My Top Tips for Running a Blog & Working Full Time
Working on Your Side Hustle Whilst Also Earning Pennies…
For the past six years, I have been blogging and working full time. And I’ve loved every moment of it. It’s been a learning curve and the balance between my two roles. I remember when I first started the blog, I would be posting every single day and working until 2 am. And then heading straight to my full-time job.
Right now, I have much more of a balance with blogging and working full time. I brought the scheduling back (quality over quantity) and have got seriously organised with my posting and side hustle (including Instagram). I’ve refined down my areas of coverage, swatted up on the technical side. Overall, became more of a boss girl with it. But it took a lot of time, effort and work.
Recently, I’ve seen my traffic skyrocket and I do believe that it is due to the time we are living in. More and more people are on the internet right now, needing an escape or help. So if you’re thinking of starting a blog or side hustle, now is a perfect time to do so. But if you’re still needing to work a full-time job, then I hope these tips will help you…
ORGANISATION IS KEY.
In order to be successful with blogging and working full time, you have to get organised. The burnout that I use to experience is down to leaving things to the last minute. Since putting a content calendar in place and dedicating specific time during the week to blogging, it has become easier to handle. I also feel the quality has also improved.
Timewise, you have to separate your time and give yourself enough to work on your side hustle, but also relax. It is so easy to become so involve and dedicate all your free time to your blog. However, you need some time for yourself to relax and unwind. Otherwise, you will suffer from burnout and it’s not pretty. I like to try and get as much done on a Saturday, with a few hours in the evening dedicated to the blog. However, since I’ve been working from home, I have been finding I have a lot more time and energy. It’s helping the balance and I’m loving it.
To help you get organised I would highly recommend getting some form of a content calendar, whether it be digital or in a gorgeous notebook. Add to your own calendars blocks of time that are purely dedicated to blogging. You’ll be on a roll in no time.
BE CONSISTENT.
The key to making it with blogging and being an influencer is to be consistent. That does not mean posting every single day. As I’ve spoken about previously, I tried that and it burnt me out. Now if you’re schedule can handle that, go for it. But if you cannot commit to doing that all the time, it’s better to scale back. By committing to a smaller schedule but being able to do it consistently will ensure that your readers know when you’ll show up and will be loyal.
Right now I am able to commit to posting every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Not only has that allowed me to improve the quality of my work (as I’m not churning posts out for the sake of posts) but it’s given me a better work/ life balance.
GET PARTICULAR WITH YOUR NICHE.
Whilst the urge to cover every aspect of your life is strong, to pull off the balance it’s essential to niche down. By committing your blog/ Instagram account to one topic, you’ll find your focus is more lasered in. Again, this ensures you’re maintaining that work/ life balance, that the time you’ve dedicated to blogging is put to good use and that you’re able to provide the best quality of work. I’m very much a lifestyle blogger, but you’ll notice recently that I’ve niced towards interiors for the past couple of years. Now your niche doesn’t have to be the same thing for the rest of your life. Your interests and expertise will change with time and how you go about your life. So you might start off loving beauty, but then your blog may focus on skincare and wellness. Whilst you are starting off, try and focus on one area and then go from there.
