BLOG ADVICE: HOW I MAINTAIN MY BLOG WHEN I HAVE NO TIME

How to maintain your blog when you’re strap for time or simply feeling uninspired

You may have noticed that this last week or so i’ve been a little MIA from not only my dear old blog but social channels t00, i’m so sorry for the relative silence and lack of new content, it pains me to be so time stretched and unable to focus on producing and sharing the content i love so much. I wrote a little bit about the crazy busy period i’m tackling right now earlier this week (you can read it here if you missed it), and truth be told it’s really taken it out of me. The trouble with having a demanding career and a side hustle is that sometimes one out balances the other.

And right now, given an important business project i’m working on, all my time has gone to work. Days, Evenings, nights, weekends. I mean, all my time.

I’ve struggled more than ever before to keep my content flowing this last few weeks as a result, and with my strive to make everything as quality as I can I don’t want to produce or put out anything i’m not feeling good about. So instead of stressing (too much) instead i’ve focussed the minutes I have had spare, on other important aspects of maintaining my blog that may be a little less obvious to you guys. The tasks that take seconds to do rather than hours, and the jobs that sometimes just get left for later. Because even when you don’t have time to shoot & produce content, there’s still lots you can do to benefit your blog & blogging business.

The quick and time efficient things you can do to improve your blog when you’re strap for time. 

Focus on the 80

If you read my post about maximising content production versus content distribution, then you’ll know that theory says 80% of your time should be spent on content distribution and not the production itself. And whilst it’s not always quite that way, the benefit of content distribution is that it’s often simple, quick and can be picked up whenever a few minutes arise. So if you’ve not quite got the time to plan an editorial, shoot a feature and write editorial, then why not focus on sharing your archives and giving some air time to the content you have already produced?

Upgrade your SEO

SEO is one of those jobs that when you start to optimise, it becomes routine, but there’s always a ton of posts that are left unoptimised from the era pre ‘SEO’ (am i alone?). Optimising your sites SEO is quite easy with a plugin like YOAST which helps you deliver on a check list of SEO essentials for each post you write. If you’re strap for time but still want to work on your blog, why not spend that 5 minute breather optimising a couple of old posts SEO.

Tackle your emails

Much like engaging with your readers, keeping in touch with your network and potential new clients is critical and super important to maintaining your blog. It’s also one of those tasks that can be done in drips and drabs as and when time becomes available and doesn’t need hours dedicated to delivery. So when you can’t find the time to get a new post live, attend those events or meet clients for a coffee, don’t panic, emails & calls can be just as affective and personal and need not cost you much time. I often tackle emails as i’m walking from one place to the next … it helps me feel on top of things whilst also benefiting my blog whilst i’m unable to get new content out the door.

Schedule

And finally, when you really are strap for time, don’t forget the impact a scheduler can have on your blog. I’ve actually forgotten to load some tweets to buffer (as i’ve literally not had time), but it’s so helpful in allowing you to still be present, even if in reality you’re running around like a mad woman. I use the mobile app and it’s so simple to schedule new content for your social channels.

Engage with your readers

Now this one is tricky. Because truth be told, when you’re strap for time in the way I am now, even looking at your phone becomes a distant memory. I’ve been so ‘locked away’ working that i’ve barely even looked at anything other than my work. But having said that, there’s always a minute or two, whether thats on your commute, on the loo or just before bed to respond to readers tweets, comments or insatgram messages, or even just to drop a line to your favourite bloggers too. It need not take hours, but don’t forget the importance of engaging with your readers, social visibility is just as powerful as new content in many respects these days.

And if time really is strap. Just don’t panic. Your readers won’t leave you forever just because there’s nothing new right now. Take the time you need & focus on getting things back to normal as and when your schedule allows.

I’m trying to take my own advice on the last point. I find myself constantly stressing and feeling down about my lack of time and ability to juggle everything like I normally do. But truth be told, readers are still coming, I have well over 5 years of daily content for new readers to discover, and I hope that when I do finally share some content (like now), that people remember little old mediamarmalade.com does exist still after all.

Do you ever find yourself unable to squeeze in time to blog (or time for any hobby or even yourself really). Did you find these tips helpful at all? I’d love to hear how you manage?