Blogging takes time, there’s no getting around this fact. If you want to make a living from it, you need to be willing to put in the hours. How many hours you need to put in, however, all depends upon how productive you are.
Should you find yourself wondering where in the hell all of your time is going each day, here are ten productivity tips tailored to the unique demands of blogging.
Always Start with a Plan
If you really want to waste time, one of the easiest ways of doing so is to sit down with no other plan than to “work on your blog”. Do you want to write a post? Do you want research a few post ideas? Do you want to build some much needed backlinks? Choose a single task and work on it. Don’t float from one thing to another.
Break Up Your Day
Another common cause of woeful productivity levels is a lack of deadlines. If you give yourself all day to do something, it’s going to take all day to do. When you sit down to work on a particular task, give yourself a deadline. A lack of deadlines gives you far too much time to day dream and nit pick.
Don’t Multitask
Multitasking leads to nothing but procrastination. It allows you to mindlessly jump between different activities without ever really getting anything done. If you have a post to write, break the task into three stages, research, writing and proofreading. Gather all the information that you need first, write your post in its entirety and then do the proofreading.
Accept Writers Block
Writers block can’t be beat. That’s the reason that it’s such a big problem. Don’t waste time staring at a blank screen trying to force words onto the page. If you can’t write today, accept that fact and move on. There’s more to blogging than writing. Focus on your promotional efforts. Respond to a few comments.
When You Hit Your Stride…
Many writers occasionally experience the opposite of writers block. I am referring to those strange periods of time when you can’t seem to stop the words pouring onto the page. When you hit your stride, always make the most of it. Don’t proofread, just let the words flow. There’ll be plenty of time to proofread when you have writers block tomorrow.
Stop Looking at Facebook
Combine an internet connection with a lack of a boss and it’s very easy to spend half your day mindlessly surfing. A five minute break every hour is good for your productivity levels but anything more than that and you are needlessly wasting time. If you lack the discipline to avoid virtual distractions, consider disconnecting from the internet.
Look After Yourself
Just because you don’t have to be up at seven am, that doesn’t mean that you can stay out partying until six and expect to get anything done the next day. Creativity requires a full nights sleep and a clear state of mind. And neither can be substituted with coffee. You don’t need to be a health freak to become a productive blogger, you do however need to look after yourself.
Get Some Fresh Air
Bloggers don’t need to spend eight hours a day in a stuffy, grey office. Take advantage of this fact. You are free to work wherever you want. Choose somewhere that helps you to be both productive and creative. Dark rooms don’t lead to productivity or creativity. Find a nice café with plenty of natural light. Experiment with different venues. It always surprises me how many bloggers literally work from home.
Don’t Be a Perfectionist
Proofreading your posts once makes sense. Proofreading them five times does not. Your readers are not looking for perfection. They are not going to disappear if you spell the odd word incorrectly. Aim for interesting, informative content. There is no reward for perfection. There is only the wasted time spent trying to achieve it.
Research the Problem
Finally, if you really want to do something about your productivity levels, there’s a hell of a lot of literature available on the subject. You can’t expect a single article to transform your working habits overnight. But if you’re really set on changing, and you’re willing to read a book or two, you might be surprised to learn just how much you can get done each day.
John Smith is a London based online marketer and a seo expert who is currently working for seo.org.uk
About MyBlogGuest
“Stop Looking at Facebook” super agree..Facebook is sometimes too much time consuming that it eats much of your so called work time.
Twitter: australia_daily
says:
Thank you for sharing this article with us.Its really nice.As a new blogger it will help me a lot.
Many people will start to work without planning which will make them to waste their time in other unwanted things. Your post will help those people to be planned prior to start working. Each point in your post is valuable. Thanks.
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Twitter: mylucban
says:
i always look at yahoo news when im having writer’s block. nice article by the way! thank you for sharing!
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It is the most important fact to show the correct way. All your tips are very useful for bloggers
Many people will start to work without planning which will make them to waste their time in other unwanted things. Your post will help those people to be planned prior to start working. Each point in your post is valuable. Thanks you.
Ashrin Srithika recently posted..How to set up Time Machine on your MAC
Many people will start to work without planning which will make them to waste their time in other unwanted things. Your post will help those people to be planned prior to start working. Each point in your post is valuable. Thanks.
Ashrin Srithika recently posted..How to set up Time Machine on your MAC
Great tips you have shared in this post. Thanks for this valuable share.
Get Some Fresh Air is one of the things that I always did. When I am bored I go to the coffee shop and bring my laptop and continue my work. Working at alone at home feeling so laziness and need to go to other places and new environment.
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I really agree about stop looking on facebook especially if you are working. There are times that my work was spending because I spent my time on my facebook.
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Totally agree about Facebook (what I do is disconnecting from the internet when I work) and creating to-do-lists (they not only clear your mind but it also creates a feeling of relief when you strike things off from the list).
Nice tips. Especially the mindless surfing is something too many people seem to be doing nowadays.
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hi brother, Your article is so amazing, and I am very interested in your post is. good job :)
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Twitter: parkiski01
says:
Great tips and I really enjoy reading your post. One of the funniest thing in your post is “Stop Looking at Facebook” because this is one of my problem when I was in my work and every time I opened my facebook account my work are always pending and I didn’t know that I spend my time on my facebook for an hours.
I totally agree of your advices and I am so glad that I visit your page and I hope this days what I learned from your post It will helps me a lot.
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You touch on a lot of interesting points. However, the ones that I find myself wasting the most time on while blogging is definitely proof reading my posts several times looking for the smallest grammatical errors, and of course writers block followed by hitting up facebook wasting time. Thanks for the info and bringing some things into perspective.
I like the one “Get Some Fresh Air” I did that every time when I get bored in my worked and I just go to coffee shop bring my laptop and doing my work there. New environment is makes you feel good and less stress.
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I can say I’m a Facebook addict LOL! I spend lot of my time on Facebook. Yes, it is an destraction, I will try not to login. Getting some fresh air before and after blogging is always a good thing. Thanks for sharing these productive tips.
Taking breaks in between writing posts can be a great help to enhance your creativity. One can think more on what to write further and can also correct any mistakes made during his writing period. We also get fresh ideas and develop new concepts in order to maintain the freshness of the post.
Researching a problem and then planning to reach the best outcome should be done for higher productivity levels.One has to focus on a particular task for sure unless any task can not get accomplished on time and with effective results.
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Totally agree with all your tips, except one. I don’t quite believe in writer’s block. The need to write needs to come from within. And when we have an idea at hand do we feel the need to pen it down. I think we’ve got the concept of writing completely wrong. An idea triggers us to write, not the other way round.
great tips nice writer !
Twitter: nickycdk
says:
Great tips… Laughed a little with the “Stop looking at facebook”, somehow I always seem to fall for that one :)
Thanks for sharing. Especially “Stop Looking at Facebook”, i alway check if there is a message in my facebook, but in the end, I alway wast time just to look up my friends. Thanks you article.
Dear Admin,
I landed upon your article”Productivity Tips For Bloggers”from google, Actually i am doing a research work on”Productivity Tips For Bloggers”,found your article useful for my research work. Actuall i was looking for more related articles on your blog but unfortunately didnt find anymore of it.Hope read more related articles in coming days…I will keep following your blog till then
Regards
Mia
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Twitter: huuquocchan
says:
Hi John,
To be honest, I’m a Facebook addict; I spend most of my time on Facebook; I can’t focus on my articles. Fortunately, I found your tips; I’ll try to disconnect from the Internet when writing.
Thanks for sharing these useful tips ;)
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Nice post..!!!
All the logical points that we all know but never pay attention are included.
One important point that we should get some fresh air is really important. Even our brain stops working if we keep on doing works for hours. So, it is really very important for everyone of us to take regular break from our work and get some fresh air.
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Nice post..!!!
All the logical points are included which we all know but never pay attention towards it.
Always take a break and get some fresh air is a very good point that everyone should try as our brain also stop working when we keep on working for hours without taking a break.
Sneha recently posted..51 New and Beautiful Social Media Icons Set
I ran into a couple of things that distract me the moment I start working on a project and it’s really causing me to fall short in getting my daily quota. Honestly, Facebook is killing my time almost every day. I can’t even continue working with all the projects I have because I’m getting hooked to it but thanks to my boss who provides me a time tracker that enhances my productivity. It drives me to work full time and it really helps me become more productive.
Twitter: techsparx1
says:
What a nice, clear and short post with some logic og nice points. Facebook and other social medias did really take my time. Now I only check my Facebook profile 2-3 times a week to make sure that I stay focused.
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Twitter: PMStudyCircle
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We need to control the time spent on social networks including facebook, twitter, digg and reddit etc. People often go there with some intention and get lost.
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Dear
It’s great and informative article about blogging These 10 Productivity Tips For Bloggers are wonderful for activity
Thanks for sharing
Very interesting and informative post and I really learned a lot so I decided not to do Multi tasking again because sometimes it can distract your work if you are not focus in one task only.
This is a trick that I really need. termia you very much. :)
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Twitter: collegeocontent
says:
Getting some fresh air before and after blogging is always a good thing, simply because oxygen into the brain helps to increase “blogging creativity.”
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What a nice, clear and short post with some logic og nice points. Facebook and other social medias did really take my time. Now I only check my Facebook profile 2-3 times a week to make sure that I stay focused.
Twitter: lapizzapazza_za
says:
I really need to work on the multitasking thing! I have a bad habit of opening up various links once I sit down at my computer (including Facebook), I then spend the first half hour browsing between windows and nothing actually gets my undivided attention! I am glad to see I am not the only one with this problem. Great post! Oh, and I used to be a perfectionist when it came to blogging, but I learnt quickly that I was just making it harder for myself, good is good enough!
Well pointed out, treating one’s blog as a business and maintaining it full time needs strict discipline.One needs to also maintain a checklist of to-do things for the blog on a daily basis.
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Twitter: Ajayudayagiri
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Keeping aside the social networking sites helps us a lot to concentrate on blogging. I can’t even drop a comment in a site if i was using facebook aside. So, i always used to use the facebook in leisure times.
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Twitter: TheGameScouts
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My particular problem with writer’s block is that I have to be careful that I’m not confusing my own apprehension, lethargy, or what have you for it. While I agree that it’s good to step away if you are truly not feeling in the right mindset, you have to draw a line if this kind of thing starts to happen regularly. Which is where the other tips come into play (staying healthy, getting out instead of remaining a vampiric homebody).
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I am very interested in one of your tips “Stop Looking at Facebook”, at first I just wanted to check if there is an important message in my facebook inbox, but in the end, I wasted a lot of time just to read the status of my friends.
Lol the stop looking at facebook advice hits the spot for me. I check my FB every couple of minutes even when I’m really into writing a post.
Twitter: conversernihil
says:
Thanks for this amazing post. I’ve been struggling to think of things to write for my blog recently, and I plan on using these tips to come up with something to write. I’ve been using weekends for research so I have something to write for the week, and it’s been kind of working up until now.
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I have always thought that multi tasking could really help me become an effective and efficient blogger but I realize that it will just undermine my the quality of my work. How do you overcome writer’s block by the way?
-Charms
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These 10 Productivity Tips For Bloggers are wonderful for activity.we can grip on our task if followed these steps.
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Twitter: cooldeepak_rana
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Great Post
Thanks
Twitter: akhilrvk
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you really helped me man…………..actually “you blog better.”…good stuff…..hope more from you
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thanks for this wonderful tip for blogging ..i was searching for a good site which can help me ,now…i got it…..
i really liked that multitask featured image…..awesum..is it you??lol
regards
akhil
and i would be very thankful if yo can make a backlink to my site……..
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Good, you can provide information here about bloggers health also just like take break after every 1hour.
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Twitter: prateek__tweets
says:
Those were really great tips author.. Now surfing the facebook, commenting etc surely lets you get disturb while writing a article and lose your focus..
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You came with some new ideas…but at the same time, its also true blogging is not as easy as it used to be few years back…
Great points, well detailed. A breath of fresh air is all it takes to hit upon new ideas. But I don’t quite agree with the don’t be a perfectionist part. I for one don’t finish reading a post with bad grammar or sentence formation. So essentially I tend to make my posts as close to perfect as possible, for the sake of my readers as well as of my own. Totally agree with all your other points though. Thanks for sharing.
Getting some fresh air would also get you to think of more quality content and that would surely reflect in your posts!! How about getting a PS3 and playing some games on it :)
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Twitter: jayblogtips
says:
Hopefully great tips that will work for any blogger common tips that will be surely productive and efficient for any blog
Thank you for this article. I really hope to defeat my daemon – “Stop Looking at Facebook” :(
Good points, writers block is the most dangerous for bloggers, but its part of the game. It happens often with seasoned bloggers to. Thanks and regards
Twitter: leerichardl
says:
Great blog post! Internet is such a distraction especially youtube and facebook… ugggh.. I often visit these social sites to do research but end up spending hours watching video after video and looking at facebook profiles and updates. I practically have to refrain myself from opening this sites at all, do my research, and only visit these sites when I’m done as a reward :).. And also great advice on starting with a plan which is what I’m starting to implement and find myself more productive. Before you start connecting to the internet, list down the sites you want to visit and estimate how long. This way I can be more discipline though I tend to slack from time to time.. :P
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Twitter: newbodyblog
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All great tips, thanks. I have problems with youtube. I always tell myself I’m going to watch only one video and 4 hours later still watching.
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This blog has been written about Top 10 Productivity Tips For Bloggers. I really like this blog. The guidelines you shared here are very useful. It is such an enjoyable surprise for me that I found a content that is rich in information and knowledge.
Twitter: Questdial
says:
HI
thanks for sharing good information
Thanks
Twitter: Questdial
says:
Hi every one, it useful and mind blowing point. i like your 1st point mostly because planning is the supreme and one of the great way to success in blogging field.
Thanks sharing great information
Twitter: SEOServicesZone
says:
All the above points are good with this i would like to add some of my points try to write blog on updating technology or on current affairs.
Before writing blog you should decide the goal of your blog.
Blog’s design & content must reflect your audience. For example, if your audience is teenagers, the design & content must be different from a blog targeted to corporate professionals.
Like popular brand such as puma and Pepsi your blog must represents a specific message and image to your readers.
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Twitter: mahaveer_verma
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A well planned day is indeed very necessary for blogging. A good schedule can save large time in unbelievable ways.
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Twitter: HealthTipWealth
says:
A great productivity book i would recommend is the 4 hour work week by Tim Ferris. It really helped boost my productivity by focusing on what’s important to me instead of “busying myself” with trivialities.
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Twitter: shoutmeblogging
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All are useful and mind blowing point. i like your 1st point mostly because planning is the supreme and one of the great way to success in blogging field.
thnx admin for sharing,,,,,,,,,,,
Manoj Rawal
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I have to agree with you on the above. I tend to allow myself a couple of hours to research and then a few more on writing. But I do tend to try and multi task and then end up not achieving very much. My partner calls me half a job for that reason. The hardest thing to do though is admit you have writers block instead of just sitting and staring at a screen. I tend to stop everything and go out for fresh air
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