To-do list: Finish blog post. Starts writing, goes to Google to do research. Checks emails. What subject line could I write for this blogpost? And before I realize, I haven’t completed the research, neither the blogpost nor the email. Conclusion: Create a more productive blogging routine while working from home!
To improve productivity while working from home as a blogger, create a realistic routine with regular breaks. Create a to-do list the day before to save time. Get most things done in your productive hours. Finish a task at hand and only then move on to the next.
Working from home can be a hit or miss based on how you structure your day, amount of rest you got and what kind of goals you set for yourself.
As a blogger, there are times when you can write thousands of words and then there’s times when brainstorming ideas feels like a burden. Then there’s writer’s block, lack of motivation, the list goes on.
Most of these problems occur when there’s no specific blogging schedule or routine in place that is productive.
Easiest way to schedule a work day from home is by noting down all the tasks at hand and finishing them one by one. Start off with the easiest task at hand and work your way up to the difficult ones. Take a break in between to give your mind the rest it needs.
In this blog post, I’ll share some of my tips to create a productive blogging routine. This routine has helped me get so much done!
Create A Productive Blogging Routine While Working From Home
1. Create A Workspace
The workspace or home office you work from have an effect on the quality of your work and it’s end results. So, create a workspace that motivates you to be more productive.
Creating a blogging routine to be more productive especially if you work from home is hard. Now lying in bed with your PJs is a road to disaster.
Setup a work from home office with all the essential home office equipment. This way you can get straight to work.
2. Set Realistic Blog Goals
Realistic blog goals not only help to measure progress but also hold you accountable. Create goals for your email list, social media followers, domain authority and more.
A big blogging goal for most new bloggers is to make money blogging. Setting high expectations can severely affect you when you don’t achieve them.
This is why it is so important to set goals that are attainable. Understand that your journey is completely different from others!
Read how you can create realistic blogging goals for everything from number of blogposts to publish, email marketing to social media graphics.
3. Tips To Create A Blogging Routine
A blogging routine will help you publish high quality blog posts way faster. The trick is to do your favorite task at the end. Why?
Because it is granted you will be spending most of your time doing something you like so, save time by completing the least interesting part first.
Let me explain. In my blog post writing process, I enjoy planning the CTA and coming up with intriguing introduction paragraphs. I could spend days trying to perfect it.
Now, had I laid out the basic structure of the blog post, written out social media posts and emails before writing the CTA, I would’ve gotten 3/4 of the job done!
1. Create a Daily Blogging Schedule That Works
Write a schedule around your day. Fit blogging into your lifestyle instead of trying to force an unattainable routine. Set a daily, weekly and monthly deadline to achieve your goals. Do this is consistently to get successful at blogging.
If you write a daily blog schedule that is far from your reach, you will discourage and demotivate yourself. Or even worse burnout.
2. Set a Deadline
I can’t stress enough about this. Set a deadline. For literally everything. It is so easy to get distracted or even worse spend hours and hours trying to perfect something.
Setting a deadline holds you accountable and helps you get things done. Set a time limit on how long you’ll work on a task.
3. Keyword And Topic Research
Like I mentioned in my introduction, I would set out to write a blogpost and use Google for research. But I would get distracted reading others’ blogs, emails, etc. and never complete the task at hand.
Doing keyword research, topic research, laying out a structure and publishing the blog post the same day never works. So, it is best to dedicate a day just for research.
Pick 4-5 topics you’d like to write about and lay out a basic structure and finish the research part. This way, on blog post writing day, all you have to do is fill in the blanks.
4. Write And Publish Blog Post
As you’ve already laid a structure for 4-5 blog posts, all you have to do is fill in the sub headings. This way you can write blog posts even when you’re not feeling it!
You have the secret to never getting a writer’s block right here!
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5. Create Social Media Graphics
Set aside a day where you create batch content for the whole week or month and schedule it. I prefer creating click worthy Pinterest pins, Facebook posts and tweets for a whole month as I don’t want to be bothered by it every week.
Social media templates will help you cut back on so much time! Check out these click worthy Pinterest pins I created!
I want this!
Make sure you choose a day where you are least active but wouldn’t mind doing low energy tasks as your social media day. This way you not only have time to relax but also get things done.
You know what, next time you get this urge to binge watch something or listen to a podcast, go on Canva or any software you use and start creating social media graphics.
4. Take Regular Breaks
Taking breaks at regular intervals is probably the most important part of a productive blogging routine. While working from home, it is so easy to skip lunch or sleep and keep working.
You will be motivated to work more if you take breaks. Creating a blogging schedule and following it to the T helped me get things done more than working for 8-10 hours straight.
Setting small rewards for yourself after you achieve a milestone ALWAYS helps. There’s no better feeling than watching Netflix guilt free after you’ve ticked off your tasks for the day!
5. Plan Well In Advance To Save Time
Failing to plan is planning to fail. Yeah, I had to! I think the biggest misconception most new bloggers have about blogging and becoming successful at blogging is that there’s minimum to no planning involved.
But that’s not the case at all. Sorry to break it to you but, it’s very strategic. All these stories you here about bloggers making big bucks in their first year, etc. How do you think they achieved that? Planning.
Plan out what you want to achieve and how you’ll do that. I know it’s not easy but you have to. An editorial calendar helps.
Be very strategic about every blogpost, social media graphic, tweet you put out. It all adds up in the end. Did I mention planning saves a good chunk of your time?
These were some of my tips to create a productive blogging routine. Did I miss something? Want to add anything? Drop them in the comments!
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About Divya Hegde
Divya Hegde is a blogger, writer, and designer who helps businesses grow their online presence through content writing and social media marketing.
Great post! It has it all to create a blog post 🙂
Thank you so much Nina!
Great post! very helpful tips and very realistic! Thank you so much!
Thanks Samantha!
It is so important to have a plan! Thanks for sharing this.
I’m glad you liked it!