I’ve been thinking about how I was spending my time. I imagine you’re in the same boat too about not knowing what is worth your time and what isn’t with this whole blogging career.
I have decided it was time to look at my blogging time management. (You know the adage, “It’s easy to give advice, it’s not always easy to follow your advice?” I’m the pot calling the kettle black. I KNOW what works because I’ve worked with enough bloggers now to know what they do.)
I’ve learned a lot by becoming a VA. Plus having my oldest son as an intern helps me see it from an employee’s point of view. I’ve learned that there are a lot of nonsense things that do add up, but they are major time sucks! Then there are things we can do to fix it.
Today’s tips are all ones I’m sure you’ve heard of other places, but I will add my spin on it too.
My Time Management Blogging Style for You
1.) Remember why you started blogging.
If you’re anything like me and have been blogging for a while, you tend to really forget why you started blogging. In the most recent Learn to Blog Hangout video that I try to watch each week, I was reminded that even after all, this time, I still don’t have a solid picture of what I want to write about the most.
I know I started this blog to chat about how a person is really able to overcome abuse and become whole again. I wanted to share my faith and love for God with you. I also wanted to ensure that I was promoting keeping marriages together. Yet, I don’t see that very much throughout my last 30 blog posts as they suggested I should be able to see. As you can see I have been working diligently to go back to those blogging roots that I had in mind for my blog but yet follow God’s lead in making that happen.
If you’re blogging for money, then you’re in the wrong profession! You may strike gold for a while, but it quickly goes away. Blog for the love of it first!
2.) Get Your Family On Board
You didn’t think I was going to throw that one in the mix did you? Many people don’t take into account how much having a hobby affects everyone in the family. It takes you away from them and serving their needs and desires. It also costs money (I don’t know of a single hobby that is well loved that doesn’t cost money.)
When I started my blog, I didn’t even tell Del I was going to do it. I just did it because I thought it was just going to be a way for me to deal with my emotional demons and let others join in with me in working my way through it all. After all, that was what my blog was on SparkPeople many years ago, and I had a HUGE support group on there.
Then this blog turned into something way MORE. I started working with fantastic companies and making a bunch of blogging friends. Then it became my addiction and then it became my addiction and my job. Low and behold, I’m spending 40 plus hours a week on my blog.
At first, Del wasn’t seeing the benefits from my time spent on it. Then UPS and FedEx started coming almost three or more times a week with a whole bunch of products for us to review. On top of that, we were sitting comfortably paying our bills with its income.
He jumped on board and started making sure all the kids had their set of chores that they took on. I have my jobs too, but they honestly are so slim now it’s actually enjoyable. I get to focus on teaching my kids, serving my husband’s needs and wants, and on my down time spend time with the kids. If I had known what a difference it would have made to have them on board with my whole blogging journey, I would not have wasted so much time with it.
3.) Budget Blogging Investment Money
If you have a hobby you love, you’re going to spend money on it. Whether it’s in gas to go do it, gas and supplies to do it, food to keep the animal, gas to run the four wheelers, …well you get my point.
At this point in the game, I invest $80.00 a month in my blog. Prior to making money on my blog, I only spent money in getting my theme, my hosting for a year, and my domain name (total $100.00) and that covered me for my first year of blogging. I got that money back and then some rather quickly after I made the switch to WordPress!
Here is what I spend my $110.00 a month on:
1) I use MomWebs for hosting and left them once before and regretted it and am gladly a loyal customer of theirs again.
2) PicMonkey– $4.99. The best money spent each month!
3.) If you’re like me then investing in quality images is a must! I’m still figuring out how to use the quality images I get from Adobe Library to the fullest, but at least, my images are starting to improve.
Then I keep the extra a month to spend on virtual assistants for me, training tools, conferences, or any other things that strike me as something worth doing for my blog.
That kind of brings me to my next suggestion.
5.) Hire a Virtual Assistant
If you budget it correctly and hire the right virtual assistant, you can get them to do a lot for you for a little bit of money. This investment gives you time to focus on writing, even more, quality content, marketing more, spending time socializing with others, or just gives you extra quality time with your family (which to me is priceless!)
There is a WIDE range of virtual assistants that do a lot of things. They can do linking up your blogs for you on giveaway links, blog hops, scheduling social media, ghostwriting, searching for images, and so much more. Jimmy is doing a lot of these things for me now, and I can tell a big difference from when he helps me and when he doesn’t!!
6.) Schedule What You Can
When you’re on a writing kick, don’t stop at one blog post. Keep going. I don’t know about you, but when I get the itch to write as long as I keep going I can pop out a lot of blogs at one time. I used to literally post them all on that day. I’ve since learned the error of my ways. Now, I may post two blog posts a day, but that will be my limit! I don’t want to overload my readers one day and then be quiet as a mouse for a period again. It didn’t do me or them any favors!
Schedule:
1.) Well written content ahead of time.
2.) Blog promotion (both yours and your tribe mates) using tools like Hootsuite and Buffer. Also NextScript Pro or Co-Schedule Pro for when your posts go live they automatically go on your social media outlets.
3.) Your time. Set timers when you’re visiting different social media channels to be there for conversations and not get sucked into other things.
4.) Pick a day that you normally classify as your writing day.
Don’t miss these suggestions on how to work with your kids home.
What would you add to these list of suggestions?
I would suggest to make time away from your computer and do something just for yourself. Read, walk, knit, etc.
I think this is one bit of advice that I really should have added! Thank you for adding it. That is definitely very vital.
It’s been a long time since I blogged for the reason I started the blog, which kind of makes me sad.
Trust me I agree. It does become very sad when you don’t get to share the things that you know you want to share. Del literally has made me take off the weekend from blogging unless I’m writing for my pleasure and choose to share it or not, but it has to be scheduled. 😉
I think I would benefit from a VA but I’m too controling to work with one LOL
I’m also a bit of a control freak too. Well, honestly a HUGE control freak. (Just ask my family.) I do know though that it helped a lot to release my giveaway link ups. I’d love to get a VA to handle my social media promotions.
I may be hiring a VA next month. It should really help since school started.
I know I got to win a VA from the last Bi-Annual Blog-A-Thon and it really helped get my pageviews up. It was so utterly worth it!
Those are all great suggestions. I agree one has to invest money to make money. Sometimes it’s hard to let it go, but it’s almost always worth it in the end and pays back pretty quickly too!
It took me a long time to grasp that concept completely too. However, once I did I noticed a huge change.
Great tips! How did you find your virtual assistant? I need one of those. I like how you use them to link up for you. That’s a time consuming part!
I have to agree that it is very time consuming. I have my son help me do them from time to time.
As far as finding a virtual assistant, I personally offered my services over the summer. There are VA groups on Facebook that you can find a good Virtual Assistant from. There are other ways too. I’ll address this question in more detail in another blog post. It seems to be a popular question too.
Your list is really comprehensive! I hadn’t considered using my family to help me get my work done. My daughter might be able to help me a couple of tasks & I know she’d love to be included.
My seven year old is begging to be taught how to do some things for me. He wants to be actively involved in the blogging just like all of us are.
Hi Crystal,
I like how you describe blogging as a career. Some days it actually feels like it. Your tips do reinforce things we hear often from other places but it helps to get it again from your perspective.
I’ve deviated from the primary objective of my blogging which was to share my cooking & baking journeys. Now I’ve moved more towards dining reviews/experiences which can be fun but not as fulfilling as whipping up something new in the kitchen.
As far as a VA goes, it has never been something I’ve considered before but, it’s certainly worth thinking about now. It would be awesome to be able to grow with the right kind of help.
If I had to offer a tip, it would be the same as LyndaS… step away from your blog and make time for yourself. Thanks for this post!
Teresa,
Thank you so much for stopping by and giving your opinion on my post. I have to agree that taking time away from the computer is a must.
I love the idea od hiring a VA!
It makes a positive difference that’s for sure.
Great tips. What has helped me a lot is to set work hours. If things are quiet and I want to work in the evenings or on the weekends I ask my husband’s permission. He usually says, “yes” but occasionally, when he knows I need a break, he will say “no”. I also don’t open my laptop on Sunday. It is the Lord’s Day and though I do check social media on my ipad-and I help with social media for the church, I do not “work” on Sunday. Since I have been taking Sunday’s off I feel much more refreshed and productive come Monday morning.
Great addition to these tips. My husband is encouraging me to have set hours that I work on my blog too. We have agreed to one late night a week so that I can watch my recordings that I learn from after midnight so that it doesn’t eat up our Internet usage. I have been writing on the weekends and scheduling ahead of time. It’s made a world of difference for me too.
I am getting back to my roots on Creative K Kids. I moved my Bloggers Brags Party to The Ultimate LInky so I can try to do more crafty stuff on Creative K Kids. We’ll see! I also don’t do well with tools except maybe scheduling posts on Facebook. I wish G+ had a scheduling tool like facebook, but then I would have to start using my pages and not my profile.
I personally don’t like to schedule much social media stuff. I like to get interactions going if I can. 🙂 I’m still learning how to do that.
Great tips! I think it’s easy to see a lot of time pass by quickly. Setting timers and scheduling days to write would hold me more accountable. Thanks for linking up to Motivational Monday!
I’m glad that you stopped by. I haven’t been a fan of timers until my blogging coach insisted I start doing them. Now, I’m hooked.
Thanks for all the great tips! As a new blogger, I appreciate all the information I can get! I started my blog as a way to share what I’m learning as a new mom and to learn from others, though I have been curious about one day viewing this as a business. Who knows… as for now, I just have a little baby blog with a handful of followers. Always learning though and you have to start somewhere!
Thanks for sharing on Mommy Moments!
Just feel free to ask the questions you have. It helps me come up with new topics. 🙂
Lots of great tips! I definitely need to manage my time a little bit better! I think I just try doing too much at once and then before I know it, the day is almost over and I didn’t spend enough time with anyone…..and eventually I go through blogger burnout. lol I never thought of hiring someone to do all of the linkups/giveaways. That’s an amazing thought!
Glad you found this beneficial. I am not perfect at time management either, but I do think these things have made a positive difference for sure.
I totally agree, and I had to cut back on one of my parties and take myself off some other blogger responsibilities to get my sanity back. Im still trying to figure my schedule, it seems if you dont post almost daily and get some sort of response, everyone forgets you and your always starting at square one. And trust me, you do need some time away from blogging, it gives a fresh perspective.
Have a great weekend, Happy Fall!!
It’s not easy finding that balance at all!
This was a helpful post for me. I took a week off of writing and blogging to just rest and be. As a HS momma it is hard to find the balance in our week let alone throwing the management of a blog into it. I appreciate the time and wisdom you shared.
Blessings,
Dawn
It’s still a challenge for me to maintain a balance. I work on it though daily.
Thanks for sharing these great suggestions at the Saturday Soiree Blog Party! I’ve only been blogging since May, but I needed these ideas for balance. It is way more time consuming than I ever thought but I love it! Where do you recommend finding a virtual assistant? So glad to have you join our community!
I’m glad that you stopped by. I actually answered your question in the next #TidbitsThursday post because it became a popular question. I hope you’ll check that post out too.
Feel free to ask any blogging question you may have. I would love to address them on my #TidbitsThursday posts. If I don’t know the answer, I will gladly go searching for it. I love learning new blogging tips and tricks even if there aren’t enough hours in a day to actually do them.
I really go back and forth on hiring a VA. I know that it will so helpful but I am terrified that it may go wrong and create even more work for me in the end.
I totally understand that fear a lot. When I have the boys helping me, I am scared to death they are going to mess something up or make me look bad. However, for the most part they are doing a remarkable job helping.
Good Tips! I enjoyed reading this & like how you think of any hobby costing something. Thx for linking it up at the thoughtful spot!
Every hobby does cost something. In some cases more than others the hobby can be quite expensive. Blogging can lead to a full time career, and it’s so much FUN!
Awesome article, thanks for sharing at the #WWDParty!
You’re welcome.
Following from Inspire Me Monday at Create with Joy.
I do a lot of book reviews (since the beginning of the year) and one thing that has helped me is that as soon as I get notice of what date to post my review on the tour, I put a draft post in scheduled for the correct date. That helps me keep things straight, although I think wall calendar (monthly) would help too.
One thing I do need to do is find a way to schedule the reviews better. I’d be happy doing one each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Somehow I’ve got FOUR scheduled for tomorrow. Luckily all the books are read and two of them have draft posts already. But still…sheesh!
This sounds like a great way to do book reviews.
Thanks so much for the post. It was interesting. I’m on Blog spot, but am seeing a lot of people change to WordPress. I think I will have to look into this.
Great post! Scheduling is so important to keep on top of everything. It can be a daunting task.
~Jen
You’re right. It can become overwhelming when you think about all the things involved with this.
Fantastic tips! I can always use ideas for managing my time better when it comes to blogging and business.
It’s not easy to juggle it all. However, once your family gets on board it truly makes a huge difference.
Thank you for stopping by and commenting. I hope to see you again soon.
Very nice tips. I didn’t think I would involve my family, but it did happen. For me it’s because I really love doing quick easy crafts that my daughter also wanted make a few. Which, of course, makes getting the content a lot easier.
I bet. It amazes me how the blog can cause stressful days on some days and then other days it’s the reason why we’re able to have the moments we have together. Blogging has totally changed our lives.
i first have to learn time management for the rest of my life before i can even begin to work on the blog! 😀
I can understand feeling that way. It’s hard to think about maintaining blogging time when your life is in a mess.
Those are great tips!! So many times I hear bloggers complaining about their time. If they took your advice and remembered the true reason they are doing it, it would really help! #HomeMattersParty
Great tips. I have to laugh about the involve the family one though. When I told my husband about the Board Meeting on Friday night he looked confused and asked “Are you getting paid for this?” He couldn’t comprehend going to a meeting without being paid. ha ha!
It’s been great co-hosting the #HomeMattersParty with you.
Good tips! It’s so hard to my focus and direction with the blog. I pinned and shared your comments. Visiting as a fellow co-host from the #HomeMattersParty
I’m glad you agreed that these tips were worth mentioning. Thanks for sharing it too.
Thank you for stopping by and commenting. I hope to see you again soon.
I found the tip on hiring a VA useful. It’s not something I’ve considered but I see the need for it. Also, the tip on involving family is super. How come I never thought of that?
I need to hire my kids as VA’s. I put it on their chore charts as ways to make extra $ from me this summer, now I just have to figure out what they can do. I still struggle with time management as I still feel guilty trying to take this hobby into more of a business. I don’t want it to take away from family time, i feel like I missed so much time with my kids working full time for the first 12 years of their lives. But I’m always trying to find ways to gain efficiency so thank you for these tips. I think I’ve dropped the ball in social media promotion and it’s hurt my pageviews.