How To Blog And Have A Full Time Job

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

You are going to find that many events and opportunities are during the day now. I mean I get it, PRs and other people involved from the brand don't have to work overtime and it's usually cheaper to host an event during the day too. So I do get it, but it can't cause a pang of envy and resentment when you have to turn down event after event because you'll be filling out that Excel budget. However it isn't the end. Negotiate with the brand, pith alternatives to them. A restaurant is hosting a blogger lunch? Pitch your own girly lunch at a weekend and round up a few blogger friends. Beauty brand doing a launch? Pitch doing a first impressions video to them. The ideas are endless, just brainstorm a few ideas and bounce them around with your contact. They'll love that you are giving your own ideas over as it will create fresh new content for them.

Photos beautifully outsourced to Lydia Collins Photography 

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. 

Shop The Post

Blogging, careers, lifestyle