I know plenty of people who know they should be blogging but just don’t have the time to do it.

Their schedules are full of keeping their businesses running, taking care of their kids, and tending to the thousands of other things they’ve volunteered for. They just don’t have time to blog.

I get that. 

But also, respectfully, I disagree.

I think if people were to let go of some of their blogging misconceptions, they would feel free to invest in this important content-marketing strategy.

Hear me out.

It’s true that blogging can become a full-time gig. Some people invest hours each day promoting their blogs on social media, engaging people on forums and pitching affiliates.

But that’s not the only way to blog.

So how can you blog when you have no time?

My goal is that this article gives you some hope. If you want to start blogging but don’t know where to find the time for it, keep reading, my friend.

Misconception #1: Promoting my blog and writing consistently take too long.

No, they don’t.

Promotion can be a black hole if you let it. So don’t let it.

Learn the top one or two social media platforms your ideal clients use, and focus on those to promote your blogs.

Don’t waste hours promoting your blog on forums or social media where no one will care. In the future, when you have more time to branch out, you can do that. But for right now, start with your core people.

As for writing consistently, find a frequency that works for you. Right now, I’m working a full-time job in addition to maintaining this blog. So the frequency that works for me is once a week. 

Find what’s right for you.

Misconception #2: Writing one blog will take hours.

It can, but it doesn’t have to. And it really shouldn’t.

If your blog is a way to provide insight into your brand and show yourself to be an expert in your niche, then there are some simple ways to write blogs that don’t consume tons of time.

First, write what you know.

What are some of the main problems you see your customers facing? What advice would you give a client who was struggling with one of those problems? Write your blog as though you’re writing to that one person.

Second, write out of your own experiences.

Again, use examples from your own life to write your blogs. Tell your readers what has worked for you and what hasn’t. Tell stories about mistakes you’ve survived and lessons you’ve learned.

Third, write like you’re having a conversation.

Don’t make your blog stuffy. Often, writing takes us so long because we’re trying to sound smart. 

You don’t have to fall for that time-waster. Write as though you’re talking to a friend. 

An easy way to do this is to say what you want to communicate out loud. Then simply write out what you just said and clean up any grammatical yuckiness. (Yes, that’s the technical term.)

Misconception #3: Editing my blog will take forever.

If you’re a perfectionist, then, yes, it will take forever. 

I know this because I’ve lived it. And still do sometimes.

But blogs aren’t meant to be perfect. You’re not publishing your blog in a magazine or newspaper. So be willing for it to be less than perfect.

This does NOT mean that it’s OK to let your blog look like a hot mess. But editing doesn’t have to take forever. Run the piece through a spell checker. Or ask a friend to look over it for you. Or look over it once or twice yourself. (Or hire someone to edit it for you, let’s be honest now.)

But don’t require it to be perfect.

Misconception #4: Making graphics for my blog will take forever.

It certainly can if you don’t have the hang of it or if design isn’t your thing.

It’s not mine, for sure.

That’s why I purchased social media templates from Bluchic. (You can check them out here if you’d like.)

I purchased the package when they were having a Black Friday sale. But there are tons of others out there.

The templates may cost a little money, but they save you a ton of time.

Another easy way to create social media graphics is on Canva.

I introduced my mom to Canva a couple of months ago and she loves it! Some of the graphics she’s creating now are way better than mine, and I’m not even salty about it.

Basically, Canva gives you templates you can edit and customize to make them unique for your purposes. They have templates for Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and more. 

Misconception #5: I don’t even know how to start.

Here are a couple easy ways to introduce your blog:

• Help the reader visualize the problem you’re trying to solve. Provide an example or a story.
• Help the reader visualize the success they’re trying to achieve. Create a scenario in which the reader is the hero. Then tell them how to get there.
• Start off with a controversial statement. Then explain why you think that way and how it will help your reader.

Check out my full post on this topic here.

Bonus Tips

Just because I think you’re swell, here are three more tips to help you save time on blogging:

1. If you’re an author, use short excerpts from your book and simply tweak the intros and outros.

2. If you’re a pastor or speaker, use excerpts from transcripts of your sermons or talks.

3. If you already write for social media, take your most popular posts and expand them just a bit. A blog doesn’t have to be long.

The truth is that, yes, writing a consistent blog is a time commitment. But it doesn’t have to be a big one. You can streamline the process and make it work for you.

As always, I’m here cheering you on!

Hey, see that line of social buttons on the left side of your screen? If you liked today’s blog, click one of those buttons and share this article. 🙂

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