Blogging Takes Time: Ten Blogging Time Management Tips

Have you started a blog? Millions of blogs have been created, but most bloggers abandon their blogs after a few entries. Of course, these are bloggers who have no blogging goal: they start a blog, but because there’s no lure (like money) to encourage them, they stop blogging.

If you’d like to get more organized so that you can blog consistently, here are ten blogging time management tips.

1. Create a file called Blog Ideas

There’s nothing more intimidating than a blank computer screen. Create a file and call it Blog Ideas. Write down any stray thoughts you have about blogging.

Do you have questions about your blogging topic? Your questions can start with: Who, What, How, When, Where and Why – just make a note of the questions. In your Blog Ideas file, these are triggers to get you thinking.

Read other blogs. Reading other blogs will stimulate your own thinking. Agree with a blogger? Why? Can you expand on a point made in another blog?

Carry a small notebook and jot down ideas which come to you at work. When you’re driving, place a digital or microcassette recorder on the passenger seat beside you to record any sudden inspirations.

2. Write five to ten blog posts at a time

Carve out time to blog on the weekends – a couple of hours on Saturday afternoon, perhaps. In that time, study your Blog Ideas file, and write a series of posts. These don’t have to be polished posts, just draft them quickly. They’ll be ready for you to post during the following week.

3. Audio blog

If you’re carrying a digital recorder, record some blog posts. This works well for business bloggers. Interview people at your company. Interview your boss, or a couple of your customers.

4. Ask for contributions from other bloggers

Bloggers help bloggers. As you leave comments on others’ blogs, and get known in the blogosphere, you can ask other bloggers to “guest blog” for you. Ask them to write just one entry, or to write five.

You’ll get lots of takers, because blogging for someone else is added exposure for bloggers, and many will take you up on the offer. Of course, you’ll need to reciprocate, and write the occasional entry for others.

5. Out-source – hire a blogger

You can hire bloggers at out-sourcing venues like Elance. This is a good solution for those weeks when your schedule is crammed with other work.

6. Get over perfectionism

When you’re blogging, you’re not writing a bestseller, nor are you expected to be perfect. If you read any blog, you’ll find typos, spelling errors, errors of syntax – part of the charm of reading blogs is their “home made” appeal. Even if you’re writing for a business audience, no one expects you to be perfect.

7. Think about your audience. What challenges do they have?

You’re writing for an audience, and that audience has challenges that you can help them to solve. Write about the problems that your audience faces. Whatever your topic, this ensures that you never run out of material.

8. Research blogging – get up to speed on blogging

A lot of blogging procrastination is just lack of information. Research blogging. Take a course. You more you know, the easier you’ll find blogging.

9. Schedule blogging

Schedule blogging into your day, just as you’d schedule anything else that you have to do.

10. Write product reviews

Whatever your blog’s subject area, people are trying to sell products. Review some of the products. Reviews get visitors. Buyers are always looking for product reviews in the search engines, so writing reviews is a way of guaranteeing an audience, and it gives you something to write about.