31 Best Productivity Tips for Bloggers
If you want to get paid to blog, that means you have to produce a lot of blog content. The more content you produce, the more money you can potentially earn.
Producing enough content for a blog to get noticed is a lot of work. It’s possible, however, that with these productivity tips for bloggers, you can grow your blogging business in no time.
Here’s how to overcome some of the major writing and productivity challenges you might face when your income relies on your own self-motivation to write more content and be a more productive blogger.
Productivity Guide for Bloggers
You might have heard the stats. Online publications that publish 16+ articles per month get about 3.5 times more traffic; more traffic equals more brand awareness. Producing 16 articles per month for your blog requires a lot of productivity, especially if it isn’t your full-time job.
Running your own informational website, blog, or content production business can be lucrative but also very time-consuming. If you’re a creative person with a gift for writing, the idea of being a professional blogger has surely crossed your mind. Of course, like any career, earning an income from blogging has its challenges.
When you’re your own boss who sets your own schedule, staying motivated can be a struggle (especially if you aren’t making much money yet). An additional challenge is that there may not be clear direction or deadlines. Coming up with a strategy that includes goals and tactics to achieve them is crucial to remaining productive.
Best Tips for Productivity
Below are 31 productivity techniques bloggers can use to boost or maintain their performance in the long run:
1. Schedule Posts Ahead of Time
One of the most important aspects of blogging is posting consistently. Rather than logging in every day to write a publish an article, you can create pieces of content ahead of time and schedule when it goes live. Most modern blogging platforms have this functionality, as would any automation software that integrates with these platforms.
2. Do Your Most Important Tasks in the Morning
For morning people, this might not be unusual. But for night owls, getting moving in the morning can be a struggle. As hard as it may be, prioritizing important daily tasks for the first thing in the day ensures you have the time and energy to get them done. Procrastination is a dangerous game.
3. Do Your Work in Bulk
Blocking out chunks of time to get in the zone and focus on work can do wonders for productivity levels. Constantly stopping and starting tends to be inefficient and invites distractions that might keep you from making progress. For example, you can write and schedule posts in advance for the week (as in Tip #1) rather than logging on every day to do them.
4. Plan Out Your Work Schedule
For those that don’t have a traditional day job, like self-employed or flex-role workers, having the discipline to maintain a daily schedule can be difficult. One effective solution is to set “office hours,” even if you don’t have an office. These are the times when you not only buckle down to work but also separate yourself from outside distractions in your personal life. This also gives you freedom outside of these hours to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
5. Set Realistic Goals
While a major perk of being a blogger is working to your own beat, going with the flow isn’t always efficient or effective for personal productivity. It becomes really easy to finish something tomorrow or get started on that new project next week. Goal setting and deadlines keep you focused and on track for success which is vital for hitting productivity goals.
6. Separate Work From Personal Life
The flip side of setting a work schedule is deciding NOT to work outside of that schedule. For many, the flexibility of an open schedule often means difficulty “clocking out” and not thinking about work. It is important to build that wall and keep it so you can unwind and refresh. That means no checking emails, answering questions, or tracking results in your off-hours.
7. Schedule Social Media Posts
Similar to your blog posts, most social media platforms, like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have the capability to pre-schedule when new posts go live. Rather than having to log on at peak hours to make posts every day, schedule an entire week or month in one sitting for accuracy and efficiency.
8. Keep an Eye on Google Analytics
Improving productivity is difficult if you aren’t measuring productivity. Use analytics tools to track results, time management, and earnings to see where your time is best put to use. For example, you may find that your product reviews are gaining very little traction while how-to posts are bringing in tons of new readers. In that case, it may be time to shift the balance so you are spending time creating more tutorials and fewer product reviews.
9. Figure Out Whether Listening to Music Helps You
Many professional athletes use music to amp themselves up before a big game. Every day people can do the same thing! Experiment with different music options to see if it helps you stay focused and energized during your office hours. You might find that music is helpful to combat the midday slump, relaxing music all day keeps you in a positive mood, or rocking out to death metal gives you the energy you need to achieve more work in a single day.
10. Stay Away From All Other Distractions
Shutting out outside distractions is a surefire way to increase productivity. Many bloggers work from home, where distractions and temptation are around every corner. Consider shutting the door to your office during work hours or even going out to a coffee shop or your local library where there may be fewer distractions for you.
11. Don’t Check Your Phone Every 15 Minutes
Another major distraction for modern workers is smartphones. Consider putting yours on silent of do-not-disturb mode during office hours to limit distractions to your workflow.
12. Read Other Blogs For Inspiration
Writer’s block is real, even if your blog lacks much writing. If you ever find yourself in a creative roadblock, consider checking out the competition or your favorite blogs for ideas and inspiration.
13. Keep Your Desk Neat and Minimal
Even if you’re home alone in your quiet office, there may be distractions right under your nose. A messy desk may be a constant drain on your focus or be full of distractions that split your attention.
14. Don’t Be Afraid to Eliminate Tasks
Sometimes, the burden of choice can be a productivity killer. If you have a million things to do, you can easily get overwhelmed and not achieve anything. Instead, create a checklist and try to prioritize the most important task(s), so you can stay on top of what is important without worrying about the rest.
15. Celebrate All Achievements (Big and Small)
A sense of accomplishment is key to staying motivated at work, no matter what your job is. When you reach a goal, milestone, or other achievements, be sure to celebrate that victory. You earned it.
16. Do What You Love
“He who loves his job never works a day in his life.” While we don’t all have the luxury of loving our job, bloggers often have more flexibility to work on topics they are interested in or passionate about. Doing so is sure to have a big impact on your motivation and productivity.
17. Take Some Time Off
Burnout isn’t fun. Some people can keep their nose to the grindstone for a long time, but eventually, everyone reaches a point of diminishing returns. As a blogger, you probably don’t have mandatory holidays and vacation time. When you start feeling like you’re hitting a wall and need a break, there is no harm in hitting the reset button with some relaxation and self-care. Here is a quote from the world-renowned film director of Kiki’s Delivery Service.
“Stop trying. Take long walks. Look at scenery. Doze off at noon. Don’t even think about flying. And then, pretty soon, you’ll be flying again.” – Hayao Miyazaki.
18. Don’t Get Caught Up On What Everyone Else is Doing
Setting YOUR goals and focusing on YOUR strengths is critical to YOUR success. It can be helpful to learn from other bloggers but don’t expect that what they’re doing is what’s best for you.
19. Try Outsourcing
You may get to a point where the work becomes unsustainable for you alone. Rather than feeling like you need to work 80 hours a week to keep up, consider hiring some help for content creation, website maintenance, or social media management. Outsourcing means your success is growing!
20. Take Breaks Throughout the Day
For some, strategic breaks between projects or for meals like lunch can combat the midday slump and keep you working at a productive pace. This will depend on the person, so if you feel like you are struggling or recognizing patterns of reduced effectiveness throughout the day, consider a break or even a siesta!
21. Get Your Priorities in Order
Priorities are extremely important for both productivity and bloggers. Knowing which tasks are most important will help you maintain momentum and direction. As a blogger, it is crucial that you spend your limited time effectively since there is a never-ending list of things to do.
22. Start Fresh Each Day
For some, starting each day with a blank slate is important for focus and mental clarity. When possible, try to wrap up tasks before signing off so you can start fresh the next morning.
23. Ask for an Outside Opinion
Whether it’s writer’s block, feeling like you are in a rut, or running out of content ideas, sometimes a fresh take can revitalize your creativity and give you a new spark. Don’t be ashamed to ask for help or feedback or join a group of creative peers.
24. Create Outlines for Articles
Some writers can write on the fly and build a new blog post from scratch. Others do better with some guidance in the form of an outline. For the latter, creating outlines ahead of time can speed up the process of actually writing the piece.
25. Build Templates to Save Time
Blogs commonly fall into several predominant categories, such as:
- Informative articles
- How-tos
- Product reviews
- Personal/opinion
- Updates
Creating blog post templates for your most used styles can save you time versus formatting each new article from a blank slate.
26. Mind-Map Your Ideas
A mind map is a visual representation of ideas, much like a flowchart or to-do list. Getting your ideas down on paper where you can visualize the big picture can help you stay on track and prioritize various tasks efficiently.
27. Repurpose Some Content
Repurposing old content or creating “evergreen” content are great ways to get new posts with little effort. This might look like sharing content between different platforms or reposting evergreen content with a few minor tweaks to keep it up to date.
28. Get Up Early
“The early bird gets the worm.” If you are struggling to get everything you want to be done out of the way, whether for work or in your personal life, consider setting an early alarm so you can get out ahead of these content creation tasks and have plenty of time to complete them.
29. Use Tools to Help With Productivity
Project management tools are many, especially in the current age of automation, AI, and software integration. Depending on your needs, productivity apps like Monday.com, Asana, or Zapier can save you time and keep your momentum going as a blogger.
30. Have a Notebook for Ideas
Having a notebook at the ready ensures good ideas don’t fall through the cracks. Whether in your purse, your nightstand, or your bathroom, have a notebook for jotting down ideas wherever they often come to you.
31. Fuel Your Body With Good Food
Diet and exercise can do wonders for maintaining energy throughout the day. If you want the energy to be successful, you need to be fueling up strategically.
Get Help With Blogging From the Experts at Scalefluence
These blogging productivity hacks are sure to help you stay productive, meet your blogging goals, and put you on the road to being your own boss.
For more tips, stay tuned in to Scalefluence, the hub for successful bloggers and influencers.
Whether you are just getting started or looking to take the next step in growth and monetization, the pros at Scalefluence can show you the way. Contact us today!
