12 Best Time Management Tips for Bloggers

12 Best Time Management Tips for Bloggers

Time management tips for bloggersHave 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.

Time Management Tips for Bloggers | The Blog Maven

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.

::

Time Management Tips for Bloggers | The Blog Maven

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!)

Time Management Tips for Bloggers | The Blog Maven

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.

Time Management Tips for Bloggers | The Blog Maven

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.

Time Management Tips for Bloggers | The Blog Maven

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 (unfortunately, no longer in print) 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.

Time Management Tips for Bloggers | The Blog Maven

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. 😉

Time Management Tips for Bloggers | The Blog Maven

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.

Time Management Tips for Bloggers | The Blog Maven

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.

Time Management Tips for Bloggers | The Blog Maven

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!

Time Management Tips for Bloggers | The Blog Maven

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!

Time Management Tips for Bloggers | The Blog Maven

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.

Time Management Tips for Bloggers | The Blog Maven

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.

Time Management Tips for Bloggers | The Blog Maven

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.

Time management tips for bloggers

 

Leave a Comment:

126 comments
Gina says

So many wonderful reminders here. I’ll be bookmarking and referring back all year. Thank you so much!

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    jeni says

    I’m glad it’s useful for you, Gina. Thanks for your note!

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Monica 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

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Monica 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!

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    jeni 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!

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Adrienne says

So much good information here! Thanks!

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Shannon 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!)

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    jeni 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.

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Miss. Whimsy says

Very well written and informative. Thanks for taking the time to post!

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Laura @ Laura's Crafty Life 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!

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    jeni says

    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!

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Laura 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!

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barry pearman 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

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    jeni says

    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!

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Carol Speake says

Great tips. Thanks for sharing. I’ll keep these in mind when I write the next time.

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Johanna 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. 😉

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    jeni 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…

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kalynbrooke | Creative Savings says

This is a post I will be referencing again and again. Thank you!

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Paul Profitt says

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.

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    jeni says

    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. 🙂

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      Paul Profitt 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.

      Reply
Andrea Anderson 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!

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    jeni 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!

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Siedah Mitchum 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!

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Joyce Feustel says

Thanks for these very practical and helpful ideas, Jeni. I really appreciate them.

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caroline 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. 🙂

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Alisha says

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!

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Elyssa says

Awesome post!! I saved it on my Kindle for future referencing =) Thanks so much for the great advice!

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Jeannette says

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!

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Emily @ 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.

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Tia stockton 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?

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    jeni 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?

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Erin@Managing the Manor says

What an excellent post! Love all these tips, and I’ll definitely be keeping all of these in mind from now on!

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Zee 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!

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    jeni says

    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

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Simon Food Favourites 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 🙂

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Mike 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

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    jeni 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!

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Brenda 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?

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    jeni 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

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Richard Merry says

I never realised the importance of good time management when I worked in the corporate world. But now I work for myself, I have realised it’s one of the major hurdles that can be the difference between success or failure.

I use this tool now http://www.theactiongeneratorpro.com but always looking for new ways to increase productivity. Great information in your post. Thanks

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Rochelle says

What a great post! This is exactly what I’m looking for as I’ve been sucked in the black hole of my blog. I love it in the black hole, but I’d sure like to do some other things too!

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Elizabeth @ Real Inspired says

Wow, I’m so glad I found this post! I just wrote a blog post about my time management struggles today! These are so great, I am saving and referring back to them. And I think I’ll be following you from now on! Thanks so much!

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Erin says

Such a great list of tips! Thank you for getting honest, and reminding us there is no “blog police” that is going to come arrest us if we don’t have a certain number of xyz. You have reminded me that developing a style of writing is important.
Many thanks!!

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Arun Kallarackal says

Great tips Jeni! As you mentioned in this post, new bloggers waste lot of time checking their stats. I used to do it before. But now I have got rid of that habit 🙂

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Annabel says

Thanks for the tips! I’m just starting out as a blogger, but am trying to be organised and regular with my posts from the get go. If anything, I tend to be over-organised… I spend too much time planning and run out of time for the doing! I especially like your tip to make writing time for writing only – no emails, no brainstorming, no social media – just focus on the post at hand. I’ll be sure to keep these in mind!

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    jeni says

    I know what you mean, Annabel – I’m an organizer myself and it can hold me back from actually *doing* anything. 🙂 Please stay in touch – I’d love to hear how things are shaping up with your new blog.

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Mchelle says

Thanks for the tips….I should get back to work now!

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Elena says

This is a fabulous post! What great tips! I am always looking for ways to manage my time better especially considering I am a SAHM to a 3 year old :o) I shared this just about everywhere and pinned to my blogging tips board!

Hope you’re having a great Thursday!
Elena at croppedstories@gmail.com

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Stacy @Stacy Makes Cents says

I’ve been devouring your blog. 🙂 Thanks for your great articles. Recently (in the past three months) I’ve been making a lot of changes behind the scenes at my blog. A lot of the changes are thanks to you, but some of them were just things I needed to cut out. My main problem right now is my constant checking of email. So, I’m going to read that article you recommended.
I second the social media thing – for too long I concentrated on that and it’s really NOT worth it to spend so much time on all those options. Just choose one and BE GOOD AT IT. My focus has changed from Facebook and Twitter and I’m now investing time in Pinterest. Which I actually enjoy….because I think Facebook is a black hole that sucks people in and they cannot return. 😉
Anyway, thanks. I appreciate your focus – and it’s helping me be a better blogger and mom.

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Jillian @ Baby Doodah! says

I love your blog. I have started visiting it at least once a week, and each time I visit there is a new post that I become obsessed with. This one, is this week’s. When I sit down to my computer, I get serious ADD and every other thing going on, on the internet takes my attention away from blogging, or whatever other goal I’ve set. I need to find a way to SHUT THAT DOWN, and focus on working on just blogging.

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Addi says

The entire time I was reading this article I could completely relate to each point you made. I have 3 kids under the age of 3 so although I would like to say that my blog is a top priority it does not always make the top of my list. The best thing that I have done the past few months were set a few goals and work as best as I could to achieve those goals. Staying organized and focused is extremely important because I can easily get carried away while sitting on my computer. I just pinned this article so that I can come back and reference it when I start to feel overwhelmed. Thanks!

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Toia B. says

This was awesome and very helpful! #3 really hit home. That email (and Instagram!) gets me every time I sit down to blog… or that thing I want to check “quickly” while my browser is open. I find it hard to focus especially as I’m trying to “craft the opening paragraph” (per #4) It gets crazy. But I absolutely love your suggestions! I’ll be sharing this with my fellow bloggers. Thank you!

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Dani @ okdani.com says

Wow. I really needed to read just these words at just this moment.
THANK YOU for this post. It has really helped me already and I haven’t even begun to implement the tips.

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Marisa says

Hey, I struggle to stay on topic like so many of the blogs I frequent. Some are completely christian, some are completely books and I tend to cross over all the time. I thought that by starting a second blog for the more personal stuff would be best but now I find that I am not able to update BOTH as regularly as I should… I also struggle with monetization. I get a LOT of people requesting articles and that covers the costs of the blogs themselves but I never get anything, at all, from Amazon or other places. I also don’t get comments despite me asking questions in my posts. It is frustrating to have 300-400 unique views a day and NO comments or sales. Any tips from anyone? Thank you!

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    Jeni Elliott says

    Hi Marisa, It looks like you have a really complex set of issues around your blog. My best advice is to take a look at what other people (who are really successful with their comments and monetization) are doing. I think a good blog for you to look at would be Small Things. Ginny invests herself in building relationships with readers and developing their trust. She is just using her blog to chronicle her life, but readers see her challenges and identify with her. Because they come to trust her, they also want to check out the things she’s using or reading…and as a result they buy the things she recommends on Amazon. Making money on a blog should be secondary to building relationships – and when you build relationships, the comments naturally follow. I think I’d start by just finding blogs who do it well and studying to see what they’re doing that makes them successful. Hope this is helpful!

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      Marisa says

      Thanks I will definitely take a look and focus on smaller groups with higher quality.

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EileenA EileenA says

I blog because I want to work, I want earn money from home (which until today has not happen, but I focused to do so ) and stay home with my kids. I have lots to learn from you and other bloggers like you that like to help those who are just starting; And to achieve my blog goals.
Thanks for the advice Jeni.

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Alvin says

Hi Jeni, Thanks about your info.
Nice post and the better blog advice articles that I have read!

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Holly S. says

#8? So guilty. My blog is about 2 weeks old, so it’s fun watching the followers grow, but such a time suck!

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Gen Herres says

Hey Jeni,

Great post, I love your comments especially about the multiple drafts. It’s so easy to get sucked into editing your words as you write them, but that’s not really very productive (except typos since they will drive me crazy if not fixed).

Two problems though, I tried clicking on the simply blogging links and they took me a site missing page. The second is that clicks aren’t showing up on your check boxes below “post comment”. I’m running OS X Mavericks and Safari.

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    jeni says

    Thanks for the note, Gen! It looks like Rachel isn’t selling that book anymore, though I tweeted her just to be sure. Safari is just behaving badly with the checkboxes; if you click them, the click “takes,” even though it isn’t displaying. I did make a few CSS changes – would you let me know if that fixed it? Thanks!

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April @ My Real Food Family says

Thanks so much for these incredible tips! I’ve really found that social media promotion is a huge time suck. Now I set a timer and focus on content instead.

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Garry says

Jeni thanks for the wesome article
Impressed by your writing style also you have detailed every point very clearly.

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Shaina says

Loved it, The Pinterest inspiration note was quite epic for me. I’m a bit of the relaxed moment to moment writer myself and the point on actually finishing the first copy hit home with me too, if I occasionally plan a organized posting it tends to become of some other importance rather than the initial love and passion that blends behind your intent and miracle work of blogging or other material writing.

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Amanda @ Diary of a Semi-Health Nut says

Man so many good tips, as usual! I actually just did a post about blogging stats because I had to learn over time not to check them. I won’t say I’m perfect, but I do know I’m less stressed when I stop checking the numbers so often!

Could you tell me what commenting forum you use? I like how you have options for revealing more posts to share at the bottom that include liking your social media accounts or commenting more!

Another question: how do you get that little pinterest box at the end?? Maybe I should have you redesign my blog haha!

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Richa says

Hi Jeni,

Yes, thanks for the great article and useful time management tips.

I’ll make sure to mention it on my blog where I talk about my experiences with various time management methods and techniques.

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Suzanne Holt says

Now to pick which one of the 12 great suggestions to focus on first. Thank you also for sharing other links – what a great example of being generous! That is definitely what I want to do as I lead my team- be generous with my time and advice. Now to remember the “saying no” part too!

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Gail Akeman says

I need to organize my time more for blogging. I was spending way too much time on the computer away from the family. So now I cutting back but I don’t want it to hurt the blog either.

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Ashley Andrews says

YES! The first bit is always the most difficult. I often struggle with introductions, so I developed a system where I leave that part for last. I write the rest of the content, add the images, etc. – and when I’m done with everything, I sit down and craft a proper introduction.

Anyway, thank you for all the tips – I really enjoyed your post!

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    Jeni Elliott says

    So glad it was helpful, Ashley. Looks like you’re slowly working your way through the content here. The most important part it up to you – just do it! 🙂

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Naoufal says

Thank you for the amazing article. I shared it inside my recent blog article on creating a social media marketing plan.

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    Jeni Elliott says

    Thanks, Naoufal – I appreciate you 🙂

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Het Sushimeisje says

I am a new blogger and I am really having a difficult time deciding when to read/comment on other blogs. I only comment if I really like a post or have a meaningful contribution to make. But it takes up so much of my time.
I use commenting as a way of getting readers and sometimes blogs will send me a few readers only to send me one reader a day the next time. So I do not know how to limit myself to 10 blogs.
Is there a different strategy I can use? Like only reading/commenting in the evenings? Or would this drive less traffic to my blog since then my comment would rank low between the other comments and not get seen?

Hope someone has a good solution for me 🙂

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    Jeni Elliott says

    Thanks for your question! I think it’s really a matter of personal preference, how you want to structure your blog commenting. I will say that commenting on other blogs is a technique for beginning bloggers – if you already have 50-100 subscribers on your site, I’d spend the time building relationships with your own followers instead, either via email or social media. At a certain point, the goal is for your existing readers to be spreading the word about you, so you don’t have to go out there and do all the leg work yourself. 🙂 But until then, the best thing to do is try a method of budgeting your time for blog comments, and if it doesn’t work, try something different!

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Niki says

Great article Jeni. Your insights are really valuable. I agree with you, I think it’s not a big deal to manage your schedule and write for 30 minutes every day. Scheduling a post for future is also great. If you are using a content management system like WordPress it allow you to save drafts and also schedule for a time and date to automatically publish your blog post.

Thank you Jeni for sharing this great piece of information.

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Amber Slocum says

Honestly, I really needed to read this. There were some key points in here that were super helpful (saying no, stats, social media…really the whole darn thing LOL)

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Time Management System says

Really, excellent post.

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Time Management System says

Excellent post. Time management is the act or process of planning. Thank you for sharing great information

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suzanne says

This is so great! Thanks for the awesome tips!

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Jennifer says

You got me with #8! I am going to challenge myself to commit to that.

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Victoria @dazzlewhilefrazzled.com says

Great article. And much appreciated as a newbie with a full-time mom to three job that I can’t do it all and I shouldn’t feel guilty that I can’t do it all.

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Cherryl says

Thank you for your advice! I am doing some of those things, but it helps to be reminded over and over. I’ve only been blogging for about three months, and haven’t gotten too many people to my sight, but all the good advice is helping!

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Shelly-Ann Smalling says

Hi Jeni,
I’ve been blogging for 4 months and as the months progress, the workload gets heavier. I’ve made so many “To Do” lists I need one to straighten them all out.

This is an actionable post to refer to just to get centered and to remind us – well, me – we’re not super humans.

You wrote this with me in mind: thank you. Keep up the fabulous work. Cheers!

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Joan J. Carrigan says

Most of the newbies done this mistake and they waste their valuable time in blogging.
Thanks a lot for sharing…. Going to share it!

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Smitha says

This is a useful post for me. Lots of to-dos and not-to-dos to make myself effective. Noted to implement right away. I have marked a few changes in my calendar too. Thanks Jeni

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Nestor Paul says

Hi! I enjoyed reading your blog, you got a fantastic writing skills. by the way while reading your post. I’ve only been blogging for about four months, and haven’t gotten too many people to my blog, but all the good advice is helping!

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IGU Meerpur Rewari says

Oh, I need this. We sound a lot a like. Off to finish the article now!

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Cazza Goffey says

Thanks for the top tips, you have great advice. I try and consistently post twice a week on a happy healthy life full of love fun and adventure, using my own experiences to inspire my readers. I haven’t engaged much with any other blogs, I don’t really read them, I will now. Thank you again, Cazza xxx

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Wayne Stiles says

Jeni, you add so much value to us. Thank you.

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yogesh vishvakarma says

Hello jeni,
i just stuck with the post. i am a new blogger and i really cannot manage my time. but after reading this i will try my best to manage my time 🙂
Thanks

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Koel says

Wonderful n helpful guide….Thanks

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Scott Biddick says

You should hire a good security firm that can handle this kind of situation. A really well thought off plan for security is really important for a business.

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Mahriya says

Thank you so so so so so so so so so much. These are SOME amazing tips. Thank you!!

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Heather says

I feel like I’m spinning my wheels trying to do it all everyday. I found this really helpful. It gives me a fresh perspective to making the most of my time.

Thank you!

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William says

You hit me on just about every one of your points. Things you really know are true, you just need someone else to point them out. Thank you.

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Shelia says

Jeni, thank you for such a great post. As a new blogger, I can totally relate. It really helped me to see the importance of planning. Thanks again.

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Hailee Shay says

I was one of those “stat checkers” when I first started, and especially when you are first starting it can be so discouraging. I loved that you included this, because I never really noticed how big of an effect that was having on my motivation and my mood. Super helpful article.
If you are managing more than one blog I found some great tips for that too: https://lineardesign.com/how-to-manage-multiple-blogs-at-once/
These help me immensely, because I manage more than 7 blogs during a month, and I couldn’t do it without help.

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Natasha Daniels says

Great topic and spot on tips! This is the number one struggle I have with my blog. I can sometimes get so overwhelmed with so many blog “projects” I am spread too thin.

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Nusrat Yasmin says

Hi. I liked your #3 and #9 number point. I am also a writer and do blogging also. So I hope it will help me to drive forward with better output 🙂 I liked your outlook of the website too.

Recently I wrote the same kind of topic title “Time management hacks- 15 tips to bring a big difference in life!”
You might like it. If you’re interested you can check here.
http://kantaji.com/time-management-hacks-15-tips-to-bring-a-big-difference-in-life/

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Ayushi says

Hello Jeni,
Thanks for this amazing post. I’m a newbie blogger and all these tips will definitely help me.
Thank you again for sharing this great piece of information.

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Nestor Paul says

I neec this tips cause i been always writing for my blog and its very tiring. I need time management

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Andre L. Vaughn says

Great content and I agree with all of your points but especially number 2 in planning your posts. Awesome article!

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manish ransubhe says

hi

I hope you are doing well!
this is really an interesting article for all of us This is the great and well-explained article with correctly point compare with other sites. Thanks for this article and keep updating us

and have a good week ahead

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Sharad says

Thanks for guide line for managing blogging time.

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Leila Dorari says

Hi Jeni, thanks for the useful tips! I love the section about saying “no” to opportunities. People are often afraid to reject opportunities simply because they think they’ll miss out on something huge. But a better way of looking at this is – by saying “no” to something we didn’t quite like we are actually making room for something much better to come our way.
Keep up the good work!

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Vinay Sharmaa says

Hey Jeni, thanks for such great time management tips. I started my own blog a year ago and I was managing my life pretty well but recently I got promoted and now it’s getting quite difficult to maintain my blog all by myself I’ll take your advice on outsourcing and guest blogging.

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Daniel Law says

Hey Jeni,

Great post with easy actionable tips. Points 1 and 3 are more than likely the most important tips for any blogger starting off, point 3 especially. From experience, and I think I speak on behalf of most bloggers we get distracted with so many things happening around us that we forget to just put pen to paper (or should I say fingers to keyboard) and just write.

Setting up a focused environment and blocking to urge to jump onto any social media would go a long way in making point 3 happen. After doing this for a period of time, I think point 1 of setting goals will become much more clear and realistic.

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empowee says

Hey Jeni,

Thanks for this post, there’s never enough time and I always feel guilty when I don’t post as often as I would like lol.

Best tip – request for guest bloggers & outsource

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Adroit Learning says

Hi Jeni,
Excellent Article Dear. I am really impressed with your post. The process of planning to gain control over time that is spent on different activities executing the steps that ultimately increases efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity is called Time Management.
Awesome.
Thank you for sharing this.!!! Keep updating with new tips.!! 🙂

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Bill Jack says

Love these tips from the experts. For me it is-
Sleep well
Delegate
Use a task & time management tool (my recommendation- proofhub)
Doing the most crucial task first

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Karen says

Great tips Jeni. As a Mom of 4 boys time is certainly limited. Definitely a struggle to just do one thing as a time – I am beginning to see that multitasking has limitations (even for women – wink!) Avoiding the delete key is HUGE – just get those ideas down and let revisions be your friend. Although I should also step away after revising for the 20th time. Gotta go return a phone call, pop in supper, fold a load of laundry and create….!

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shailesh Chaudhary says

Hi,
Time Management is the best things for blogger. It Help to set a goal and try to get achieve the blogging goal.
Thank so much

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Precious Leyva says

I really appreciate your tips to manage time; they can be used not just for writers, but for everyone. I’m glad that you mentioned planning posts and times to write. It is probably a good idea to schedule things ahead of time in your phone or even on a notepad to make things more organized. There are so many tools these days that can help people stay on top of their events.

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yogesh says

Hi Jeni,
Great tips for bloggers. Especially bloggers like me. I am a part time blogger and find time hardly to manage my blog.
These tips will really help me a lot.
Thanks

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Frankie Hoard says

Thank for this great article. I feel that this article resonate totally with me. I waste so much time doing unproductive stuff and procrastinate when it comes to blogging.

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Sukhendu's Blog says

What I liked most Tips # 5 where you said: “For beginning bloggers, I recommend writing for 30 minutes per day.” I think it will help to grow a habit of writing.
Thank you so much for all the 12 awesome tips for blogger.

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Yasar Ali says

Consistency and planning is the road to success.
Yup, Great tips.

Cheer,

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James says

For any business setting a goal is the important factor. Without goals you don’t have any idea where to are going to as well as you need to create a proper strategy after knowing your goal. I agree when its time to write just write but you need to be yourself while writing any post. I have seen many bloggers copying or rewriting others concept.

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Sarah Carter says

Thanks – I was hitting overwhelm and literally looked at everything apart from writing the past couple of days because it feels likes there’s too much to do. Back to focus now!

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Henry Luis says

Great tips. I should get a small notebook in my purse…I just text message myself when I get an idea! haha!

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Esther Diaz says

Great points. Thank you so much for sharing this. Just what I needed to know. Cheers!

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Md Omar Faruk says

Thanks for the great article and useful time management tips for bloggers. There are some points that are really helpful for me. Thank you again for sharing this great piece of information.

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Kyra Rodriguez says

Hi! I’m a newbie blogger, and this blog will help me a lot. Thanks a lot for sharing these tips!

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RAJ AWASTHI says

This is a post I will be referencing again and again. Thank you!

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Lalit Mittal says

Hey, this is so great. you add so much value to us and i am a new blogger and i have to manage time.

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