When it comes to blogging, one crucial and often, overlooked aspect of blogging is finding the time to do it! The idea of having a thriving, popular blog sounds fantastic, but making it happen is another story. You may have a plethora of blog topics you want to publish, but it’s tricky to find the time to blog when you have a hectic schedule.
Today, I will give you tips that can help you thoughtfully plan your time and dismiss the overwhelming stresses, so you can bring your blog ideas to life.
1. Manage your time and priorities
At Rough Draft Solutions, we are all about our daily to-do-lists, and we know all too well that even some of the tasks we write on our lists don’t receive that coveted checkmark next to them at the end of the day.
A key factor in finding the time to blog is making blogging a priority and managing your time efficiently. Whether it’s working on your blog instead of another small task or sacrificing some downtime, prioritizing your schedule is a helpful way to make the best use of your time and to find the time to give some love to your blog. One of our favorite tips is to blog first thing in the morning. Often in the morning we are more focused, have more creative ideas, and are less bogged down with the cares of the day.
So, if creating or growing your blog is your priority, make sure it is placed accordingly on your to-do-list and that it receives a lovely checkmark next to it at the end of the day.
2. Create an editorial calendar
One way to prioritize your writing efforts and to hold yourself accountable is by crafting an editorial calendar. An editorial calendar includes your content ideas and where and when to publish your content. Just like a work schedule, an editorial calendar will dictate when a blog is due, and it will hold the deadlines that will keep you on top of your blog writing. A calendar is an excellent way of storing all of your thoughts, ideas, dates, and publishing details all together in one place. This tool is particularly useful when you are coordinating with a team of writers.
Once you create an editorial calendar with a structure and details that work for you, it will be much easier to get into a routine of prioritizing your time based on your set deadlines.
3. Update your calendar regularly
What is the point of having an editorial calendar if you don’t take the time to manage it? The most time-consuming part of making your editorial calendar is initially creating it and getting into a routine that works best for you.
Updating your calendar on a weekly or bi-weekly basis should only take a few minutes. The best part? The few minutes you take to schedule your time will end up saving you time if you were to write at random times and not do it effectively. When you manage your calendar, you are thoughtfully managing your time throughout your work week and putting yourself in a better position to successful blogging.
4. Find your perfect writing time and stick with it
When you first create your editorial calendar, you will have to make an educated guess on when to schedule your time to write. If you find that the time you planned doesn’t work for you, change it up until you find a time where you can fully focus and have a productive writing session. Like we said earlier, we prefer the morning!
Once you find a time that works for you, stick with it! When you write more often at the same time, it is more likely to stay a priority and become a part of your daily routine.
5. Publish at least once a week
Because you’re managing your own editorial calendar, it can be easy not to be strict with yourself and let deadlines pass. But to find time for blogging, you need to be consistent when you publish your blog. If you’re looking to gain a larger blog following, posting your content consistently will tell your customers you are a reliable resource. You want your audience to become dependent on your content and eager to read what you have to say on a regular basis.
6. Create a structure and routine you are comfortable with
Sitting in front of your computer staring at a blank screen can be daunting. Luckily, once you get into your groove with blogging, you will develop your own structure and methods of writing. Writing using styles and techniques that are most familiar and comfortable to you makes it less scary and less time consuming to tackle a blog from scratch. Develop an outline method, and stick with it!
Also, while this is still “work,” try to make it fun! Get yourself a big mug of coffee, turn on some classical music, and get to work!
7. Create a focus for your blog
If you’re blogging for business and struggle to focus when you start to blog, here are some key components to be sure to include in your blog.
Customer needs - What questions can you answer that will help your customers?
Valuable insight - What information can you provide your customers that will help relieve their frustrations and provide them with value?
Quality content (Not quantity) - Don’t settle for mediocre content. How can you make your content of high quality? Make sure your message is simple to read and yet includes new ideas.
If you are busy interacting with your clients most of the day, take the opportunity to ask them their biggest frustrations or what they value most about your products and services. Jot down their responses to use as an outline or a start to your next blog.
We understand how many tasks are competing for your attention and that it can be hard to find the time to blog! But we promise, it’s worth it. We hope these tips will help you plan your time more thoughtfully, and help you get in the habit of blogging! We’ve found that the more we blog, the easier it gets!
What are your strategies for finding the time to blog? Tell us your blogging stories!
