Blogging in the Margins: 10-Minute Tasks for Blog Strategy

The quick blogging tips, 10-minute tasks series is tackling blog strategy this week. Here are 10-minute tasks for blog strategy you can do today to move your blogging business forward.

Myself and most of my clients blog in the margins – fitting in just a bit of blogging here and there.

There are affiliate links in this article which means, at no additional cost to you, we could receive compensation for our recommendations. You can read our full disclosure policy.

10-Minute Tasks for Blog Strategy

This focus is quick blogging tips for blog strategy. You can find all of the tips in the 10-minute tasks series here.

Better yet, get all of the 10-Minute Blog Tasks published here AND more than 80 additional tasks (and more grow-your-business focus areas). The Blogging in the Margins book is now available on Amazon!

Because we need boundaries, I chose tasks which can be done in just 10-minutes but would love to hear from you. How do you fit strategy building into the margins of your life?

Do you:

• work off a goal planning system?
• have a constant conversation open with your readers?
• try to meet someone new in your niche each week?

This is my FAVORITE part of blogging but I know many bloggers would rather just create, create, create. This list is a compromise for both groups.

Seek Out New Networking Opportunities

Did you find a new blog you love? Has your Facebook interaction in groups gone stale? Use your 10-minutes wisely and reach out or ask questions. Introduce yourself if you’re a lurker. #noshameinalurkinggame

If you’re new to blog networking, start with learning how to find and build your blogging tribe.

Are there any blogs you love who also target your ideal audience? Could you pitch them a guest post or a collaboration on a project, video, or social media profile takeover?

[clickToTweet tweet=”A competitor becomes a collaborator through networking. #collaboration #blogging” quote=”A competitor becomes a collaborator through networking.”]

Additionally, if you combine this task and the next one (analytics), you could focus on your referrals and send thank you’s or collaboration invitations. Successful bloggers don’t work on an island.

Move your blog forward by networking.

Review Search Console, Social, or Google Analytics

I will never tell you to check your blog statistics daily, though I know many bloggers are in the habit of doing so. It’s my opinion that your plan is your plan and you should put more time towards executing that plan than to measurement.

That being said, if you have a few minutes open Search Console and find out how people have found you via search recently. Can you brainstorm another article? Should you create a roundup for SEO purposes and which your readers would find valuable?

Or, get off your site altogether and check out what your traffic your recent pins are producing. In just 10-minutes, you can move the needle forward by using data to plan part of your content strategy.

Use data to move your blog forward strategically.

Ask

Whether it’s a single social share with a question or a meme to spur a discussion on where they like to online shop, surveying your reader base to attract more of your ideal readers is always a good exercise.

In just one question, you could target content, products, or affiliate partners. Just remember: less is more with questions. Your goal is to get them chatting, not have them fill out a workbook.

Open the lines of communication with your readers to move your business forward.

Brainstorm Extension Posts

Grab a pencil and a piece of paper and start brainstorming how you can extend a popular post into a series. This is good for SEO, I promise.

The talented, informed ladies with Learn to Blog Hangouts have you covered with learning how to use your blog's data to improve your SEO. You know where your traffic is coming from, so use it to build a focus.

Extension posts will draw in more of your target readers.

Get In a Different Mindset

You are unique. You have skills. Do a deep dive and write down anything you could think of to offer as a service or product.

I’m not saying you’ll immediately start working on these, but it will reframe your mindset back into “I’m a business owner, damnit. I can do this.” #sorryforthelanguage #butitstrue

Move your blog forward by reminding yourself this is your business and it can be built using 10-minute tasks for blog strategy.

Map Out Your Social Feeds

So many curated Instagram feeds can’t be wrong – there must be magic in mapping out your feed. #sarcasm

Even without a tool or 100% branded content on all platforms, you can focus on a theme. Using popular or current posts, map out a few shares to generate discussion and engagement. The CONTENT is what’s important.

Moving off Instagram, perhaps you want to improve your Facebook engagement or click-throughs. Focus on learning what’s working on the platform and build your strategy on the back of a napkin, if that’s what you have to work with.

One way to quickly generate curated, relevant social feeds is by using PLR content.

Take 10-minutes to focus on the message you’re sending with your feed, not just individual shares.

Get More Tips

Bloggy buddies are always sharing quick blogging tips with other, right? Well, now you can join the Elevate Everyone group on Facebook. We’ll have tips, questions, and helpful interaction on 5 to 10-minute quick tips for blogging! Come join us!

Takeaway and Action

Use at least 2 of these 10-minute tasks for blog strategy this week and move your business forward in the time you’ve got to work with.