Last Updated on by Michael Brockbank
Content makes the Internet work. If you want to attract a large audience, you’ll need a lot of high-quality content. Not to mention that Google prioritizes websites that are active. So, what can you do to be more productive in order to deliver that content?
Everyone has their own ideas of keeping productive. However, there are quite a few things you can do right now that can help you keep the blog moving forward.
Now, you probably don’t need all of these methods. Nonetheless, you might find a few things that resonate best with your specific needs and wants.
15 Things You Can Do to Be a More Productive Blogger
Depending on the purpose of your blog, it’s going to take a great deal of content to engage an audience. Results will absolutely vary greatly from site to site.
This means that what works for one person may not work the same for another. Yet, I’ll try to deliver a list that is somewhat universal that will greatly benefit any website.
What can you do to get more out of your blog?
1. Be an Expert in Your Niche
The more you know about any given topic, the easier it is to create content. In fact, being an expert in your niche or industry can provide a seemingly endless number of blog posts covering a variety of materials.
Does this mean you have to be an expert when you first create the website? Not necessarily. When you share your experiences while learning, you create a kind of bond between yourself and the people who keep coming back for more.
Case in point, I built this website when I began my journey as a freelance writer. It’s been about 10 years and I still have a few readers who have been around since the beginning.
2. Understand Your Target Audience
Knowing what your visitors want to read can vastly help you be more productive. Like being an expert, understanding why people are reading specific posts gives you something to double down on.
For instance, what if you find that people are reading more reviews on your website than anything else? You may want to consider scheduling more reviews in the near future.
Another way to find topics in your niche is to use keyword tools to see what people are searching. The best part is that many of them are free and can easily help you get started writing some great content.
The bottom line is that knowing your target audience makes creating content much easier. Instead of sitting there trying to come up with something new, think about what your visitors want most.
3. Create a Content Strategy in Advance
There’s nothing wrong with just “winging it” when it comes to blogging. I know quite a few people who’ve carved out a bit of success without really having a hardcore writing strategy.
On the other hand, most of those people are the exception rather than the rule.
Having a content strategy in place beforehand makes maintaining the blog much easier. You could easily plan out an entire month’s worth of content, which helps streamline the writing process.
4. Consider Using Free Project Management Apps
Using project management apps isn’t just for people with a lot of clients or a massive workload. A lot of them can be used to easily keep track of your day and what you plan to write next on your blog.
Perhaps one of my most-used apps on my computer is Asana. Well, I use it mostly through the web browser.
Everything I manage, from blogs to clients, runs through Asana to help me keep track of my day. It uses a checklist-style layout so I can click what I’ve done and see what’s next.
5. Improve Time Management Skills
Arguably, one of the best ways to be more productive is to work on time management. This isn’t always the easiest to master, though. Especially if you work from home.
There are a lot of things that can act as a time suck. The trick is to identify where you’re wasting time and what you can do to improve.
This is perhaps one of the greatest benefits of using project management apps…being able to manage your time. No matter how you slice it up, though, time management skills increase your chances of success.
6. Create Realistic Daily To-Do Lists
Daily “to-do” lists can be a blessing for any blogger. They can help you remember what needs to be done while contributing to organizing your time.
If you’re trying to build a popular website, there is more going on than just writing and publishing awesome content. With a to-do list, you can remember to share posts on social media, update your plugins and tools, or schedule some time to watch a helpful video or two.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, using a free project management app as I mentioned above can help with all of this organizing. Though, I do know a few people who use to-do lists from their smartphones quite successfully.
7. Use Writing Goals for the Day
An easy way to help you be more productive is to set daily writing goals. You can focus on a set number of words you write or how much time you spend blogging.
Just make sure you create realistic goals for yourself. By making things too difficult, you could start to feel frustrated, which could eventually lead to you giving up on your website.
Daily writing goals were perhaps one of the greatest reasons why I became such a success on Textbroker. Every day, I focused on simply doing more than I did the day before…even if it was just by writing one more word.
8. Tackle One Project at a Time
Multitasking has been getting a bad rep for nearly a decade now. Yet, so many people will still try to do too many things at once. Multitasking can actually hurt productivity in some profound ways.
What I normally do is focus on one project at a time. For instance, I’ll start my day working with each client individually. Then, I move on to writing a blog post. If I have time, I’ll make a video.
My point is that each one is completed before I move on to the next project. That way, everything gets 100% of my focus until it’s done.
9. Can You Delegate Some of the Blog Work?
As a blogger, you might want to consider getting some help at some point. Though, it really depends on the types of projects you’re setting up and how far you want to take the blog.
A lot of people will hire freelancers to create content, which could free time for other important projects. I know I would love to hire a video editor at some point in the near future, but that’s because I added YouTube to WriterSanctuary.
Delegating some of the workload can easily relieve some stress while helping you be more productive with your own projects.
10. Consider Your Ultradian Rhythm
I know it sounds a bit “new-agey,” but there is definitely something to be said about following your ultradian rhythm. This is when you’re aligned with the ebb and flow of your body and mind.
Let me explain.
Personally, I am far more productive when I have a steady flow of work from 70 to 90 minutes. Then, I’ll take a 10 to 15-minute break and walk around the backyard. Afterward, I am energized and ready for another round of work.
Essentially, it’s finding patterns in your behavior when you’re the most productive throughout the day.
11. Work Up a Sweat First
There is a lot of evidence that points to how exercise boosts mental health. And I’m not just talking about handling depression, stress, or mood.
Getting in a good workout before you start the day can also affect concentration, motivation, memory, and cognitive functionality. All of these are quite important as a blogger, which in turn helps you be more productive throughout the day.
This is also why I head to the gym first thing in the morning Monday, Wednesday, and Friday while throwing 30 minutes into the Xbox Kinect on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Yes, the Xbox Kinect is still one of my go-to exercise machines in the house. You can’t argue with burning 400+ calories playing 30 minutes of virtual tennis.
12. Hold Yourself Accountable
Out of everything on this list, holding yourself accountable is probably one of the more difficult. When you work from home, whether as a full-time freelancer or blogger, you don’t have a boss standing over you to make sure your writing gets done for the day.
What I normally try to do is use my visitors and audience to hold me accountable for content. I don’t want to let anyone down, so I put in the extra effort to meet demands.
Any method you can use to promote accountability is going to extensively improve your chances of success.
13. Limit Those Distractions
One of the more obvious ways to be more productive is to limit distractions. But I wanted to add it to the list anyway because of just how dangerous they can be when trying to build a brand.
Working from home, distractions can come in the form of kids, YouTube, Netflix, video games, shopping, household chores…anything that takes you away from actually blogging.
Now, there are going to be times when those distractions are necessary. Especially if you’re caring for younger kids at home. Nonetheless, you still need to find a way to limit as many of life’s interruptions as you can.
14. Use Content Templates More Often
Content templates can be incredibly helpful for publishing blog posts in a timely manner. When you have a set layout of how you want certain content to be created, it cuts a lot of time off the writing process.
For instance, I have a specific method for setting up listicles, reviews, and Q&As on all of my sites. We even have a content layout template for tutorials for one of my clients.
When you have a solid structure of how headers and topics are handled, it makes creating content for a blog exponentially easier.
15. Learn to Say “No” More Often
And lastly, being able to say “no” to friends, family, clients, and yourself can be monumental in helping you be more productive. This is something I still have a bit of a problem with, especially when it comes to the kids.
If you’re in my house, I have the mindset that I need to be at your disposal. It’s the wrong mindset to have, but I always make sure everyone has what they need and want at all times while putting my own needs and wants last.
This is one of the biggest reasons why I want an external office so badly.
In any case, you need to prioritize yourself at some point. It’s not selfish to work on bettering yourself, especially if you’re trying to create a blog that replaces a full-time income.
And yes, I’ve had to tell clients “no” a couple of times as they wanted something immediately. If it’s outside of my contract, you’re going to wait until I am finished with my current project.
How Do You Plan to Be More Productive for Your Website?
Am I perfect? Absolutely not. However, the above things have helped me increase productivity over the past decade. Because of these things, I have created tens of thousands of articles for thousands of clients across the planet.
And I’ve been able to get a few posts on my own websites published.
Sure, I still have quite a few things I need to improve upon. But I’m always in a state of self-improvement, so, the journey will never end.
What kind of things help you stay focused and motivated to write or blog?
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