As my career in blogging has progressed, I have noticed a lot of times where I have been really unproductive and you can tell in not only the amount of posts that I write but also in the depth of the content. We are only half way through 2016 and I have now already written and published MORE posts than I did in the entire of 2015. How have you done this? You ask, through a lot of trial and error, scheduling gone wrong and patience tested, I have finally come across some great apps and tips to help me keep on the ball (or at least appear to).
Planning
I am a stickler for planning. I love to make lists and really think things through before I ever do anything (that's probably why I never actually get anything done). You might not believe this but I actually have blog post titles drafted on a spreadsheet to last me until 6th May 2018! Obviously these ideas will most likely be deleted, changed or moved around the graph when those dates happen but its always good for me to have a bit of reassurance that I have something in the bank for a 'no inspiration' day. You most likely wont want to go quite so overboard with your planning as I do but there's nothing bad to be said about a little structure in your life every now and then. Maybe plan your next day out or make a schedule to help you tackle a big project you have been meaning to start.
Timing
This last year I finally decided to give myself a little stability. I was forever writing posts and just randomly publishing them whenever I felt like it. Now don't get me wrong, this is perfectly fine if that's what you want to do but its just not for me. No one knew if and when I was going to put something out there and so my number of readers had dropped. Since dedicating certain days of the week and certain times to publishing my posts I have noticed a steady increase in the amount of people taking the time out of their lives to read my posts (yes that's you..thank you!) Don't worry if you're not always consistent with it though, everyone knows I'm certainly not. Sometimes the scheduling doesn't work, sometimes I forget to keep an eye on the time or sometimes I actually haven't finished my post in time for its regular showcase to the world (like now for example, it's 3:53pm...there's no way I will finish in 7 minutes). It's okay to sometimes not meet the targets, they are just there to provide a little structure and help me feel a little more in control of my day.
As well as the timing for posting, I have obviously had to carve out time to write my posts. I know they say that you have to wait for inspiration to strike but honestly sometimes I can just sit myself down, look through some of my planned posts and just pick the one that I am drawn to the most. It's the planning ahead that has harnessed my little 'light bulb moments' and allowed me to space them out effectively. It sounds dreadfully boring but it's what works for me. I'm not a very spontaneous person (although I do have my moments!)
Lately, I wonder if many of you have been thinking why I have been tweeting so darn often? Well the answer is very simple; Hootsuite. It's a wonderful app that allows me to draft and schedule loads of tweets and Instagram pictures ready to go up at a time of my choosing. previously I used Buffer but this app only lets you draft 10 things before you hit the limit. Sometimes this was fine for me because I only drafted the next days social media rambles, but sometimes I wanted to do it over several accounts (which obviously adds up fast). Now I am able to draft my tweets to go live every 2 hours between 9am and 10pm! The regularity of this has really boosted the interaction I get with my tweets so you should give it a go!
I hope these tips have inspired you to be a little more productive with your time (or hopefully made things easier for you).
Love,
Louise x
No comments
Post a Comment