One of the biggest complaints for bloggers is not having enough time for writing.
Between working a full-time job, spending time with family, and taking a little time to relax, there aren’t many hours left over for sitting down to write.
Does this sound familiar?
If it does, here are seven easy ways to free up more time to write the posts you’ve been wanting to write:
#1: Keep track of every idea
When you have time to write, don’t waste it deciding what to write about; instead, before you ever sit down, keep track of every potential post idea that pops into your head.
Write them on a napkin, keep a notebook in your pocket, or maintain a blog post idea file on your computer. Do whatever it takes to log every post idea before it disappears.
Once you log every idea, you’ll never waste time thinking about what to write when you should be writing instead. Even if you find yourself with only an extra 15 minutes, you can write instead of thinking about writing.
#2: Write only the best ideas
You only have so much time to write new posts, so you don’t waste it by writing average post ideas.
Traditional publications know that mediocre articles lose subscribers, so they only publish the most valuable ideas for their readers.
You should do the same.
Since you only have a limited amount of time to write posts, use that valuable time to write only the best post ideas. This will give a greater return for the time you invest in writing.
#3: Forget about your stats
It’s tempting to follow blog stats too closely. Stats are important, but they can also be a waste of time.
You can spend time analyzing stats and celebrating when 20 visitors come to your site instead of 15, or you can spend that time writing more content that will attract new readers.
Writing new content is a much better way to spend your time. The less you pay attention to stats and the more you pay attention to writing new posts, the more your stats will go up.
So remember this: studying stats won’t increase traffic; writing new content will.
#4: Unsubscribe from RSS subscriptions
RSS subscriptions are another time waster. If you follow too many blogs, you’ll spend more time reading posts than writing them.
Publishing new content attracts more readers to your site; reading content does not.
So instead of spending your time reading what other people have written, unsubscribe from all but the most important blogs, and spend more time writing posts. Blogging is all about creating new content, so make sure you have time to do so.
#5: Write shorter posts
If you need more time for writing, consider writing shorter posts.
Shorter posts take less time to write and less time to edit. Not only does a 1500 word post take more time to write than one with 500, but it also takes three times as much time to edit.
In case you’re wondering if shorter posts will negatively affect your audience, readers appreciate short, concise posts that succinctly get ideas across. If the article is written well, they can spend less time to get just as much value. In other words, readers will appreciate your brevity.
#6: Learn to write zero drafts
A zero draft is a rough draft written with the intention of recording an idea without getting bogged down by writer’s block. The goal is to quickly draft a complete post that can be polished later.
Zero drafts can be written by hand when a new idea pops up, or they can be written as a first draft in Word or in Google docs.
Either way, zero drafts a great way to record an idea while creative juices are flowing and help to fight against writer’s block.
#7: Read less and write more
Reading is very important for writing, but it can also get in the way. At some point, you have to make the decision that you don’t want to just consume reading material, you also want to produce it.
Creating content is enjoyable, rewarding, and challenging; it’s also much more exciting than only reading.
As a writer, you should read voraciously, but on the other hand, you need to reserve enough time for writing. It’s important to purposefully read magazines, newspapers, and books less in order to free up more time to write.
You’ve already read tons of content over the course of your lifetime; now that you’re blogging, it’s time to create it.
Conclusion
What are your thoughts? Do you have any secrets for freeing up more time for blog post writing?
Please share them by leaving a comment. Thanks!
Just be careful with #4. I lost some a lot of readers when I told folks that they were reading too many blogs. They took me literally!
Ha, that’s a good point. This is definitely one of the blogs to keep on the list.
Interesting, Martyn.
Super duper tips, Joseph!
This is the only one that’s a little “iffy” for me …
“Publishing new content attracts more readers to your site; reading content does not.”
I think you’re half right. LOL Is there such a thing?
Okay, on a serious note …
Reading content won’t attract more readers to your site. But if you leave a trail of comments wherever you’re doing your reading — that can work wonders to boost your readership!
Hmm, what are your stats for commenting traffic? It seems like a lot of time for a little traffic, but I’d love to know what your experience has been with this. Do you have a particular strategy?
#3: Forget about your stats
” … remember this: studying stats won’t increase traffic.”
I rarely check my stats, Joseph. But I DO get new readers from the comments I post here and there throughout the blogosphere. Yes, it takes time and energy to read blogs but I don’t spend all day, every day, doing that.
My strategy is pretty simple …
I have favorite blogs I love reading (that are within the framework of my niche).
Whenever I visit those blogs, I pay careful attention to the commenters. If any of those folks look like people who might enjoy reading my blog, I pay a visit to their blog. I find a post or two of interest to me and leave a comment.
I also make a point of following them on Twitter if I really enjoy their content and I may even click the “Like” button on their Facebook fan page if they have one or possibly invite them to be added to my LinkedIn network.
I don’t have any “numbers” to share with you, but many of these people will reciprocate by visiting my blog.
Very interesting, but I still would like to see the numbers.
Thanks for sharing your strategy. I’m going to implement some of the things you do. I’ll keep track of the stats and let you know how it goes.
Sounds great, Joseph — keep me in the loop.
Here’s another little strategy I use that may work for you, as well …
And I’d have to say it’s probably the strategy I love the most. Now please understand this won’t do a blinking thing to get new readers to my blog — but it will get them to your blog and other blogs I value.
I really enjoy introducing people to one another online (especially fellow bloggers). I don’t know why, I just do.
For example, I sent an email to my friend, Keith Davis, and told him I thought he’d enjoy meeting you and reading your posts. So guess what he did, Joseph? He came over here and read your blog! Imagine that.
And I’m always in the habit of suggesting Martyn’s blog to my followers, fans, and friends, as well. I know a good thing when I see it.
Bottom line on this strategy …
Bloggers can help each other get new readers and, hopefully, new subscribers. It really only takes an ounce of kindness and generosity.
BTW, Joseph — have you paid a visit to Michelle Shaeffer’s blog yet? (Michelle Shaeffer (dot) com)
Her blog is at the top of my all-time favorite blogs list and she’s the creator and host of the “Ultimate Blog Challenge”.
One of the best and easiest ways to get new readers is to join a 30-day blogging challenge. It’s well worth the time and effort involved. I had virtually no readers until I got on board with the UBC.
I hope you’ll head over to Michelle’s blog and introduce yourself and please say Hi from me.
I haven’t visited it yet, but I’ll take a look now. If it’s at the top of your list, I’m sure it’s worth check out.
And in the future, feel free to leave a full length link. You’ve been around enough that I trust the links you’ll share.
Thanks, Joseph — good to know! In the future — full length links, it is.
Great advice, especially #1 and #2.
I don’t see the point of unsubscribing to blogs, though when it’s so easy to organize your subscriptions so that the “most important blogs” are on top.
But, I suppose if you get distracted easily, and are tempted to read everything in your reader every day (and that would be crazy) then I could see why you would want to unsubscribe from a bunch of blogs.
Maybe I’m crazy, but I like to keep my inbox and RSS at 0. If I’m subscribed to too many blogs, it makes that difficult, and in my experience, is counter-productive.
Make sense?
That does make sense, but bear in mind that’s good and risky advice you’re handing out.
I’m very selective with which blogs I read. VERY selective. I only read and comment on posts that genuinely interest me, so I don’t see how that’s counter-productive.
If you’re subscribing,reading, or commenting on blogs only for the purpose of generating traffic to yours, then yes… #4 is right on. It’s a waste of time and taking away from writing valuable content yourself.
I’m mostly referring to reading and not even the commenting for driving traffic.
Here’s an example, if you’re subscribed to 20 blogs by RSS, that’s a lot of posts to sift through to find the good stuff. If on the other hand, you’re subscribed to the 10 best, that’s a lot less to sift through.
The main point is that reading, as awesome as it is and as much as you learn, eventually can get in the way of writing. Getting more dedicated to writing will lead to more traffic than reading more posts. Make sense?
I have to disagree with #4 – I have found the more I have the more of a variety I have to read and one those blogs is going to inspire me to write. I am subscribed to about six blogs, but there are one or two that really inspire me to write and those are the ones I read first.
I highly suggest that you subscribe to as many blogs that interest you – INTEREST YOU – not one you expect to subscribe back to you. Then find one or two or even three that really affect you and read those first, and if you aren’t inspired by those, then move on to the next set and so forth.
I agree that six is a pretty good number of blogs to subscribe to. I was referring to being subscribed to 26 blogs. If you are, it’s impossible to keep up with them all, and you end up wasting valuable time that could be instead used to create content.
But again, six isn’t too many, and I’m sure it works well.
#1 is so important! One of the first things I recommend bloggers do is develop a process for recording good ideas. There is nothing worse than sitting at the computer trying to develop ideas —- the best ideas come to you when you least expect them.
Great stuff Joseph! Thanks for writing this!
You’re welcome. And yes, #1 is the most important. The best way to avoid wasting time is to have a list of ideas waiting to be written before you sit down to write.
I totally agree with #1 as well. I have a notepad with me and jot down ideas, but after a long day at work (which my job is sitting in front of a computer all day) I loose the fire when I get home. I need to find a way to cure that.
Hmmm, that does sound like a problem. Do you have time to write on the weekends? That might work out better for you. What do you think?
I keep all my Feeds in an iPad app called Feeddler and pick which ones I want to read. I don’t overwhelm myself but worrying about what I have to read. I already know what I want to read and that’s what I go for first. If it comes to my inbox, I read a few lines and move on.
I need to unsubscribe from more rss feeds it’s a definite drain on time.
Yes! I’ve been thinking of writing a bunch of stuff on the weekends and schedule them to post at different days during the week. I have three blogs I try to keep up with.
As for blogs I read – I usually don’t read the entire the blog. I read about a paragraph and get much inspiration from just that little bit.
Great ideas. I agree with #5. I often work with business owners who do not have a lot of time to write blog posts, so I tell them that blog posts can be short! For some reason they think a blog post needs to be a college paper! Also thanks for the idea Keeping Track of Ideas. Lots of ideas come to my mind, then I get distracted and lose it! I guess the way I free up more time is to be spontaneous with my posting, then I don’t feel the pressure of a deadline. Thanks for the ideas.
I have a lot of difficulty with #5. People appreciate short posts that they can read quickly, but I always have so much to say! I know exactly how your business owners feel!
I’m learning that shorter posts not only take less time to write, but they take equally less time to edit. That’s been the kicker for me, so when possible, I do my best to write shorter posts.
My readers definitely prefer short posts — they’ve told me so on many occasions!
I view their preference as a win-win situation. I love writing pigeonhole posts and they love reading them.
This will give you a chuckle …
A lot of the comments I leave on other people’s blogs are longer than the posts I write.
Wow Joesph, this is awesome stuff, I definitely don’t have enough time to write blog posts, because I’ve got school!! Oh well, it’s quiet debateable which one is more important I’d say just do both.
Anyway, thanks for this 7 tricks, the most important thing I’ve learned from it is that like you said “zero drafts a great way to record an idea while creative juices are flowing”, this sentence changed my literal thinking.
Hey Harrison, good you hear from you. Since you haven’t been around lately, you must be busy.
Which reminds me, I still owe you some software. Send me an e-mail whenever you’re ready for me to send it over.
To be honest I’ve read every single posts once they were published, the intervals were so big!
Oh and don’t worry about it, I’m fine with that right now.
I really do appreciate your blog post and I love #2.
Before, I worked at night and found it really hard to spend time writing a post for my old blog but if I did it ended up being mediocre. Your tip really hit me and I would be following it from now on.
Thank you for the Great Post.
Armand Polanski
oops, should have read this post first (actually point no. 4 to be more specific), I have just subscribed!
Marya
Woohoo! Thanks!
#4: Unsubscribe from RSS subscriptions
Hmm, I get a lot of news related to my industry via my RSS subscriptions. They provide inspiration for blog posts.
Also, if you are not reading other people’s blogs, why would you expect them to read yours?
The trick is to “pickup” your RSS feed subscriptions once or twice a day, scan the titles and blurbs for the juicy ones and read those ones properly. There is a hint in there: If you want people to read your blog posts when they see them in their RSS feed reader, make the title and excerpt interesting and enticing.
I feel all your points are spot on. I find writing the ideas down as they come to me really helpful.. I end up with lots of scraps of paper in my pocket when I arrive home from work.
A zero draft is so helpful. When I go back to the draft it is so easy to see several theme possibilities and then rewrite the part that inspires me at the moment into my next post.
I fell way behind on posting not for lack of ideas but life exploded on me and it took months to get back on track. I am setting a goal of one new blog a week. I have other writing projects I need to do and life is still exploding all over me but the explosions are more controlled.