You’re busy running your small business. The last thing you have time to do is to blog. But blogging is an essential part of building an online community and attracting potential customers. And you need to have fresh content available to current customers so they don’t forget about you or your products and services!
We’ve talked about where to find ideas for your blog. Now let’s find the time to do it!
Schedule it into your calendar
Make your business a priority. You have time carved out to prospect new clients, invoice, pay your bills, even network. Now it’s time to put blogging on the calendar and make it stick. I have large chunks of time blocked out on Mondays and Fridays for just that purpose. Sometimes I’m creating content for new programs and offerings; sometimes I spend time working my editorial calendar, which includes social media. But I really try not to schedule any client meetings those two days so I can focus on my business. It’s not always possible, but I stick to this as much as possible. Working my business benefits my clients too—even when I’m not meeting or working with them directly—because I’m creating valuable content and resources for them.
Prioritize
If you simply can’t get blogging scheduled into your work day, take stock of how you spend your time outside the usual 9 to 5. As a small business owner, know that you may spend more time working than the average Joe, at least to start. How much television do you watch? How active is your social life? How much time do you spend on social media? Do you have hobbies that take up a lot of your time? Try cutting out a few hours a week to sit down and write—even if it takes time outside of the typical workday. I think you’ll quickly find time in your workday to make it a priority.
[bctt tweet=”If you can’t get blogging scheduled into your work day, take stock of how you spend your time.”]
Write in Chunks
Since I have large chunks of time dedicated to my own business, I use that time to blog in chunks. The day I’m writing this piece, I’ll also be creating content for the next two or three additional blogs, and the social posts that go along with them. I find I am able to write much faster this way and am much more productive.
Use Inspirational Moments
You’ve answered the same question via email for the 100th time. You had a great client experience that you want to capture because you now have a great vision for future encounters. Capitalize on these ah-ha moments (and even the moments of frustration) by writing down your experience and using them as a blog! And if you have to answer the same question over and over, simply copy and paste your answer into a blog piece. Wham! Bam! (You know you just sang the song in your head.)
[bctt tweet=”Save yourself some time. Use FAQs as key blog pieces–you’ll never have to answer the question again!”]
Hire it Out
There may come a time when you realize that blogging just isn’t for you. Either you don’t enjoy writing or your business goals take you away from your computer more than you would like. Professional bloggers (like me!) can help. We work with you to develop an editorial calendar, create valuable content for your audience and give you access to approve the content before it goes out to the public. You win, because you now have fresh, SEO-friendly content for your audience—and you didn’t have to write a word! I offer several packages to clients, depending on how often you want to deliver new content.
