Think you don’t have time to blog?
Chances are you’re overestimating the amount of time it takes. You can rough out a simple blog in as little as 20-30 minutes. Don’t over think it. Just jot down some thoughts on issues, interests or events in your industry.
Complex articles with extensive research and supporting links can take longer – as much as two to three hours. Can’t find a block of time that large in your schedule? You don’t need to. You can blog in just a few minutes a day.
Got ten minutes? Try one of these tools.
Pomodoro. If you haven’t tried this process it before, the Pomodoro method of getting things done is a real productivity booster. Set a timer for a prescribed amount of uninterrupted time before taking a break. The typical increments are 25 minutes of work with a 5 minute break. There’s no reason you can’t set that timer for ten or fifteen minutes or as long as you are willing to spare. You should be able to rough draft most blogs in one 25 minute Pomodoro.
Cloud. With apps like Google Drive, OneNote, Evernote and other cloud-based products, you never have to think about where your blogs are. Outline on your smart phone; write when you get back to your desk. (And forget everything you know about outlining. Just note three to five points you’d like to make. Don’t worry about numbers, letters and roman numerals.) Your blog in progress will be available wherever you are and most apps auto save, so you’ll never have to worry about losing what you’ve written.
Dictation. Everything from Google Drive to Evernote has a speech to text function. Play with one of these apps for a bit and once you’re comfortable, give it a try on your desktop, tablet or smart phone. Take just a few moments of quiet time and chat away. You’ll be amazed by how much you can get “written.” It will require a lot of editing, but it’s a great start. Dictation also gives your wrists a break if your days are typing heavy.
If you find you enjoy speech to text blogging, consider buying a dedicated program such as Dragon. You train the program to recognize your manner of speaking, making your transcriptions much more accurate. You’ll be less likely to run into errors like the one I got the other day – I said “takes a swing” my Google Doc heard “Texas wings.”
Journal. Why not go analog and take a break from staring at screens all day? Keep a small notebook in your bag or wallet or pocket (you can get really tiny ones from Moleskine). It’s always there to work on whether you’re waiting in line, sitting in a doctor’s office or waiting for the recital or soccer game to start.
You probably won’t complete a blog in one ten minute session, but you will make progress. Don’t be afraid to ramble or be sloppy in your first draft. You can clean it up and tighten it in the editing process. If possible, wait a day or so before you begin your edits. Read through it at least once and run it through a spellchecker. Ask a friend or coworker proofread it for you.
Still too much to fit into your overcrowded day? The experts at Haley Marketing Group would be happy to handle blogging for your staffing firm.