Top 6 Productivity Killers for Bloggers

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 06:22 AM PST

Productivity Killer

Guest post by Blog Lady.

Steady production of quality work is one of the key ingredients of success in Internet marketing. There can no be profit without hard work, it’s that simple. The most successful people in the business that I’ve watched and learned from publish thousands of words a day. And while few can reach astronomical figures, most of us who want to increase traffic and income need to do more. And you will if you can identify your productivity killers and eliminate them.

Some of the most common are:

Procrastination

The surest way to write posts is to do it. Staring at the computer isn’t going to get it done. And before you know it, you’ve gazed at the monitor for 30 minutes–enough time to write a good article. Don’t hesitate. Choose a title and expound on it immediately.

Lack of Planning

To be able to blog on the same topic sustainably, you need to have article ideas ever-ready. Prepare your ideas in advance. Where you get them from is of secondary importance: keyword research, user demand, current news and events, etc. Make a stock pile of titles and their keywords when they come. It’s like saving for a rainy day: for times when you are running low on supply (of ideas), turn to your inventory. The alternative is to waste valuable time waiting for “inspiration” to come each time.

Over-Analysis

Monitoring your website statistics is a necessary part of success. But it can be an incredible time waster if you become obsessed with it. And if you are new to Internet marketing and blogging, you probably will be. I’ve never known anyone who didn’t over-analyze their Google Analytics or StatCounter reports at some point in their careers. So don’t feel bad if you do this. Just try to get over it sooner than later. You’ll be amazed at how much work you get done when you stop checking them every hour.

Perfectionism

If you love your blog, you’ll want everything to be perfect. There’s nothing wrong with aiming for high standards. Readers want that, and Google wants that. But don’t think every post has to be a masterpiece. The reality is, if you treat every blog entry this way, you will never be able to produce a high volume of work within a reasonable amount of time. If you need to meet a quota (as many do when blogging for profit), calculate the time you spend on each post and figure out if you’ll be able to meet your goals at that rate. If not, you’ll need to work faster so you can be more productive.

Widgets

At some stage in your blogging career, you will discover the benefits and perils of widgets, those neat little gadgets you add to WordPress (or other blog). Resist the temptation to play with widgets. Like web analytics, they can suck up your time better than a clan of hungry vampires can draw blood. Invest most of your energy on what really matters: your blog content.

Distractions

These come in a myriad of forms: noises, family, social networking, games… the list goes on. I should put this at the top of the list because it’s the biggest productivity killer for many including myself. Organize your life so that you’ll have as few distractions as possible. Set aside a workplace. Quit your Facebook or online gaming addiction. Make sure the kids and pets are taken care of and fed before you sit down to write. If you don’t take care of these things beforehand, you’ll be wrestling with them ALL day and night without getting anything worthwhile done.