Time Management Tips for Blogging

Dear Isheeria’s Healing Circles Reader,

On the occasion of the Festival of Colors Holi, We bring to you a wonderful post full of tips for Managing your time, especially as a blogger by the talented Romilaa. Read on..

Do you love blogging but you are not able to make time to do it? Do you always miss out blogging activities because you are not able to do it timely? It happens to everyone.  For many, blogging can be a total time drain, but with the right techniques, you can blog more efficiently. You can compare blogging as treating guests for a meal at home. Like how you plan your menu, making sure you have the right ingredients and crockery to make and serve the food so that the entire party plan is perfect. The same is true for blogging: plan and you will be able to serve up a blog post that will satisfy your readers, saving your valuable time. When you plan ahead by identifying your topic, using an editorial calendar, repurposing content, varying your blog format and securing guest bloggers, you can tackle blogging more efficiently.

In this post I am going to share my tips on time management for blogging and believe me the moment you start following these your blogging routine will be different and less stressful.

1. Set goals and brainstorm ideas –
   Have you ever sat in front of your computer to start a blog post with no clue what to write about and wasted time with a topic? Knowing what you are going to write about is half the battle. That’s why knowing your blog topic before you sit down to write is a great time management trick. Find a quiet place and take out a sheet of paper. Number it from 1 to 20. Then, start to brainstorm a list of blog topics you can write about. Remember, it’s a brainstorm, so there are no bad ideas. Once you are done brainstorming 20 topics, go back and cross off the ones that won’t work. What remains are dozens of blog post ideas that will carry you for several months. When you have specific goals in mind as you approach your blog each day or week, you’ll be able to cut out unnecessary things that won’t help you achieve your goals. So just do it: Write out 5 goals for your blog this year and post them nearby where you write. Refer to them often. 
2. Plan your posts, create editorial calendar –
   I don’t sit down and have official brainstorming sessions. My best ideas come to me all the time. My brain is full of blogging ideas. For me, it’s enough to have a notepad handy and keep that running list of post ideas going so that when it’s time to sit down and write. If I only have 30 minutes to write each day, I’d better make it count. If this doesn’t work, try repurposing content, which is one of the best time management strategies for bloggers because it prevents you from reinventing the wheel every time you write. If the goals you’ve set for your blog include a certain number of readers in a certain amount of time, it does make sense to churn out 3-4 posts per week. The more frequently you post, the faster your readership will grow.  Just make sure your quality isn’t suffering! In this type of situation, an editorial calendar does make sense.  Take that list of post ideas you had and commit it to a calendar.  Write down which blog posts you plan to publish and when and this will help keep you on target with your writing. Editorial calendars can be any format you want. Some bloggers use a wall calendar, while others use Google Calendars. Use a calendar that works best for your work style. 
3. Just write, expect multiple drafts –
   I’ve been able to successfully turn things around and make the most of my blogging time. Naturally, there are about 20 life priorities for me that come in ahead of blogging, but when it’s time for me to blog, I’ve learned to shut off distractions and just write. I don’t know about you, but the hardest thing about writing my blog posts is getting a good conclusion.  For beginning bloggers, I recommend writing for 30 minutes per day.  Just sit down, open up a new post or a saved draft, and write until 30 minutes is up.  If you feel really excited about what you’re writing and want to keep going, then do!  The important thing is to write as a discipline and to develop your style, while not driving relentlessly toward a certain number of posts per week. 
4. Accept guest posts –
   Securing a guest blogger to write an article for your blog is the ultimate time saver. You want to take the time to find the right guest blogger, though, because it is a reflection of your brand. One tip is to find a guest blogger with a large following. That way, when the guest blogger shares the guest blog post with his or her audience, you will attract new readers to your blog. 
5. Stop counting statistics –
   There are reasons to check on how many and how people are interacting with your blog but not every day, or even every week.  It’s especially hard for new bloggers not to get their self-worth tied up in how many people are reading their posts.  But not only is this unhealthy; it’s a waste of time. Set a date for once a month to peruse your stats and find out which posts from the past 30 days have been the most popular, and where your readers are coming from.  Just one time each month will give you enough information to help direct your next blogging steps.

Blogging is a fantastic world of participating, discussing, promoting, teaching, learning, and sharing. 
If you spend all your time on your own blog, you’re missing out on being part of a community of bloggers who support each other. 
There is a lot of reciprocity to blogging, and when you become known as a person who promotes others, others will be attracted to you, to your blog.
If you have new resolutions for your blog – or for your time! – I’d love to hear about them.  Just leave a comment and let’s connect.
You may also like this post about Setting and Keeping Goals.

Blessed Be!
Team Isheeria

About the Guest Writer – 

Romilaa @Novemberschild is a thirty plus veteran blogger who has been around since 2004. She is a voracious reader, e-book author, devoted coffee-drinker, avid thinker and a fashion lover who has a huge collection of bags. Music is her passion and you can find her writing most of the time. She is extremely friendly, helpful and a happy person. She accepts bouquets and brickbats on her writings. She blogs at Novemberschild.com and can be connected on Twitter @romspeaks.