At first, glance, running a blog while working full-time might seem impossible. After all, how are you to find the necessary time to set up your blog and maintain it properly? Well, it might surprise you to know that most of the blogs that are online now are run by people who either work part-time or full-time. There are numerous apps and services that can make running a blog both efficient and easy. So, to help you run a blog while working full-time, we are going to go over the most important aspect that you need to keep in mind.
Setting up a good blog
For the sake of this article, we are going to assume that you have never run a blog before. That way, we will be able to cover the important aspects of blogging with due care. If you have run a blog before, or you are doing so currently, you might find certain parts of the article familiar or redundant. Nevertheless, we still advise you to thoroughly go through this article. You may learn certain aspects of writing or blogging that completely flew under your radar.
Learn about blogging
While blogging may seem pretty straightforward (sit down at your computer and write) the reality of it is far from so. Remember, people have been running blogs for decades now. And during that time, we’ve learned a thing or two about what makes a blog successful. So, the first thing to do is to simply continue what you are doing now and learn from other bloggers. A good idea is to look for a blog similar to yours, either in style or subject, and see what they are doing. More often then not, there is something you can learn from your competition that will prove to be quite useful.
Build a decent website
While there are plenty of host websites where you can run your blog, should still build your own. If your blog kicks off and you get a sudden surge of online traffic, you’ll be glad that your website was in your control. This will allow you to tackle marketing properly and even monetize your blog if the opportunity arises. Plus, once you develop your style, you will have more freedom to adjust your website to your writing style. So, while building a website can be a sizable investment, it’s still advice to go for it.
Try to develop a style
Having your own writing style is not something that you will have from the moment you set up your blog. But it is important to keep in mind that you need to continually develop it, even while you run a blog while working full-time. Remember, there are thousands if not millions of different blogs currently online. So, you need to have a certain feel, a certain style to yours, if you want to draw in traffic. You should, of course, write about things that you are familiar with and for which you can say something new and informative. But, above all, try to hone your writing skills as you go along. That way, you will find a certain style of expression that is your own.
Run a blog while working full-time
While it is possible to run a blog while working full-time, it is definitely not easy. The biggest hurdle will be finding the extra energy to keep your blog updated and to change it as need be. But, if you set your writing schedule properly, and you get some help for blog maintenance, you will succeed in running a decent blog while working the standard 9-to-5.
Set up a writing schedule
The only way to properly write for your blog is to dedicate at least a couple of hours every week for it. If you publish one blog post per week, that’s fine. But make sure that it is every week and in the same time frame. Remember, you need to keep writing in order to develop a style and to further hone your writing skills. And if you simply let your motivation dictate when you will write, you will soon lose track. You may have too much work on your plate; you might be working odd hours; you may be looking to gain work experience overseas, which demands a lot of your time. The point is that the everyday hassle of your full-time job will always have precedent over your blog posts. So, if you want to run a blog while working full-time, set aside a couple of hours every week and stick to them.
Outsourcing articles
The final advice for you is to get an outside writer to write an article for your blog every once in a while. Even the best bloggers can become stale after a while. And a new writer can be just the breath of fresh air that you need. Plus, once you get into blog marketing, you will see how important backlinks are. So, all in all, consider setting up a procedure on your website where writers can contact you and offer you their content.
Hire a web designer
Unless your full-time job is closely connected to web design and website management, there is hardly a chance that you’ll be able to run your blog properly. After all, if you’ve done what was advised here and set up your website, you will have to maintain and update it. This involves:
- Getting new addons.
- Upgrading your security systems.
- Changing your blog so that it works well with modern platforms.
- Following current blog trends.
- Making sure that your blog functions well.
So, you really do need to hire a web designer if you run a blog while working full-time. A good web designer will be able to build an intuitive, well-functioning website. Furthermore, if they continue to develop your website as you develop your writing skills and style, they will be able to connect your website to your blog, thereby giving it a feel of coherence and unity. All in all, getting a web designer is a must. And even though it may seem costly, doing so is well worth the cost.
