A way to focus your efforts is to begin to think of your blog as a business. Your blog might be a passion project with no commercial intent but if you want to reach more people with your ideas it can still help to achieve this mindset. Of course, if you have a financial interest in the growth of your blog than it is a must to visualize it this way. Becoming more businesslike doesn’t have to affect your enjoyment of blogging. Ultimately you probably have some interest in the ideas you explain or promote on your blog. Setting up ways to measure productivity can actually make you enjoy your blogging experience more because overtime you can see definitive growth and not feel you are wasting your time. The definition of success can mean different things to every individual. One good example that you may follow is at https://lifehackerguy.com.
#1 – Goals
Writing down three realistic goals to achieve in a set time period in definitive sentences can show where your effort needs to be applied first. Place these goals somewhere you will see them every day focus your efforts. You can choose an appropriate time period of three to six months to achieve those goals. By continually checking back as the blog grows you can get a general idea if you are moving in the right direction. If the set time period expires without a certain goal being accomplished take a day to examine what caused the failure and develop appropriate solutions. By focusing on where you would like to end up is a good way to create a mental measuring stick for success.
#2 – Scheduling
In the theme of creating a more businesslike mindset an elemental way to increase your blogging productivity is to create a blog posting schedule. While this sounds somewhat easy to do the real test of your commitment will be whether you can stick to that schedule. Blog posting is self-directed work that has many different facets besides just sitting down and writing. Put on your editor hat and come up with a list of appropriate topics to write about. The inspiration for these topics will depend on upon what your blog is about. Use various note taking apps to jot down ideas as you are out and about. This can be handy if you think of something that you don’t want to forget. Later at home or in your office you can develop these general ideas into an effective topic heading for a blog post. Whatever your interests you will still need to schedule research time to find out more in depth information about each post. After creating a list of topics and researching them, schedule set periods to write the posts. Based upon trial and error you need to find the most productive writing method. This might mean you like to write several posts all at once or just one a day. Think about what goals you set to determine how to schedule your writing time. Depending on the blogging platform you can drip your content out over a set posting schedule automatically. This drip method is effective not just for blog posts but also tweets or Facebook postings.
#3 – Workspace
Creating an environment conducive to writing is an often overlooked method for productivity. Try and carve out an area where you can act like a professional. Minimizing distractions from electronic devices and people is important for your mental work state. If you share your life with others come to an agreement for set time periods when they cannot disturb you. Also, stock up on things that help you think like paper pads or whiteboards.
#4 – Analytics
By utilizing various analytic programs you can get an idea of what content resonates with what visitors. Decide on how many times a week or month you will check this analytics and stick to that. It is easy to obsess over these numbers on a daily basis which can draw your attention away from job number one which is getting out content. An appropriate schedule will give time for your content to be digested online and a better overall analysis can be made about what is going on.
#5 – Outside Content
At some point, you might want to grow your blogs content exponentially. This can be started by accepting content from outside writers. If you feel your blogs brand speaks for itself you can begin to introduce new voices that parallel or intersect with your blogs theme. It is a good idea to solicit content that will enhance your reader’s knowledge. By presenting different ideas with new voices you can productively create a more enriching blog experience. Interacting with these outside writers can also be a way to make personal connections with others in your field. For many blogging is a solitary experience and it can be nice to find others to bounce thoughts or strategies off of in a constructive manner. Growing your blog productively can be achieved most effectively by getting the basics right. If you are just starting out or have just reached a stall point developing standard repeatable practices will speed up your blogs future growth. Finding the sweet spot of correct goal seeking, efficient scheduling, appropriate analysis, and accepting outside voices will help you accomplish a more productive way to grow your blog.
