Friend Friday: Blogging Time Management

This week’s topic from Katy Rose of Modly Chic is about blogging time management.

How many hours a week do you spend blogging? Has that number changed since you started blogging?

I’ve had multiple blogs over the years but this one is probably the most time consuming and most satisfying blog that I have written yet. At first, I only had a couple of ideas and I posted very sporadically, spending 30 minutes per post. Nowadays, since I’m posting 5 days a week, the amount of time I spend blogging has significantly increased. Writing the post isn’t the hardest part, it’s the photos, the research, the little tweaks that take the most time. I probably spend over 10 hours a week crafting new articles, taking photos, commenting on other blogs, etc. But I enjoy every minute of it!

There is always more you can do, write, read, comment on… how do you limit your time spent on these tasks?

If I had nothing to do on my weekends, I can easily spend an entire day just reading blogs, working on my own blog, and stay connected to my computer. But I don’t always have that much free time. So lately, I’ve set aside an hour everyday (if possible) to update my blog, write new things, and read/comment on other blogs. It doesn’t always happen, but I try to do a little every day.

Have you experienced Blogger burnout yet? How have you dealt with that?

I grew up with blogging. I used to write in my little paper diaries until the advent of Livejournal and Xanga, so blogs are my outlets. I don’t think I have experienced any serious Blogger Burnout yet, but there have been moments when I take a day off from posting or I go on a little hiatus.

I don’t really feel the pressure of coming up with new material or trying to attract an audience. I do my best to think of good content and if others like it, they’ll keep coming back. I don’t want to force people to read what I write, I want them to enjoy the experience. If I’m forcing it, people can tell and it’s not beneficial for anyone. So, I’d much rather live my life, share my experiences, and hope that I don’t over-extend myself so that I get burnout.

This time of the year is always a lot busier than any other time. Will your blogging change as a result?

The holidays are always a little hectic, but I don’t think much will change from my current blogging schedule. I do schedule a lot of my posts in advance so it gives me time to edit, evaluate, research, and re-write posts. Plus, if I don’t feel inspired one day, but have 5 ideas the next, it’s easier to spread them around so that my blog flows continuously. Despite how busy I may be, I can almost always have something for my readers.

Could you forsee a moment in which you are not blogging anymore? How would you you identify that it’s time to walk away?

If I had my way, I would probably blog indefinitely. I know life can get in the way or circumstances may change that would affect my blogging activities. But that’s not going to happen anytime soon. (I hope!) There are days when I want to call it quits, but at the end of my internal debate, I always stick by my blog.

However, there may come a time when blogging is no longer fun and exciting for me. When it grows into a monster that I avoid and dislike, that would be the time to step down and close my site. But until then, I’ll be chugging along.

To see what other bloggers have to say, head on over to Modly Chic.

Tagged as: blogging, friend friday, time management