Blogging can be very tricky because you need to be able to generate the right content ideas and get everything published on-time. You have an enormous readership that is constantly looking for awesome content every few days. With the recent changes within Google, certain factors play an even more important role like fresh content and frequency. However, many bloggers fail to meet the requirements and much of this can be attributed to poor time management. If you’ve been blogging for years and need to find a way to keep your blog updated, then follow these simple time management tips.
These have been proven to work and you should go in order to get the full benefit. The key is to get used to implementing these strategies into your blogging every time you sit down and write content.
Setting Specific Goals
Having specific goals outlined every time you sit down and write content, you’ll be able to cut out all the things that don’t matter. By now, you should know what’s working well and what content doesn’t produce any results. For example, I consider the first few months of blogging a trial and error run as you’re essentially trying to figure out what resonates well with your readers. Here’s something you should consider…
If your blogging goal is to teach people how to build links and increase SEO rankings, then you should spend less time worrying about content reflecting Facebook.com, Twitter.com, etc. Having a clear cut vision will help you decide where you should focus your efforts.
To implement this strategy is NOT difficult because you need to write down your goals and stick to them going forward. Make sure they are embedded into your mind until they come naturally to you.
Planning Posts
Whenever I’m writing content, I always make use of the time in between when I pause to think. For example, when writing this content, I paused twice for around 5-10 minutes and started skimming the Internet. While skimming, I was able to find “2†more content ideas for my upcoming posts. This way, I’m getting a list of ideas ready so I don’t need to worry about research later on. The key is to manage your time so you can spend more time writing and less time on research.
Additional Research
Sometimes, the content you’re writing will require additional research, especially when you’re writing statistic based content. Statistic based content involves proving what you’ve written by gathering data online. Here’s a few examples of data driven content…
- Best time to post in Twitter
- Best time to send email messages
- What content is shared most on social platforms?
When you need to dedicate time to research, I’ve found the following works very well…
First, doing a quick search in Google will provide you with more than enough data. Next, it’s always good to have the research ready before you start writing so you don’t have to pause in between for lengthy periods. This means dedicating 30-45 minutes before starting to gather the URL’s of the websites where charts and statistics can be found. Now, when you write content, you know where to go to find what you’re looking for.
Write Straight Through
Other than the small pauses you take in between, which is obviously optional, it’s important once you’re wired in to keep focused. Don’t write for 10 minutes and then plan to take a break because you’ll lose your train of thought. This means a job that should have taken 45 minutes takes 90 minutes because of the unnecessary breaks in between. The point I’m trying to make is that when you have to write content, make sure you are wired in from the beginning to the end.
Here’s something to keep in mind when writing content…
First, the sooner you can get your content published, the quicker you can have it published and start writing other content. This means your readers get fresh new content, which increases loyalty. Next, writing straight through is a great way to learn the discipline needed to be an effective blogger. Bloggers know when they have to write content and when they have miscellaneous time for everything else.
To help streamline your content writing, you can move to a place without distractions and NO other devices. Turn off your mobile phone and close all other browser windows until you get your job done. The funny thing is when I implemented the NO distraction habit into my content writing, I was able to fit in 1 more post daily, increasing my publishing from 2 to 3.
Give it a try and see what happens!
Get Someone Else To Edit
As a regular blogger, I don’t have time to proof read my work so I’ve hired someone to get the work done for me. Imagine writing “3†posts daily and then spending time editing your work. Personally, it takes me more time to edit than it does to write content. Finding someone to edit your work is a great way for you to stick to writing content and avoiding the detailed work of editing. How do you find someone?
It’s going to take some time to find the right person for the job, however, once you do, you’ll save enormous time going forward. To find the most cost effective person, I recommend looking on the following websites…
- Fiverr.com
- Freelance.com
- Elance.com
- oDesk.com
You can find people all over the world with a solid understanding of the English language. Some people work at an hourly rate of $8/hr and can edit 2 articles within that time.
Outsourcing Does Help (Optional)
I know many people are beginning to outsource content, which is NOT a bad idea, depending on your schedule. If you’re trying to manage your time between several projects, then it might NOT be a bad idea to get someone creative to write content for you. However, you have to do a quick trial and error run before hiring them so you know they can do the job. Here are a few cool tips to help you find the right person for the job…
- Make sure they are relevant to your niche
- Ask for samples of their work to make sure they have the knowledge
- Negotiate a good rate because content writing can become expensive depending on frequency
- Start with a handful of people and narrow down to 1-2 who can get the job done with the quality you’re looking for.