Have you ever looked at the pile of dishes in the sink, the paw prints on the floor, and your ever-growing mountain of laundry and thought to yourself,
“How will I ever find the time to blog?!”
Sure, there are people who are professional bloggers, who lock themselves away all day and do nothing but write and promote their latest posts. But if you have a hard time relating to those bloggers – if you have a day job? – you’re not alone.
Most of us have precious few hours each week to devote to blogging – and the overwhelming majority of emails I receive from my readers say it’s a big cause for frustration. How can you keep up with your blog, but not neglect the rest of your life?
Well.
Here are a dozen “best practices” I enacted in 2012 that have made a world of difference for me and my blog.
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 – if your goal is to increase your blog’s reach on Pinterest, you’d try to spend less time getting sucked in to the latest happenings on Twitter and try to focus your attention on either developing skills that will improve the images on your blog (like how to use Photoshop Elements to spiff up those photos!) or actually creating the types of posts for your blog that do well on Pinterest.
Either way, you can judge what you’re currently doing by whether it helps you achieve your goals, and quit wasting time on things that don’t.
So just do it: Write out 5 goals for your blog this year and post them nearby where you write. Refer to them often.
Don’t worry, I’ll wait.
::
I don’t sit down and have official brainstorming sessions. My best ideas come to me while driving to the grocery store or doing the dishes. 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, there’s never a moment without actual post writing happening. If I only have 30 minutes to write each day (or each week!), I’d better make it count.
(By the way – have you seen this post on how to take notes in the shower? Brilliant!)
I read a life-changing blog post a few months ago about not checking email in the evenings or on weekends. And honey, this one hit home.
I’m a proud mom to three preschool age children who works nearly full-time as a blog designer. If the kids are otherwise occupied with outside play, naps, Legos, or are in bed at night, I’m on the computer. I get design inquiries, fan mail, hate mail, Facebook notifications, Twitter notifications, Google Calendar reminders, communication from clients, order confirmations from Amazon, and a host of other email that adds up to about 80 email messages every day. Add in my undiagnosed ADD issues and you’ve got a big, distracted mess.
After reading Tim Ferriss’s article, 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 ALL distractions – especially email! – and just write.
It’s not just good for developing your blogging voice; writing with your ideal reader in mind helps keep your writing sessions on track. Once you’re not fishing around for “how you should write” anymore, you’ll be saving time by approaching each blog post with purpose and focus, and you won’t waste valuable time by second guessing your writing style when the most important thing is creating your post.
I don’t know about you, but the hardest thing about writing my blog posts is getting started. Crafting that opening paragraph – that “engage them or lose them” introduction part – is tough.
A tip I picked up from Rachel Meeks’s popular e-book Simple Blogging is to write your first draft without hitting the Delete key. Just keep forging ahead in your blog post, knowing that you’ll be revisiting it to clean things up and make things sound great later. This way, all your writing time is productive time, and you won’t experience writer’s block when you’re just getting warmed up.
This can mean different things for different people. If you’re a small- to mid-sized blogger without lots of pressure from blog sponsors or needy readers, you have the luxury of writing on your terms.
For beginning bloggers, I recommend writing for 30 minutes per day. That’s it. Just sit down (without checking your email!), 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! But if the inspiration just isn’t there, then go grab a snack and get on with the rest of your day. 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. People burn out on blogging that way.
Seriously.
If you’re focused on “three-posts-per-week-or-else,” not only will the quality of your blog posts suffer; your blog will start to interfere with your real life. Ask me how I know. 
Not everyone takes the relaxed approach to blogging that I do. 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. After all, statistically speaking, the more frequently you post, the faster your readership will grow…to a point. Just make sure your quality isn’t suffering as you crank out all that new material!
In this type of situation, an editorial calendar does makes 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.
Tip: Some people use online services like Evernote to organize their notes. Me? I’m a pen-and-paper gal. But I do make good use of Pinterest – not only to promote other people’s great content – but also to keep track of other people’s blog posts that start my wheels turning. Pinterest’s new private boards are an awesome way to file away great articles that will be an inspiration for your writing when you need it.
Promoting your blog posts can be a virtual black hole that sucks up all your time. Automate the basic promotional things like posting your new posts to Facebook or scheduling your tweets for your new posts (check out Networked Blogs, HootSuite, or HubSpot). But definitely don’t feel like you have to go crazy with social media!
If you have to choose between engaging people on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram/Whateverelse and writing for your blog, choose the blog. The reach of your own social promotion is limited – in fact, the best, most effective type of social networking happens when other people promote your content for you! So focus on creating quality content that others will want to share. You’ll end up with something that’s far more lasting: great blog posts that can engage new readers over and over again.
And if you’re using blog commenting as a strategy for getting new readers, choose 10 (or so) blogs where you feel this is working effectively for you and stick with them. Become an active member of those communities and take the time to leave insightful, helpful or engaging comments. It’s fine to read some blogs “just for fun,” but don’t mix this in with your blog’s readership building time. Keep business and personal reading time separate so you can manage your time well.
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; more than that can interfere with your blogging life…not to mention your real life!
If there are elements of blogging that are eating away at your life, then quit wasting time! Just as everyone isn’t a plumber or a brain surgeon, not everyone as skills in blog design, technical troubleshooting, or copy editing. We live in a culture that glorifies the “self-made man” or the “renaissance woman” who seems to do it all. But if you can afford to outsource the things that cause you stress or that simply lie outside your skill set, then do! You’re not only supporting an individual (or a family) who can provide a valuable service – you’re saving time for yourself that can be applied to doing things you’re good at – or just to taking a much-needed break!
There will always be people who want your money, your time, or your energies to help promote their own projects. Offers of guest blogging that can initially be very flattering can wind up taking all your time and eating into other (more important!) areas of your life. I recently turned down an opportunity to speak at a popular blogging conference about using Pinterest to grow your blog. Sure, I initially got all starry-eyed at the invitation, but after some serious thought, I realized it would mean not just a weekend away from my family, but hours and hours of preparation for the event that I – frankly – don’t have.
But “no” doesn’t have to be that dramatic, even. If you really only have time for one post each week, then so be it! There’s no firing squad ready to assassinate bloggers who don’t live up to impossible-for-them standards.
Saying “No” now doesn’t mean never. It just acknowledges that there are different seasons to life, and perhaps opportunities that aren’t possible now will be realistic ones…later.
Listen, there’s only so much content that one person can churn out – week after week, month after month. If you have even a few hundred followers, you probably have folks who would love to share their best ideas with your readers. So put out the A.P.B. and ask for proposals or submissions for a regular feature on your blog. You’ll gain the freedom to focus on making your own work better while exchanging blog traffic (and hopefully growing your readership!) at the same time.
This may seem counter-intuitive, but any time you devote to promoting other people’s blogs is time well spent.
Blogging is a wonderful 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 platform (your blog!), and to your community.
Make sure that when working out a strategy to maintain or grow your blog, you budget some regular time for extending a hand to other bloggers as well.
::
As we set out on the first day of the rest of our blogging careers, let’s try to blog intentionally, generously, and wisely to make the most of the time we’re given.
If you have new resolutions for your blog – or for your time! – I’d love to hear about them. And if you have any tips I didn’t mention, I’d love to learn from you. Just leave a comment and let’s connect.
::
Resources/Further Reading
- Simple Blogging – A thorough treatment of time management issues specifically for bloggers by Rachel Meeks. Highly recommended.
- One Bite at a Time – A bite-sized approach to organizing and simplifying your home and your life: one project per week. I read this in January 2012 and it was a game changer in a stressful season in my life.
- Simplify – A teeny, tiny e-book that will convince you to downsize other areas in your life. A truly motivational read.
- Tell Your Time – A super quick read for time management beginners: setting goals, determining steps, and developing a schedule. Easy to implement.
So many wonderful reminders here. I’ll be bookmarking and referring back all year. Thank you so much!
Gina recently posted..plan for fun in 2013: a free printable
Twitter: theblogmaven
says:
I’m glad it’s useful for you, Gina. Thanks for your note!
Twitter: MonicaArmaDei
says:
Hi Jeni,
This is a great post…one of the better blog advice articles that I have read! I love the way the links to other posts you include are so enticing. You certainly take your own advice! =) It’s the first time in a while I’ve needed to retrace my steps a couple times to check out previous posts that were also of interest. I’m glad I am subscribed. Monica
Monica recently posted..Did you make a resolution to get better organized in 2013?
Twitter: MonicaArmaDei
says:
oops…PS, how do you create the image with the ‘pin it’ link button embedded in it? Is that another wordpress thing or is it possible on blogger? Thanks!
Monica recently posted..Did you make a resolution to get better organized in 2013?
Twitter: theblogmaven
says:
Hi Monica, I’m glad this article is connecting with people. Yes, the embedded Pin-It button is another fun WordPress trick – it’s a premium plugin called Pin Button Attraction. It’s hard to beat “free” on Blogger, but this kind of thing eventually lures a lot of people over to self-hosted WordPress.
Thanks for your note!
Twitter: themommymess
says:
So much good information here! Thanks!
Twitter: LittleKidsGrow
says:
Hi Jeni, and Happy New Year. As always, thank you for the fantastic tips. I’ve been checking my stats way too much
.
The “check it out” link in your update at the bottom of the post gives me an error. Is their another link that I can try? (Thank you!)
Shannon recently posted..Tutorial Tuesdays: Drafting a Shirt Collar
Twitter: theblogmaven
says:
Hi Shannon, thanks for your note! I appreciate you pointing out the broken link to me; I went ahead and fixed it. You can find the New Year’s bundle deal here.
Twitter: MissWhimsys
says:
Very well written and informative. Thanks for taking the time to post!
Miss. Whimsy recently posted..Sale, Sale, Sale!
Twitter: Laurascraftylif
says:
Thank you for sharing this! I am not a new blogger, but my blog is growing pretty slowly! It is hard as a mom of two small kids to juggle everything. Plus, I am writing a craft blog and my posts take a lot of time, from start to finish. I love your tips here and will be implementing them this year!
Laura recently posted..Fashion: No nonsense Tights and Leggings
Twitter: theblogmaven
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Hi Laura, I hear you about the juggling act. Somehow most of my posts end up being over 2,000 words! But I think the key is to focus on “evergreen” posts that new visitors – even 2 years from now – will be drawn to and still find relevant. That’s why I’m against post schedules (except for hard core bloggers!) and just try to focus on making your content good. Thanks for your note!
Twitter: fenger1
says:
I really like your tips. I just started a blog last summer, so I’m still learning about what to do and how to do it. Your blog is a great resource!
Twitter: barrypearman
says:
Thanks for this. Just today I decided to stop looking at the stats. For a start i was getting very skewed statistics which was altering my perception of how I was doing. It also drew me away from the main thing being the main thing. I want to write, I just want to write. If I enjoy it and a few people get some help then all the better.
So more measuring stats till end of month.
thanks
Twitter: theblogmaven
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Hi Barry, sounds like you have a great no-stats resolution for this month. If you feel like it affects your productivity, I’d love to hear about your experience, so please stop back by. Thanks for your note!
Twitter: networkingtips4
says:
Great tips. Thanks for sharing. I’ll keep these in mind when I write the next time.
Carol Speake recently posted..Avoid these Blogging Mistakes to Make your Blog Better
Twitter: johannahanson
says:
This was so good. I need to work on consistently writing even if I am not posting that day. I tend to have a write only when I’m writing a post mentality and that doesn’t allow me any room to really just write for the sake of gaining confidence in my style.
I love how you know that blogging is something that we have to fit in around everything else in life. Also, I got Photoshop Elements 11 for Christmas and I’m so excited to go through your tutorials! Starting tomorrow.
Johanna recently posted..Goals for 2013
Twitter: theblogmaven
says:
Yep, there are a lot of people who act like your blog should be front-and-center-no-matter-what. I’m definitely of the school that you should focus on your life first. No one’s going to be on their deathbed wishing they’d written “just one more post.”
Glad you’ll be joining us for Elements for Bloggers! Speaking of which, it’s probably time for me to make the next video…
Twitter: KalynBr00ke
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This is a post I will be referencing again and again. Thank you!
kalynbrooke | Creative Savings recently posted..6 Tips to Cleaning on a Budget {Guest Post}
Twitter: paulas2
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Hi JENI, I have a very relaxed approach to blogging, I have never written more than 3 posts in any single month, because I see myself more as an Internet Marketer first and a blogger second. However, I will admit to you that I check my stats and email messages almost everyday.
Paul Profitt recently posted..Does The Page Load Time Of Your Blog Really Matter?
Twitter: theblogmaven
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Hi Paul, yep, I publish only once every 3 weeks or so…but email absolutely kills my productivity for my design work. It gets addictive, too…so I have to be aggressive about ignoring it.
Twitter: paulas2
says:
Hi again JENI, my biggest distractions are music and television as a matter of fact I have just finished watching Celebrity Big Brother and I have got the music playing on my PC while writing this reply.
Paul Profitt recently posted..Why Is Google In Trouble Again?
Twitter: projectsimplehm
says:
My big goals this year is to turn set up all my social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest; improve my photos; and blog regularly without stressing myself out. I also want to really connect with one or two “big blogs” that I look up to and increase my comment to create a community on my own blog. You and your website are actually helping with all of these. Thank you so much. Please let me know how I can repay you.
I’m one of those people who check my stats daily so I’m going to switch to a monthly review for sanity sake. I also need to find a way to organize my day so I have a scheduled thirty minutes daily for blogging. I have a section in my customized day planner for blogging (ideas, my Ideal Reader, and now my 5 goals for the year) so I can review it daily and jot notes anywhere. Thank you for your tips!
Andrea Anderson recently posted..A Laundry Room for Mom
Twitter: theblogmaven
says:
Thanks for your thoughtful comments, Andrea. Those sound like some big – but very doable – goals for this year. It will be great to see where your blog is at the end of 2013!
Twitter: siedahmitchum
says:
My blog focuses on web & graphic design, business, and social media. I realize that my audience need tips and advice. I have recently implemented video blogging. The tips you provided bring realism to the challenges bloggers face on a week or day-to-day basis. Maintaining a blog for your readers is time consuming. Being organized helps the blogger and consistency helps the readers. This is a great post! I appreciate the share!
Siedah Mitchum recently posted..5 Easy Tips to Increase Facebook Engagement
Twitter: joycefeustel
says:
Thanks for these very practical and helpful ideas, Jeni. I really appreciate them.
Twitter: piscesun
says:
I really needed to read this! I like your relaxed, realistic approach, blogging is much more enjoyable that way. The big goal for me is being consistent- more of a rhythm than a schedule. I’d been trying to force a schedule on myself and it just plain doesn’t work for me! Thanks for the insight.
caroline recently posted..New Moon Love
Twitter: Coily_locks
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Found you on sverve and love this post! I too suffer from undiagnosed ADD and it’s do hard to stay on track sometimes. I’m new in the game “one year” and finally found my niche and just working on keeping my readers and encouraging new ones to join me in my randomness. Will def be back for more!
Twitter: unscripted35
says:
Awesome post!! I saved it on my Kindle for future referencing =) Thanks so much for the great advice!
Elyssa recently posted..nerdy non-fiction challenge 2013
Twitter: ecoincognito
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I saw a pin on pinterest and stuck around to get a few more great tips from you. I love your suggestions for time management. Especially the ones on writing for a specific reader and not checking stats. Those are my two biggest time sucks right now, so I can move forward and do better. Thanks for the advice!
Jeannette recently posted..Breaking Up with my Pediatrician
Twitter: RandomRecycling
says:
Wonderful tips and reminders. The monthly stats and no evening emails will get a trial run next month. As I prepare for a blogging maternity break, these are great ways to help me prepare for it.
Twitter: Stocktontia
says:
Thanks so much for those tips. I’m a new blogger, and still trying to figure out what I even want my goals to be, who my target audience is, and the direction i want to go with this whole thing (while having a full time day job too). Any tips on how to narrow down the millions of options to a certain niche? I am also getting back into writing (after graduating from a liberal arts college in 2010) and am figuring out how to change my academic style to a more accessible and conversational one. Gah, it’s hard not to approach my posts like a research paper! Any tips on how to loosen up?
Twitter: theblogmaven
says:
Hi Tia, thanks for your note! As far as choosing a niche, the best thing is to find the intersection between what you’re passionate about and the unique experiences that would give you a different perspective from other people. And for your blogging voice…have you read this post, by any chance?
What an excellent post! Love all these tips, and I’ll definitely be keeping all of these in mind from now on!
Erin recently posted..Monogrammed Print
Twitter: anuggetofjoy
says:
Thank you so much for the great tips! You’ve been so successful at engaging that I have just subscribed to your email and followed your twitter account, so I guess I can be looking forward to more great content from you! :p
I actually draft most of my posts on my mobile phone using the WordPress app. It all started because I would usually blog when I was nursing my daughter. Then it became a matter of convenience. And in a weird way, I feel that it actually helps me write better because I just start writing whenever an idea comes to mind (if I am able to). This allows my ideas to flow freely and I’m less stressed about coming up with new content. It also saves me a great amount of time! I really love the app!
Zee recently posted..{Saturday Morning Snapshot} – Building Sandcastles
Twitter: theblogmaven
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Hi Zee, thanks for your tip about the WordPress app! I’ve had people ask about that before, but since I only use a desktop, I didn’t have a feeling about it one way or the other. I’ll send them to your comment from now on.
I’m glad you’re enjoying the blog. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! Warmly, Jeni
Twitter: simonleong
says:
Great sensible tips worth keeping in mind. Time management is definitely one thing all bloggers need to be aware of including myself. Especially when it’s too easy to get side tracked. Thanks for sharing
Simon Food Favourites recently posted..Gia Hoi: Vietnamese, Eastwood (31 Mar 2013)
Twitter: craftydad
says:
Great tips! My self-diagnosed ADD gets the best of me … all the time! : – )
I need to GET FOCUSED and get busy.
Thanks for sharing such great information!
–Mike
Mike recently posted..Spring High School Musical Production — Seussical
Twitter: theblogmaven
says:
Hi Mike, glad you found it useful. This is one post where I was really writing to myself…and I think I would be wise to revisit it from time to time.
Thanks for your note, and welcome!
Twitter: DeliciouslyWell
says:
Jeni, your advice is always so great and this post is no exception. I love that you speak from experience and are realistic about balance between blog and life. My question about scheduling is one I have completed a post and have it scheduled to go live, how can I use HootSuite to schedule a tweet or FB link to a page that isn’t active yet? Is there a way to schedule a pin in this instance too?
Brenda recently posted..Be Organized for the Best Fitness Plan
Twitter: theblogmaven
says:
Hi Brenda, I’m not sure whether you can schedule pins in advance of publishing them. It seems like you should be able to, as long as you know the URL for the post to be published, but I just don’t have experience with this yet. I’m more of a hands-on pinner, myself.
You might check Pingraphy to see if this is a function they support. And please let me know what you find out!
Warmly,
Jeni