Whether blogging for passion, a side hustle, or a full-time gig, consistent blogging is a big-time commitment. Consistency requires a lot of planning and effective time management. Keep reading for five free productivity hacks for bloggers.
Why is Time Management Essential for Me?
As a blogger who works two jobs and is in graduate school, excellent time management is essential for me to maintain consistency with my blog. Also, staying organized keeps me sane. In fact, it prevents blog stress from bleeding into my personal and professional life.
Please keep reading for my five free productivity hacks for bloggers. These tips will help you improve your time management.
Five Free Productivity Hacks for Bloggers
All-in-all, staying organized is the key that drives all my top productivity hacks for bloggers. For anyone who isn’t naturally organized, these tips may help you.
1. Create an Edit Calendar
Whether you prefer a physical planner, an online system, or a simple Excel Spreadsheet, creating a monthly or seasonal edit calendar is a huge time management aid. In fact, edit calendars aid in planning content ahead of time. Moreover, calendars make it easy to follow a schedule for writing content and shooting photography.
My June Edit Calendar created with Excel
Added benefits to creating and following an Excel Edit calendar include the ability to visualize your content for the month. Moreover, edit calendars help space out content that may be similar. For example, my Excel edit calendar makes it easy to swap out content and color code certain themes as I deem necessary
2. Make the Most of Your Commute
As someone who used to spend a ton of time on public transportation commuting to-and-from work, I used this time to stay up to date with my friends’ posts. By using commute time to stay up-to-date with your friends’ posts, you’ll never fall behind. Moreover, you won’t need to play catch up!
Alternatively, you can use this commute time to write and edit posts. Editing photography or graphics for future posts is another way you can make the most of your commute.
3. Automate Where Possible
I’m a huge fan of saving time wherever possible. By automating tasks, I’m able to save a ton of time. For example, I use automation tools for Twitter Promotion (Buffer), Instagram Posting (Planoly), and for Blog Posting (WordPress Scheduler). Also, I even use an online spell checking tool called Grammarly to assist me with blog editing!
4. Try the Pomodoro Method
The Pomodoro Method is a time-management technique that I discovered in 2018. At its core, this method is supposed to help individuals prioritize their most important tasks of the day and to be more productive with less time.
The Pomodoro Method calls for 25-minute increments of work solely focused on completing one task with zero distractions (no phone calls, no texting, no eating, no bathroom breaks, etc.) until a timer goes off. However, if a Pomodoro is “broken” then the timer must be restarted. After each “Pomodoro” (work session), the worker has the option for a two-minute break or to start the next work session.
The Pomodoro Method sounds simple. However, it can be quite challenging for anyone who is glued to their phone. Also, it may be a struggle for anyone who works a job that requires constant email vigilance.
There are free Pomodoro-timer sites online, as well as physical planners that can be used to help plan a day’s work. My planner helps me to prioritize my tasks each day. Also, it helps me to get a better sense of how long any given task should take me.
5. Set Your Own Pace
What do I mean by this? There are no steadfast rules of how many pieces of content a blogger should be writing each month.
If writing two times a week seems daunting, try aiming for one post a week and sticking to it. After some time, if this cadence proves doable, try increasing your post frequency.
Don’t let anyone else dictate how to run your blog! Find a pace that works for you and stick to it. Also, don’t be afraid to take breaks whenever you need it – I took a month-long blogging break this year!
Final Thoughts on Productivity Hacks for Bloggers
There are countless productivity hacks for bloggers. For example, I enjoy writing posts and shooting photographs in bulk when I have free time on the weekends. I’m more productive when I can get in a groove. Others may be more productive with writing posts and shooting photographs daily.
Ultimately, when it comes to productivity hacks for bloggers there is no secret sauce or magic method that will work for everyone. We all have to find our own groove when it comes to time management for blogging. While the above methods worked for me, they may not be conducive to everyone’s schedule!
P.S. Don’t let anyone pressure you into believing that you have to spend tons of money on planning or automation tools for your blog. While tools can be effective, they are not necessary.
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Looking for more tips on how to step up your blogging game? Check out Blogger Recognition Award: Why I Write & Tips for New Bloggers, Helpful Tools for Blog Planning & Scheduling, and 5 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Blogging.
What is your best productivity hack for blogging? Please let me know in the comments below.