Blogging is time consuming. Even a hobby blog takes time and research to run smoothly and consistently. Fortunately, there are some ways to maximize your time.

Develop a Schedule That Allows you to be Consistent

Writing and networking are a must! Doing them consistently are an even bigger deal. I have developed a schedule that works with my life and that utilizes blog technologies in the best way. On Wednesday, I write and on Sunday I do the administrative tasks such as scheduling posts, looking at statistics and whatever else needs to be done. Then, throughout the week I am writing, researching and networking but I am at least sitting down on Sunday and Wednesday.

Learn more about creating a consistent schedule for your blog, here.

Be Clear About the Type of Content you Want to Develop 

I really had to focus on what is my goal for this year? What kind of content do I want to post? What kind of writers do I want to feature? And what do I want to talk about?

This is important because TMU is a multi-writer site. Clarity is paramount because I have to communicate with the writers and the writers communicate with you. This year, I wanted to become more organized and deliberate in my approach. I learned that like many bloggers, I will start strong and finish weak. The focus is on creating quality content that our readers (you!) find both educational, entertaining, and enlightening. Content is the meat of our site and it is important that the content reflects who we are.

Get Organized!

This is, by far, my favorite part of the process! I know, I’m a nerd but I love creating functional organizational processes.

Regardless of if you love it or not, organization is important to creating consistent content. How far you chose to take it is your choice.

There will be days (weeks, even) when life makes it difficult to craft, organize and publish a thoughtful post. This year alone I have had numerous doctors visits that resulted in a visit to the hospital. It has been extremely helpful to have posts scheduled to be released even while I was down. If I had not had an organizational system in place, my blog would have fallen by the wayside. Plus, this helps establish consistency on your blog.

Here are some of the organizational tools I use for my blog:

• Calendar: A calendar, whether digital or paper, is a powerful tool to aid in scheduling posts, guest posts, social media, and email activity.
• WordPress Scheduling Feature: Using the automated scheduling feature that WordPress provides is really helpful! Consistently posting in real time is a difficult habit to maintain. Scheduling posts give you a break so that as life happens, you can still be achieving your blogging goals. 

  Use the WordPress “Pending Review” Feature:

  After years of blogging, my “Draft” file is overflowing. Nowadays, I change the status of posts that are completed but either need editing or need to be scheduled to “pending.” This way, when I sit down to schedule my posts or am looking for ideas, I know that these are perfectly good posts that need a little extra attention. 

  Here is how you change the status of a post to “Pending Review” using both the Classic Editor and the New Editor 

  Classic Editor
  1. 1. Look in the “Publish” section of the editor
     2. Near “Status” click “Edit”
     3.  A drop down will appear, choose “Pending Review” then click”ok.”
     4. Now, choose “Save as Pending”

         

        Here is how that is displayed in your editor:

        

New Editor

Using the new editor, simply check the “Pending Review” box and click “Save as Pending” at the top of the page.

Research

I’m not afraid to admit that I need to learn a thing or two about blogging. This time around, I focused on what has changed in the industry and what are some things that I can do better. Don’t be afraid to read books, watch videos or even buy a course from someone who understands blogging well.

While there is no one way to effectively write a blog, being knowledgeable, organized and focus will help you to make the most of your time.

How do you maximize your blogging time?

Let me know in the comments below!

Also, be sure to join our community by signing up for our email list where you will receive a free checklist with tips on making an Engaging and Effective Post!