Whether you have a 9-5 career or are a full-time student, blogging can be a great side hustle and passion project. There’s something so incredible about writing about what you love and being able to share it with like-minded people.
However, blogging does require a lot of work and dedication, so it is not for everyone. And, if you’re hoping to turn your blog into a business, it can take a few years before you start seeing any money from it.
If you are dedicated and willing to put in the hard work you can create something worthwhile. I was still working full-time when I started my blog, so I know how difficult it can be to balance everything. Even when my blog began to grow, I continued to work freelance to earn an income. The real art of blogging is the great balancing act of work and passion.
If you think you’re ready to dive into the blogging world, check out my tips on how to manage running a blog while working full-time!
Make a Plan
The first thing you are going to want is an idea of the direction that you want to go with your blog, your audience, and content. Not only will this help you have a clear idea of the purpose of the blog, but it will also help you plan out a work-blog balance.
Make a Schedule
Sticking to a schedule is probably one of the hardest parts of blogging. Having a schedule will help you post consistently even when you’re working full-time.
Think about your current schedule and what would work best for you. For example, work on your blog and website a few days a week before or after work or classes.
Remember always to give yourself time off. If you never give yourself a break, you will burn out, and you won’t want to blog anymore.
Also, map out your content ahead of time. Sit down and determine what content you’re going to create on which days so when it comes time to write, you aren’t stuck brainstorming with no ideas in sight. If you’re a visual person, using a visual calendar or planner might be helpful.
Read More: 10 Ways to Be a More Productive Blogger
Time Block
While it might seem like all you have to do to be a blogger is writing, there are a lot of other tasks that go into it. Whether it’s researching, photo editing, graphic design, blog maintenance, or social media, you will most likely feel overwhelmed at some point.
During your “blog time” each day (or for the week), block out sections of time for each of these activities and stick to them. You’ll find yourself more efficient than if you were to jump around from task to task.
Write in Bulk & Stretch Content
While you’re busy managing the countless tasks that are involved with blogging, don’t forget to block out time to simply write. (It’s one of the most essential pieces of a blog after all).
You don’t need to shoot a new destination, recipe, or outfit every weekend. You can write more than 1 blog post on anything so use those creative muscles and determine 2-3 different post ideas for each experience you have.
For example, let’s say you took a trip to Hawaii. You aren’t limited to writing a single article about your 1-week vacation. You can write about the best restaurants, your favorite beaches, a solo travel guide, a packing guide, your itinerary, etc.
All posts are based on a single trip but you can write countless articles about all of your experiences.
Going in with a plan will help you maximize your time and help prevent you from struggling for content later on. It will also help you plan ahead for photo shoots and trips.
Read More: The Best Photography Equipment for Travel Blogging
Guest Posts
As silly as it may sound, it’s okay to have someone else produce content for your blog. If someone can write about topics you aren’t an expert in, it will add more value to your readers and it will help lighten up your workload. Look for guest contributors, or, if you’re looking for exposure, look into taking up some freelance writing for bigger publications in your niche.
Backlinks are essential to building the SEO ranking of your blog. You will need to get other sites to link to your content and guest blogging is a helpful way to do that. TIP: If you are doing guest posts, be sure to ask for a “follow” link to your website.
Also, if your main goal with blogging is less about winning people over with amazing writing and more about creative ideas, you can also hire a ghostwriter to help you get more content out.
Websites like UpWork are great resources to hire other freelancers.
Stay Committed
It can seem like an immense amount of work but it’s worth staying committed for the long haul. One of the main reasons that bloggers don’t get very far is that they give up too quickly.
Blogging is all about trial and error. Play around with schedules and posts and social sharing on different platforms and see what works for you! Once you find a schedule and process that works for you, it will be that much easier to stay committed.
Take A Break
While you want to stick it out for the long term, also be mindful to take breaks! If you feel that blogging is becoming unhealthy or that it’s taking up all of your time, rest up. The blog will always be there. You want to maintain a healthy mind and social life.
Your sanity will thank me later!
In the End
If you’re thinking about starting a blog but you’re unsure because of your schedule, just go for it. If it’s something you are extremely passionate about, you will find the time.
Following these steps will help you become aware of what works best for you and help you achieve your blogging side-hustle goals in no time!
These were so helpful. As a corporate exec working from home and just revamping my blog it has been a bit of a strain. But I’m getting in the swing of it. Thanks for this.
Glad to hear it, Menellia! I’ve got a bunch of other blogging resources here: https://theblondeabroad.com/blogging-resources/
Such a helpful post. Saved me in a frugal catch 22 from forking out for some super expensive blogging course. That can come later. This is just what I needed now. Thanks x