I'm quite lucky in that my 'day job' is based in the middle of central London and I have a very nice boss who knows about my blog and thinks it's a great additional asset to my career. I work in digital but for a corporate multi-national, so while the content might be massively different, a lot of the skills cross over. The office location also means it's quite easy for me to pop to press events and launches before work, during my lunch break or straight afterwards without having to take too much annual leave (because to be honest, I'd rather save that for an actual holiday!).
When you work 40+ hours a week and also spend the same amount of time on your blog, it's important to be organised. Like really, really organised. Otherwise you end up chained to a computer, with no social life at all and that can all get a bit depressing. I'm only speaking from personal experience here as it's totally up to you how much time you want to set aside on your blog, how many posts you like to put up per week etc, but I thought I'd share a few of my tips for making the most of the time you've got, while still having time to do other things, like actually seeing your friends and family!
Write a shitload of lists - lists are your BFF when it comes to blog organisation (and everything in life if you're me, ha ha). Make a note of what you plan to photograph each week, which blog posts are drafted/need drafting, social media schedules, upcoming events/launches etc. It all helps to keep you focused and feels so satisfying when you can cross things off the list. It also gives a good excuse to buy nice stationery that can double up as photography props (see my post on creating the perfect flat lay for more ideas) so it's a double win.
Make the most of every moment - use your commute to work to write draft copy for blog posts, plan future content or reply to comments. I often spend my lunch breaks replying to emails or catching up with PRs over lunch to give me more time in the evenings to do blog admin, photo editing and the like.
Photograph in bulk - even in summer, getting the right light to take photos can be a total bitch, so I normally set aside several hours on either a Saturday or Sunday morning to get an entire week's worth done. That way I can spend a few evenings in the week editing them, safe in the knowledge they're already taken.
Don't over-commit - it's all very well saying yes to lots of launches or agreeing to review tons of products, but in reality, will you actually have the time to focus on them all? It's very easy to say yes to everything in a haze of excitement, but it's much better to take a little extra time to decide if the product is right for your readers and if you can genuinely set aside time to write about it.
Schedule, schedule, schedule - almost every blogger I know schedules social media posts to help promote their content throughout the day, but scheduling upcoming blog posts can also be really helpful. There will always be times when you want to put something out while it's fresh in your head - a bit of a rant or a heartfelt post you might never publish if you have too much time to think, but for the most part, I try to schedule a week's worth of posts in advance. It helps to take the pressure off a little if you're having a bad day and can't think of what to write, or just can't face looking at your laptop after a full day in the office.
Make time to do other stuff - it's really easy to get sucked in to the blogging world and feel like you need to spend every spare moment you have on it. But that often ends up leading to a whole load of blogger's block and general 'mehness'. Go do fun stuff, enjoy yourself and if you can be bothered, take a few photos and it might turn into an unexpected blog post!
What are your top tips for managing a blog and keeping organised?
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