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