Being a blogger can be a lot of work – trust me a lot goes on behind the scenes. However, there are many methods to make the whole process easier, and ones that readers will not know about. Here are some methods for becoming an efficient lifestyle blogger:
*Disclaimer, this post contains affiliate links
Write as much as you can in advance.
When setting publishing deadlines for yourself, unexpected delays are not factored in and may impact your schedule. If you have a couple of evergreen posts (posts that can be published all year round) in your drafts, then you are covered for those times that are unexpectantly busy. Find keywords that are relevant and will get you traffic. Get some search inspiration from Keysearch – I have gained 11 ranking keywords in a month from using this.
One of my favourite methods to improve my content was reading “The Art of Proof Reading” by my friend Eleanor. She explicitly breaks down the do’s and dont’s when it comes to post writing, and how to come across as professional and friendly. Check it out!
Offer guest posts on your blog.
This is a double win – you get to engage with other members of the community and it allows the opportunity for a post to be written to fill a gap. When you can foresee a busy month, offer a couple of guest post slots to allow for consistent blogging.
Set to-do lists.
Whether this is a daily list, weekly or monthly – it is the number one method to become an efficient lifestyle blogger. Knowing what needs to be completed / plans in the pipeline helps to set out an action plan.
Set some time every week for each social media.
Just an hour a day pinning and scheduling on your chosen media platforms will help massively towards becoming an efficient lifestyle blogger. I usually schedule my pins once a month using Tailwind, and scheduling others’ pins as I go. This makes it so much easier to save time. To make it easier, I schedule by topic, to speed up the process of adding pins to boards.
Getting to know Pinterest first is a must. My favourite Pinterest e-book is Pinterest With Ell – within 2 months she was seeing 1,000 views a day from Pinterest. I am not as good but using her strategies I have gained 1,000 impressions in 2 weeks from a starting point of zero. No doubt will this increase as I get more experienced, and I have Ell to thank for that!
Apps such as Buffer and Hootsuite also make it easier to schedule Instagram posts and Tweets. I like to post a different blog post on my Twitter a day and Buffer allows a way to analyse my best engagement hours and to post within that time slot.
Use engagement chats to increase your reach quickly
To become an efficient lifestyle blogger, it is vital to communicate with others within the community. Join engagement groups – a set of people within your niche; whenever you post, let these people know and they will give you some immediate support, with the promise that you do the same to them. Spend 10 minutes a day catching up with these, and you should reap the benefits in return.
Always keep on top of what needs to be done
As soon as there is a backlog, you will find that it can be overwhelming to catch up. Much like studying in school, try and get as much done as soon as it can be, just in case more work comes through the door.
Keep a notepad near you wherever possible
Even if this is just a phone memo, a spot to write down your thoughts as they come through is a useful tool. If you have many things going on simultaneously, it can be very easy for something to slip pass. Make a note before you forget.
Create a workspace you are happy with
Whether you work better with white noise, music, or complete silence – find a way to utilise that. This way, you will increase productivity tenfold.
On that note, do not work if you do not want to.
As a content writer, if you do not want to write, it will be noticed. I have tried to write half asleep, read it back in the morning and thought “what the hell was I on about?”. It will actually save you more time if you work when is best for you.
Create 2 part posts.
Struggling with content? It can be so easy after a while to run out of ideas and end up with the dreaded writer’s block. Consider continuing an existing post as more thoughts come your way. For example, I created a “10 Unique Ways to Use Zoflora” post and created a second post “Zoflora Hacks Part 2” as I had more ideas.
As a lifestyle blogger, you can have a large range of blogging topics, so to become an efficient lifestyle blogger – rotate the type of posts you publish to engage with different types of readers. This will increase the likelihood of your posts being shared by more people.
Make email marketing simple for you
When using email marketing, schedule newsletters and emails by the month. The key obviously is to not bombard your readers with emails, just a constant reminder of your blog. Use an email provider to schedule your content in advance to avoid constant content creation. Also, set up a sequence for new subscribers so automated emails can be sent to the new reader at regular intervals without you doing a thing.
This is something you need to establish early on because the longer you leave it, the more difficult it will be to transfer. I started with Mailchimp (it was the provider I had heard of) but switched to Flodesk not so long ago.
Due to the clunky interface, Mailchimp was just not for me. Although I was getting conversions, it was from my landing page on Twitter rather than my site. Flodesk allows for increased flexibility in terms of design and emails that catch readers attention. I literally switched over from Mailchimp to new provider Flodesk, set up a sequence, 3 opt-in forms and 2 landing pages in 5 hours. The transition was so easy, and Flodesk offered a step by step guide. You can get 50% off FOREVER with this Flodesk Discount Code.
Allow time to set up a good system
Being an efficient lifestyle blogger takes time, just like setting a routine. Find out what works, what hours are the most efficient to work and what hours your readers are most active. This way you can set mini-deadlines according to high engagement slots.
Know your goals
What do you want to achieve? What will that involve? Are you a casual blogger or do you want to pursue this as a career? Know what you want and put in as much as you need to. To be efficient is to speed up the process like a well-oiled machine, but the time also needs to be put in.
Enjoy the whole process
Efficiency is all about making it easier, not more difficult. If there is no enjoyment, it will show! Have fun and enjoy every little win!
I hope this helps any bloggers stuck in a rut / or simply those needing some inspiration. If you have enjoyed this post, it may be worth checking out my latest e-book. I talk all about blogging slumps, and how to become an efficient blogger – so you can acheive more by doing less! Check it out here!
Now, if you are ready to start putting the work in and make a passive income on blogging – find out where to start with Kayleigh’s Beginners Guide To Affiliate Sales. Affiliate Marketing is a great place to start and something I knew about sooner – this guide has helped massively!
