There is a weird misconception that if you're a blogger you're organised, live out of your marble print diary and write things down with your matching marble pen. 1. I am a blogger 2. I'm much better at organising my route for a night out 3. I own nothing marble.
Which is a nice reminder that there are no 'rules' when it comes to blogging and you can absolutely make it what you want to but I speak from experience when I say that being organised does make your digital life a more hassle free.
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I've been a little slow on the blog this month so I wanted to have a quick catch-up with you guys before we start talking organisation. I am back on YouTube after 2 years, I've openly mentioned finding it weird putting myself out there online and I struggled to record myself in the past due to lack of confidence, lack of ideas and lack of drive. But guys, I cannot block my creativity any longer. I have 2 new videos that you can watch here, including a 2 year catch up and a cute Primark Haul video please like, comment and subscribe as I am looking forward to posting weekly and growing my channel.
STAYING ORGANISED AS A BLOGGER
If you're blogging as a hobby it's much easier to blog as and when you want to without feeling guilty or as if you're 'slacking'. If you're blogging for business or both it becomes a bit more demanding and it takes the ease off when you have the tools and knowledge to plan your time efficiently.
1. MAKING DECISIONS
As a blogger I have to make decisions early on that will shape my future content and brand. These decisions include, whether or not I will have a blogging schedule, how often I will post, If I will have guest bloggers, If I want to accept sponsored content, how much I will charge for this and more. I know all of the answers to these questions and it makes it easier to respond to business enquiries ASAP as well as helping me plan, shoot and execute my content for the month.
I currently do not have a blogging schedule but I still make a rough plan of what posts I want to come out within the next month, the days I want to shoot and the days I want to spend writing with a cup of mint tea.
2. DRAFT SOME IDEAS
After deciding when I am posting I need to know 'what' I am posting. Brainstorming ideas when I am feeling creative has saved me on my 'creative-block' days. It could be at 9am after I brush my teeth or it could be at 9pm when I want to be in bed but can't drag myself away from my laptop either way I make sure they're documented. Drafting ideas in advance means that you have an idea of what to write for the next month or so. When I am feeling inspired I simply refer to my list of blog post ideas and when I am facing writers block my list pushes me in the right direction.
3. PLAN YOUR DAY
Every morning, I give thanks, scroll through Instagram for 5 minutes, shower and brush my teeth and then make a list of every thing I want to accomplish that day. The key is to be specific, be realistic and try to get through as many things on my list completed as possible.
My list will typically look like this...
Publish Blog Post
Emails
Schedule Tweets
Instagram Post
Record YouTube Video
Edit Images
Let's be honest, I don't always get through everything so I'll always try to put the most important things at the top and those that are unchecked will be added to the top of tomorrow's list.
This cute bag is only £6 and is featured in my Primark Haul.
4. USE SCHEDULING APPS
Apps are a bloggers best friend, they make the day a lot easier and make it possible for you to digitally and physically be at two places at once. Tweet Deck allows you to schedule tweets in advance, they'll post on your Twitter account at your chosen time/day meaning you can run errands and tweet at the same time. Plann allows me to plan my Instagram feed before posting to the 'gram, I am able to plan my pictures for the week and see what images compliment my feed. The calendar App on your phone is great for adding events and dates to your diary making it easy for you to plan your months and to schedule in down time.
5. DEADLINES & DAYS OFF
Although I thought I left my last minute days at Uni, I cannot deny that I am writing this post at 10:14am on a Monday morning and hoping to have it live this afternoon. I do not recommend this. I won't have enough time to proof read properly and I won't feel relaxed or confident after publishing. I advise having everything written and edited the day before you want to publish, it takes the edge off and gives you time to make any desired last minute changes. There is nothing wrong with giving yourself a deadline even though, you're the boss.
As someone who often stays on her laptop for about 4 hours too long every evening, I also encourage taking days off. Some of you will work in the week and blog on the weekends which is perfect because it means you aren't doing it 24/7. I blog during the week, hang out with friends on Saturday and family on Sunday. I don't even log into my blog on Sundays anymore, there is such thing as doing too much and without taking days off/away from social media blogging can start to feel draining and no one wants that feeling.
I hope you guys enjoyed my blogging organisation tips. Do let me know if there is anything you want me to cover on the blog or over on YouTube. Thank you for the support as always.
Love, Shay.
