Maximize Your Time
The key to doing both a full time day job and running a
successful blog, is maximising your time. You need to become good at
multitasking and working on the go. Train journey in the morning? Use that time
to schedule your tweets for the day and send out a few emails to brands. Lunch
time? Use that time to post on Instagram, reply to the morning’s emails and
make some notes on blog posts you want to write when you get home. Coffee
break, reply to 2 emails whilst you wait in line. It’s all about squeezing out
bits of work where you can. Can you schedule a blog meeting near your work and
do coffee at lunch time? Keep it to an hour and you’ll be back at your desk in
time.
Then as soon as I get home from work I can focus on the main
task of what I have to do for the blog, and I try and keep to a schedule. I’ll
sit down for 30 minutes, unwind and relax which is very important. Then I’ll
write the blog post text for the next 45 minutes. Then I’ll go and make some
dinner and maybe read the news or something. Then after dinner I’ll edit the
photos for the post and put it together. Finally the rest of the evening
(Usually about an hour) is left for me to sort out for tomorrow, and whatever
else is happening.
Outsource
Now this is a little controversial, but I don’t mean get
someone to write your blog posts for you as I know ghost writing in blogging
was talked about recently in Marie Claire. But I do suggest if you can (and can
afford to) outsource some tasks to someone else. It’s what all the management
and business books suggest (I’m reading a great one at the moment called The
Four Hour Work Week which I think it actually perfect for bloggers) Do you do
fashion blogging? Why not outsource your photography to another blogger? That
way you save time trying to organise a shoot and the editing process. Another
idea would be to outsource your emails to a Virtual Assistant. I haven’t tried
this, but my day time work colleagues who have other businesses use VAs for
their emails as they two have two business on the go and face the same issues. Or
if you are struggling to find time to go to events and produce content, why don’t
you take on a one off guest post. Pass on your invite to an event to a blogger
you respect and ask if they’d like to attend as a reporter for your blog? You
get content and they get a new audience to speak to.
Be Efficient and Selective.
I remember when I first started getting invited to blogging
events and emails from brands, I was just so excited for someone to think I was
worthy that I said yes to absolutely everything. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m
still super excited that people want to work with me, but it just isn’t
possible to say yes to everything and that’s ok. You don’t have as much time to
go to that press day or that face cream launch as someone who does it full
time. They might be able to pop by and if it was worth it, excellent, but if
not, then no huge loss. But we have very limited time (Usually a few hours for
after work events) so choose what you go to carefully. Is it a) something you
really love, like a product you use all the time, or a brand you admire. Or b)
do you think it will lead to further opportunities? Networking is super
important and I highly recommend making time for those events.
Negotiate
Give Yourself More Credit
I can’t tell you the amount of times I beat myself up over
things. I’ll see bloggers tweet about going to meetings and I’ll feel bad for
not scheduling blogging meetings, or I didn’t finish that blog post on the day
that I wanted, so I get annoyed at myself. I’m one of those people who gets
stressed by always wanting to be the best, BUT as a friend and blogger told me
the other week, I’m doing TWO jobs and so whilst I might not be able to have
all those meetings for the blog, I’m smashing it in job that just happens to
not be public. So yes I might not get people tweeting me I’m doing so well at
the moment, but that doesn’t mean I’m not in life. It’s just a different
industry and so I’m (trying) to give myself more credit and so should you.
Take a moment at the end of every week to write down 3
things you aced this week- not just blogging, in fact I encourage you to write
non blogging things, and then give yourself a pat on the back and something as
a treat, like a night off with a face pack and a glass of wine, because you
deserve it girl.
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Love this Laura! great advice!! xx
ReplyDeleteLove this! Being full time and bossing blogging is a huge achievement GO TEAM
ReplyDeleteYAAAAS! This is exactly how I feel most of the time. I loved all of these points, and think the outsourcing one is especially interesting. I'd never really considered it but can definitely see value in getting a second pair of hands for some of the more administrative pieces!
ReplyDeleteIt's so easy to feel like you're falling behind if you compare yourself to others but we've just got to remember that social media always paints a prettier picture than reality and celebrate that we are trying to ace day jobs and the blog and that in itself is an achievement! :) Keep it up girls! xxx
wow !!! Love the Colour "Petrol" ♥♥
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great post - I'm always juggling what to do and wonder how I will fit it all in!
ReplyDeletehttps://escapingtheoffice.co.uk/