I frequently get asked how I find the time to post as much as I do. I post 5-9 times on my blog each week, plus one to two times over here each week. Granted, some of the posts on my personal blog are down done by contributors ( 1 or 2 a week) and I host a link party on saturdays, which takes care of another post, but that still leaves me creating 3-6 posts each week on my own, while also scheduling and editing the others.
First of all, I want to explain that I didn’t get here overnight. You shouldn’t try to go from posting once a month to one or more times a day overnight. You can try, but chances are it won’t work for very long. There were several years when I wasn’t posting consistently, even weekly. As my blog grew, and I got more serious about blogging, I started to do it more. Now, I keep up a more strict schedule because this is my business as well as my passion, not longer just a hobby.
So how to find time to blog this much? Baby steps. If you aren’t posting consistently every week, start there. Decide that will start posting something once a week and do that consistently for a month or two. If you come up with two posts in one week, schedule one for the next week and let yourself get ahead a bit! Once you are comfortable with your once a week schedule, try for twice a week, or even three times. Build up from there.
Scheduling is also a huge help for me getting so many posts up a week. For example, by friday night I usually have 3 posts already written, edited and scheduled for the next week. That gives me the rest of the weekend to either finish writing posts for the second half of the week or work on my books. Every Saturday night, after I put the kids to bed, I go to a coffee shop and work on my blog or books for several hours. This is a nice block of time for me to be out of the house, and it allows me to crank out 4 or 5 blog posts in one sitting, or work extensively on editing drafts of my next book. I usually choose just one to work on at the coffee shop and then I’ll work on the other project the next week during my kids’ nap time.
There are LOTS of days when I’d rather just relax during nap time, or I don’t feel like writing. At those time I try to focus on editing photos for the posts I already have drafted. I might put on a favorite TV show while I edit, so I feel like I’m relaxing, but I’m also getting work done.
My last tip for today, is to be confident! Don’t hold yourself back, just because you feel like there might be another blogger who knows more than you about a particular topic. Your voice is important! Share your experiences in your way, and don’t worry about what other people might think. When you stop second-guessing yourself as a blogger and a writer, the words come much easier.
What is your best time management tip? How many times a week do you post right now?
I loved your last two lines! Nice inspiration! 😉 I post every day but it’s only a family blog so I’m not having to work very hard. 🙂 Again- nice words of encouragement!
I don’t know how you do it! I would love to post more often (I have three blogs).
Writing posts is very hard and time-consuming for me. I know I sometimes I overthink posts but it’s hard not to do that! It seems like no matter how much I simplify my ideas I still get overwhelmed. 🙂
My ideal is about ten posts per week but I’m so not there yet!
My best time management tip is to write and schedule posts ahead of time. I simply cannot be consistent with post creation but scheduling ahead of time means I don’t have to be!
Great advice! I’m in the phase of building up the number of posts I publish. And I agree Your last paragraph really speaks to me. There are weeks when things don’t go as planned and I haven’t written as much as I like, self-doubt kicks in. I start to second guess why I write and blog. So thanks for the reminder that our voice is important.
I believe scheduling is important. I have not been able to post as often as I like too. I have done atleast once a week. Sometimes more if possible.