Blogging Time Management in 2019
As a blogger, you may find it hard to focus on a task at some point or another. You’ve sat down and tried to work on that blog post or graphic, but you end up procrastinating. Before you know it, you’re sitting there in the middle of the night with a blank screen staring at you in the face.
It’s a common problem that bloggers face, so you’re not alone. If you want to squeeze more productivity out of your day, then start with the tools and methods below. With my help, you could become a blogging PRO in no time.
Create Great Headlines
If you’re short on time, you can use tools like Portent’s Idea Generator to help with creating headlines that make readers click. Eighty percent of readers will read your headlines, but only twenty percent click-through.
Use an Outline for Creating Blog Posts
An outline gives you direction on how to present information to your readers. Below, you will find a great basic outline that you can follow:
Headline – Makes readers click to see your content
Introduction – Tells readers what they’ll learn
Key Points – Provides interesting and useful information to readers
Conclusion – Summarizes your entire blog post
Call to Action – Asks for reader engagement with comments or clicks
Spelling and Grammar Checking
If you’re busy with learning blogging or content marketing, installing Grammarly app is a time saver. This edits your content and leaves you more time to focus on things like promoting your website.
Create Beautiful Infographics
Creating easy to understand and great looking infographics used to take a lot of time and effort. Now, you can use Canva or Venngage to create stunning infographics for your blog. These tools will save you a lot of time and effort, freeing you up to create more great content for your readers.
Using Polls
If you want to know what your readers are thinking, why not ask them with a poll from PollDaddy? This tool is easy to use, and the code can be placed on your website in blog posts or your blog’s sidebar.
Digital Downloads
In blogging, you may want to sell an e-book or other product on your website.
Using Twitter to Save Time
Twitter gives you an up to the minute snapshot of what anyone in the world is talking about. You can use this to your advantage by utilizing Twitter’s search feature. Search out what people are saying in your niche and get more ideas for writing content.
Use Apps for Better Time Management
You can track your time with my free stopwatch, or you can use automatic time tracking services such as Rescue Time.
Repurpose Old Content
Use Google Analytics to see if your older content is still performing. If it is, you can use the keywords from that article in Google to find relevant topics of discussion. When you find what people are talking about, you can add to your older content with newer, relevant information.
Time Management Methods and Techniques
Track Current Productivity Levels
Before you try any of the time management tips, first start tracking your current level of productivity. When you track what time you spent on tasks, you can measure it later and see how far you’ve progressed.
Create To-Do Lists
Creating a to-do list is as easy as opening up a spreadsheet, Word document or using a pen and paper to write down the things you want to accomplish. Write down your tasks and their deadlines and rearrange the tasks in order of urgency and importance.
When you take care of a task, cross it off the list and go to the next one.
Avoid Procrastination
Stop putting things off! I know it’s easier said than done, but you need to follow your list of items and start checking them off when they’re done. Procrastination is a time waster and doesn’t serve you or your readers.
Concentrate your most important task and goals and ditch the rest.
Create an Editorial Calendar
Using any calendar, you can keep track of the types of content you want to write and when. This gives you direction on a larger scale so you can avoid procrastinating.
Create a List of Sources for Future Reference
Keeping a handy list of reputable sources for quality content can keep you flush with ideas when you need blogging inspiration. This list will save you time so that you’re not scouring the internet looking for people in your niche.
Use Google Trends
Google Trends is easy to use tool that lets you know what topics people online are searching for.
Use BuzzSumo to Find Top Performing Content
BuzzSumo is a paid tool that shows you top-performing content in any niche. It also helps to find key influencers and information on your competitors.
Start With Google’s Keyword Planner
Google’s Keyword Planner helps you find popular keywords in any industry. You can read the most comprehensive and detailed Keyword Planner guide on my blog.
Use IFTTT
You can automate various tasks using IFTTT.com. This tool gives you the ability to create events, keep your team synced with reminders and catalog important emails. Try it now and start saving precious time today.
Use Rapportive to Establish Connections from Emails
Rapportive.com shows you LinkedIn information about your contacts inside of your Gmail account. It’s easier than manually searching out the person’s information.
Keep Organized Notes
Time-saving tools like Evernote, Quip or Google Keep can help you keep organized notes anywhere you are. When inspiration strikes, you can use one of these tools to record your notes quickly and easily.
Use Tomoson to Find Social Media Influencers
Tomoson.com helps you to find social media influencers who will work to promote your brand or service. Offer your product to these influencers in exchange for honest reviews that promote your brand.
Put Twitter Lists to Work for You
You can create as many lists of Twitter users that you need. These lists help you monitor brands or topics and easily organize them based on their niche.
Dive Deeper Into Twitter Analytics with Followerwonk
Followerwonk is a tool that helps you dig deeper for information on your Twitter followers. You can find and connect with influencers in your niche, and the best part is that it’s free to use.
Use a Password Manager
Password managers like LastPass save you time if you have many passwords These websites work to improve your current passwords, but also, keep them secure. You can use one password to gain access to all of your stored information.
Read What Your Competitors Have to Say
Read recent news from the top competitors in your niche. From their websites, you can get a good idea of what’s popular. This may also give you ideas on what you can add to previously published posts.
Use Feedly
Feedly is a news aggregator. Add every blog you read and access them all at one place.
Reduce Interruptions
You can rest assured that your best content will never come out of a hectic work space. Work in a brightly lit, quiet area so you can focus on what you want to do. When you get interrupted, you lose momentum on your project.
Delegate Smaller Tasks
If you want to focus on building your website’s brand, then you will want to delegate smaller tasks to your employees. If you don’t have any employees, you can always outsource writing or website design work to pros on Upwork or HireWriters.
Learn How to Say No
You are only one person, so stop telling everyone that you can handle all of the things they want you to. There are only 24 hours in the day, so use your time work for you – not against you. When you can say no politely, you learn to value your time and spend it wisely on tasks that take your blog or website to the next level.
The SMART Method
The SMART Method allows bloggers to manage their time better by breaking down our goals into ones that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Rewarding, and Timely. For bloggers, a SMART goal would be:
“Write 24 informative blog posts on content marketing before the end of the month.”
It’s specific (24 blog posts), measurable (one to two posts per day), attainable (you can do 24 blog posts in a month), rewarding (informative articles reward you with website traffic) and timely (before the end of the month).
The Touch It Once Hack
The “Touch It Once Hack” gives you a handy flowchart for trying to figure out if a job is for you. It allows you to delegate tasks that take longer than five minutes if you’re not the best person for the job. It’s easy and simple!
The ABC Method
You can use this method by dividing your tasks into three separate columns: A, B, and C. In the “A” column list the tasks that are important and urgent. In column “B”, list the tasks that are important, but not urgent. In column “C”, put the tasks that aren’t important or urgent.
Handle all of your tasks in column “A” and move to column “B”. After those are taken care of, you can handle the tasks in column “C” – if there’s time.
The Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique gives you 25-minute increments using a tomato timer (Pomodoro) and taking breaks. When you complete four pomodoros, you can take an even longer break. This works to help you focus on blogging and to limit distractions.
18 Minutes
This technique is all about taking 18 minutes out of your day to work on your time management skills. In the first five minutes, create a list of things you want to do. During the next eight hours of your day, take a minute at the end of each hour and reflect on your productivity. Later, when you’re at home relaxing, take the last five minutes to judge your productivity for the day.
The ‘Don’t Break the Chain’ Method
Did you know that you could be on your way to creating better blogging habits in just 21 days? It’s true! This method is all about creating a chain of events that builds momentum. To use this method, make it a point to blog for a few hours every day. When you blog for those hours, mark it off on the calendar.
This tricks your mind into wanting to keep going and not “break the chain.” Another bonus is that you’ve created a great blogging habit for your business.