How to Blog Faster And Get Away from the Computer

Looking for ways on how to blog faster so you can get on with your life? I’m sharing 5 ways to manage content, promotion, and personal commitments each week. If blogging is your business, your time is money.

This is an article (full of super-awesome how to blog faster tips, obviously), so here’s an overview. The meat is in the middle, but if you’re pressed for time, re-Pin via the link and read it later.

1. Free Resource: Weekly Productivity Planner Worksheet (get it by signing up here)
2. Five Tips How to Blog Faster (click here to re-Pin this to read later and for reference)
3. Outsourcing Resource (I use this service about 4 x a month)

There are most likely affiliate links in this article, which could mean I may receive a commission if you purchase something mentioned in this post. To read more about my affiliate partners, see my full disclosure here.

Blog Faster So You Can Focus On…

Blogging, for some of us, is a job. And frankly, it’s a job that is hard to walk away from. We find ourselves working on articles at 1 am because it’s the quietest time in our day, or we spend an hour scouring stock photo sites to get that ‘perfect’ image for the Pin-worthy promo. #blogginglife

Learning how to blog faster will not only get you back to your family, allow you to engage in more ‘me time,’ and increase your content pool, it will also allow you to spend a couple of minutes on actually growing your business. If you want the once-weekly Productivity Planner Worksheet to make sure you’re blogging and growing your blog, sign up below and get immediate access to it (and more) in the Resource Library!

Tip 1: Post Idea Capture

I always recommend a content capture system outside of WordPress, Blogger, Squarespace, or whatever other CMS you use. The drafts get crowded and one can become stagnant when too many drafts pile up. I had a client with 412 drafts! #notkidding #wishIwas

I use OneNote and love it because it is free, accessible on any device. In it, everything is categorized, easily moved around, and I’m able to copy/paste my posts into WordPress. Other content creators use Evernote, Trello, or even the Notes section on their phone. If you’re a planner person, make sure a notebook (with category dividers that align with your blog) is available to you anytime.

Takeaway: The system doesn’t matter. What matters is that your content management system is available to you AT ALL TIMES and has some sort of categorization that coordinates with your site. Bonus points if that system is electronic to allow copy and paste.

[Tweet “Your content capture system can help you grow your #blog”]

Tip 2: Brainstorm

One of my most popular topics (EVER) in every single job I’ve ever had (corporate, sales, or content management), was my ability to train people to brainstorm before they begin a task. It can be applied to any industry and any position! Brainstorming allows you to work smarter, and if you don’t do it, you’re shorting yourself.

Mind Mapping is an unbelievably valuable way to brainstorm content and manage your blogging business. In my Resource Library, I offer a video tutorial AND a worksheet to get you started. Learning how to blog faster is synonymous with learning how to blog smarter.

Takeaway: Brainstorming (mind mapping or any other method) is one of the most powerful ways to satisfy your readers, grow your content, manage your brand, AND get time back into your day.

[Tweet “Brainstorm before writing a blog post: it benefits you and your readers!”]

Tip 3: Content Plan

If you don’t have a content plan – or have it and don’t use it – you’re missing out on more than you have to. CoSchedule, WordPress Editorial Calendar, or Google docs – the platform doesn’t matter. If you need a printable calendar to start, here is a free content marketing editorial calendar (and lots of tips).

Takeaway: If you take the few minutes to plan and deliver consistent content, reduce stress, be inspired beyond your calendar, and get away from your computer. Why? Because you KNOW you have the freedom in your plan to do so.

[Tweet “Planning your content is one key to decrease time spent #blogging”]

Tip 4: Batch It

Writing – I batch write because my mind mapping sessions usually give me many ideas all at once. Although I don’t schedule batch-written posts back to back, I batch write because it allows me to:

• deliver what my readers want while
• making efficient use of my time, and
• the individual pieces appear consistent when I roll them into a bundle or offering as a complete series.

Images / Image Editing – Create more than one meme, quote image, and Pin-worthy images at a time. Some people are digging Pablo by Buffer, but Designfeed.io is also free and is purrrrrrrfect for creating quotes and memes quickly. Plus, I don’t need a degree in design.

If you don’t use Photoshop/Lightroom, no worries! Edit your photos in one sitting using handy-dandy online tools like PicMonkey. Did you know you can edit a single photo in PicMonkey and then recreate the same custom edits with a simple drop down? Talk about an efficient use of my time and that is definitely a key component in learning how to blog faster!

This popular post and video on 10 ways to edit a stock image tells you how I create TONS of images from a single photo in just minutes! Psst: it’s popular because it’s life-changing for image creation.

Takeaway: Batch writing and editing are just a couple of ways you can create content that will support your brand, provide value, add cushion in a content calendar, and produce benefits long after you publish.

[Tweet “Reduce time #blogging by batching tasks”]

Tip 5: Scheduling and Flexibility

Taking full advantage of the future publish date in WordPress, I have posts completed and scheduled (with a 2020 publish date). All formatting, images, SEO, on- and off-site links, and even batched-scheduled social shares are ready to go!

I use CoSchedule as my editorial calendar, and because the social shares are tied to the post, I can keep a stockpile of posts while easily moving the content and social shares around. The drag and drop feature allows me to plan but remain fluid. Because there are some weeks I need to focus on other parts of my business, these scheduled posts have allowed me the ability to do so without worry.

Takeaway: Build up a back-log, whether to prepare for a blogging break (or breakdown). When you have a cushion and reduce stress, your creativity gets to take center stage.

[Tweet “Smart scheduling practices allow for #blogging flexibility”]

 

How to Blog Faster Bonus Tip

Here’s a tip from someone who has wasted countless hours searching… Unless you want to make website development, CSS, and HTML your hobbies, go ahead and outsource that stuff if you don’t know it (and don’t really want to learn it), outsource it.

There are some things to spend money on, and for the price of a coffee, you could have someone on Fiverr do it for you. I {big, squishy heart} love Fiverr, and use there are tons of gigs that can style CSS in just minutes, do an HTML tweak, fix a WordPress error, or even make an infographic for you! I hire jobs from Fiverr at a rate of about 4 per month, so let me know if you need a recommendation.

Takeaway

By testing out a few of these suggestions on how to blog faster, you can reduce stress and plan quality content while fostering a healthy, happy attitude towards blogging. And keep in mind, if it isn’t critical to your goals, it is a candidate for outsourcing.

Consider being a resource to your fellow bloggers and pin this to your “blogging tips” board on Pinterest. We sincerely appreciate the shares!