How is your blog doing? Are you meeting all of your goals? Do you feel like you're falling behind? Here are six tips on how to be more productive whether you're starting a blog or maintaining one.
1. Set Goals
The only way to learn how to be more productive is to set goals. You might be great with your to-do list and time-management skills, but if you're focusing on the wrong things then you'll never be productive. To be 100% productive, you have to focus on your goals. What are your goals for your blog?
Once you've determined your goals, you should write them down. Create SMART goals that are easy to achieve and can help you create a plan. Once you've developed a plan, you can use the following tips in this guide to meet them.
2. Keep a Calendar At Reach
A small desk calendar or agenda book is important for setting and meeting goals. It should be small enough to take with you everywhere, but the dates should be large enough to schedule appointments, take notes, etc. You should keep it with you at all times so you can reference back to these dates and notes at a later time. For example, if you're at the grocery store and a blog post idea pops into your head, you can write it down.
3. Create a Content Plan
One of the driving factors of any blog is content. Creating the right blog posts for your target audience can help your blog grow and achieve your goals. You want to make sure you're creating content that's helping you achieve your goals. Review your goals on a daily or weekly basis to determine what kind of content you should create to meet those goals in a short amount of time.
Do you want more readers? Do you want to earn more money from affiliate links or sponsored posts? Are you launching a new product or service? Whatever your goal is, you need to create content that allows you to establish that goal.
You also make room for seasonal blog posts. This is also a good time to organize and categorize your posts. Your content plan can help you become more productive. It helps you to create different types of content and keep seasonal content in mind.
4. Plan Your Schedule & Adjust It
Instead of giving yourself strict deadlines, set a buffer deadline. For example, you have an assignment that needs to be done by February 15. You'll write on your calendar that it's due by 13 or 14 the latest. Then make it an effort to meet that deadline every time. If something comes up, you'll feel better knowing that you worked on it two days ago.
5. Spend Less Time on E-Mails and Social Media
How often do you find yourself checking your e-mails and social media? It's probably every minute, right? This not only wastes time but also makes you less productive. Every time you receive a notification on your phone, you want to read it immediately. Then you find yourself distracted by your other social media notifications.
If you're constantly bombarded by notifications, then you should shut them off during work hours. This ensures that you won't get disrupted. Instead of checking your e-mails and social media every five minutes, reserve a time to check them once or twice a day.
This can be difficult to do in the beginning, but it'll be worth knowing how much work you got done. Plus, you may exhibit less signs of depression, which can impact your motivation and productivity levels.
6. Work When You're Most Productive
The best way to tackle blog productivity is to work when you're most productive. Maybe you're someone who gets some of their best work done in the mornings. Or, maybe you're a night owl. Find out your most productive time of the day, so you can reserve it for blog work.
You're the only one who knows yourself best. You know you work. Designate a time when you should work on your blog.
These tips should make you a more productive blogger. But don't forget to take care of yourself. By scheduling and managing your time, you won't be stressed out over upcoming deadlines.
Read more: Best Web Hosting for your Blog, How to Find Content Ideas for Your Blog