The chances are that when you started your blog, it was more of a hobby than anything else. You probably launched it thinking that it would simply act as an outlet for your thoughts, feelings and emotions or maybe be like me and used it to post daily outfits. But, after blogging for a while, you realised that it has the potential to be more than a simple hobby blog and could become a viable income stream if positioned properly.
You’ve decided that you want to make your blog into a business – you might even have started taking steps to do so – but one thing you might have failed to think about is the actual process of running your blog as a business and how you can ensure that you have the mindset and approach to work in a productive manner.
It’s the same for any remote-based business: you need to have a productive mindset in place if you’re going to see success. This is especially important if you want to have the ability to work part-time while still earning a good income from your blog. Because, you will only be able to work part-time if you manage to nail productive working and getting jobs done in an efficient manner.
With this in mind, below is a guide to some of the little ways that you can be more productive when running your blog as a business. For plenty of tips, ideas and hacks, have a read of the guide below!
Set a blogging schedule (and stick to it)
One of the best things that you can do when it comes to staying on track with your blogging goals and ensuring that you’re able to work in a productive manner is to create a blogging schedule and ensure that you stick to it. Of course, doing so is easier said than done, but with the right approach and a carefully mapped out strategy, it is doable to create a blogging schedule that you can stick to.
The first step is to decide which days you would like to post content on, and then using those days as a guide to how often you should schedule some blogging time. Next, you probably want to think about using a content management tool, so that you can plan out your content in advance. This means that when you sit down to write, you won’t be sitting down without an idea, instead you will have plenty of content ideas already planned out and ready to go.
For setting a schedule, it’s a good idea to plan your blogging sessions into your week, around your other commitments. Even if you just plan out a couple of hours at a time, it’s better than not putting any time aside.
Use a timer
When you sit down to write, it can help to know which methods are good for keeping you focused. For instance, lots of writers find that using a timer to set a time limit for each piece that they write, helps them to stay on track with their work and ensure that they are working in a productive manner.
Setting a timer up when you start a piece of writing and setting it for a certain time period, with the aim being to beat the clock, can be a great way to make working productively easier. That way, you know how long you’ve got to finish a piece of content off and you don’t end up being stuck working on one piece of content all day long. Instead, you can keep yourself on track to hit your targets and ensure that you are able to meet the personal deadlines that you set for yourself.
Ensure your tech is running smoothly
If you’re going to be able to work in a productive manner, it’s vital that you ensure that your technology is working smoothly, from your laptop and headphones to your smartphone and camera.
When you have a piece of tech that fails to work as effectively as it’s supposed to, this can have a big impact on how productive you’re able to be while you’re working. So, that’s why it’s so important to stay on top of how well your tech is working, to ensure that you’re able to continue working in as much of a productive manner as possible.
For instance, making sure that your computer is able to run as efficiently as it should do is important. That’s why actually fixing issues, compared to leaving them to continue impacting your computer use (and productivity) is important.
Slow, badly working technology – especially laptops – can have a huge impact on your ability to actually run your blogging business in an efficient way. If you’re constantly having to wait for a frozen computer to unfreeze or waste time while a slow laptop loads, it does impact your ability to be productive, so it’s worth getting any issues like this fixed as soon as you possibly can do.
Attend virtual co-working events
Another great way to boost your productivity levels is to work alongside other bloggers and writers. It might sound strange but being part of a collective group of people all working on the same goal – to publish content – is extremely motivating and inspiring, which can help to make getting things done in a more productive manner feel easier.
Not sure where you can find local co-working events for bloggers? Consider joining virtual ones instead. Lots of bloggers run virtual writing retreats where you can log in via Zoom or Teams and spend a few hours working collectively alongside other writers in a productive and empowering environment.
Alternatively, you could look for local freelance co-working groups and spaces, where you can go along and work amongst other freelance workers. These kinds of spaces can be extremely motivating and inspiring and can help to make working productively feel easier and more manageable.
There you have it, a guide to all the little ways you can work to be more productive when running a blog as a business.
Amy's Fashion Blog says
I’m still blogging as a hobby. I do have a blog schedule that I stick to.
http://www.amysfashionblog.com/blog-home