Blogging Habits

I have other hobbies I really enjoy, but I’d definitely say, that blogging is the hobby that consumes the largest chunk of my spare time lately. Here are a few of my blogging habits.

• Blog on-the-go - I currently use the blogger app on my iPhone. When I have ideas for new content, I start drafts and add to them when I find something I’d like to share or get struck by inspiration. Adding to blog content over time becomes particularly important for weekly features I do such as my links roundup. As I come across or receive articles or blog posts from friends during the course of the week, I add to the post while in draft form. Because I add to blog posts over time, by Friday when I post my weekly links, I usually just clean up my copy, add any images I want to include and publish it rather quickly. 
• Set a blogging schedule - Once upon a time, I went through stretches where I blogged on a daily basis. I had a lot more free time on my hands at that point. But now, I find with a full time job and other commitments, it’s much more manageable to choose a few days a week to blog and stick with them. For the last several months, I’ve been blogging on a MWF schedule. I’ve tried blogging on the weekends, but I find that weekdays work best for me at the moment. I’ll think about adding a weekend post back into my schedule in 2014. Of course I get struck by ideas on days other than MWF, but since my blog doesn’t feature breaking news, it’s more important for me to make an effort to consistently blog on the same days each week. In the future I’ll also work on getting my posts up at a set time each day…
• Travel with a notepad and camera (or smart phone) - Inspiration can strike at any moment. Since I’m not a regular driver, my time spent in transit is the perfect opportunity to write/type copy for posts. I also write informal editorial calendars in a small notebook if I find myself waiting somewhere like the dentist’s office with nothing else to do. Walking around my city also offers opportunities to take photos for blog posts or for social media platforms like Instagram.
• Use weekends for prep – I usually spend at least 30 minutes during the weekends generating ideas, taking photos, and drafting content for the week. Lately, I’ve also started being more scheduling social media content on outlets like Facebook, Twitter and Google + for the week. 
• Set aside time to unplug – Having a hobby (and a job) that requires me to spend lots of time sitting at a computer means that scheduling time to unplug is key. Fall is the perfect time of year to get outside and away from all screens I’ve come to rely on. I really plan to be more vigilant about setting aside unplug time in 2014. 

 What are your blogging habits? 
Do you have any other short-cuts or tips that help you manage your blog?

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