1. Spread the workload
When I first started blogging, I used to plan, take photos, draft and edit copy and promote a blog post all in one go. No wonder I was constantly overwhelmed! Now, I spread it out. I’ll plan content weeks in advance, take photos on weekends, write copy on my lunch hour, publish late afternoon and promote in the evenings.
2. Schedule
Personally, I schedule blog posts a few days ahead of when I want them to go live but you can schedule weeks or even months in advance if you’re feeling particularly productive. I don’t like worrying about publishing at a certain time so scheduling ahead is ideal for taking the pressure off.
3. Set aside ‘blog time’
In the past, I’d get home from work, blog until the early hours, not unwind properly and be completely exhausted the next day. Unless you can function on little sleep, that’s a fast track to burnout. Nowadays, I set aside a couple of hours for blogging, stick to it rigidly and relax for the rest of the evening.
4. Don’t compare yourself to full-time bloggers
There is a reason why full-time bloggers have amazing blogs – it’s their job! If they don’t have meetings, press trips or photoshoots planned, they can spend all day perfecting their websites if they want to. So don’t beat yourself up because you can’t do the same – concentrate on your blog and what you can achieve whilst making your own living.
5. Make small sacrifices
If you work full-time but still want your blog to grow, then you might have to make small sacrifices here and there. For example, put the magazines down and spend some of your lunch hour writing. Stop scrolling through Facebook and proofread on your commute home. Skip the lie-in and get up early on the weekends to take photos. Of course, this is all optional but will help with your blog’s consistency.
What other tips would you add to this list?