Day in the Life of a Part-Time Blogger

One of the many requested topics I have been asked to post about is the Day in the Life of a Blogger.  I have thought hard about whether I should do a blog post about this topic since I’m not a full-time blogger.  My blogging routine is much different than those full-time bloggers since I do only blog part-time and have a career in Clinical Research.  My job in Clinical Research takes up about 40-60 hours of my week, depending on the week.  Throw in chores, eating time, commute, sleep, etc, I’m not left with many hours in the week.  However, I love writing and coming up with unique topics for you guys to read that blogging is more of a fun creative outlet for me.

Anyway, I have many friends who have full-time careers, like myself, and either want to start a blog or put more time into their blog.  So, I thought to do this post for my amazing boss babes.  It’s hard to take out time for a side-hustle but if you do it for something you enjoy, it doesn’t seem like work.  Also, I broke my days down in two ways:  weekdays and weekends.  They both are completely different, so I wanted to share both days in the life.  Anyway, Check out my days in the life as a part-time blogger below.

Weekday Part-time Blogger Life

Instagram and TikTok  My weekdays as a part-time blogger are usually the same.  I have 3-4 Instagram in-feed posts that are scheduled on Later (usually posted on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday), so they are posted automatically, to make my life easier.  In addition, I also like to post one Instagram Reel (which is reposted on TikTok).  Since there aren’t apps or websites out there that can pre-plan and post your Instagram Reels/TikToks for you (if you know any, please let me know), I must post these in real-time.  Usually, I will post these in between in my Instagram in-feed posts days.  For example, it will either be on Tuesdays or Thursday nights.  In between all of that, I’ll post random Instagram stories throughout the day, with no real-time points or anything.  I feel like Instagram stories are fun and, at the moment, so I like to post them accordingly.  Lastly, I will engage and reply to comments a couple of times a day, depending on how my workload is at my normal job.  I will try to respond before starting work around 7 am, during my lunch break, and after work (usually post 6 pm).

Blog  On my blog, just like my Instagram, I like to pre-plan my posts.  Unfortunately, I am only a week ahead in posts- which means that this week’s post was written and edited last week.  I would like to be a month ahead in posts, like my Instagram.  However, I’m glad to be as ahead as I am now.  Anyway, I’ll usually plan my topics for about two months.  So, since I already have a topic picked for the week, I will spend my Monday night writing, editing, and reviewing the blog post.  I’ll spend my Tuesday night adding pictures and links to my blog post. 

However, since life sometimes happens, my editing days change some weeks, but my goal is to always have my post ready to go my Wednesday since I like to have my blog posts go live on a Friday.  There was a time where I spent Thursday nights till 1:00 am on a blog post.  However, I have been focusing on getting my blog post ready for the next week by a Wednesday.  Since my full-time day job requires me to wake up early, I just can’t do that anymore (I need my beauty sleep).

E-mails and Brand Partnerships  With every job, there is the tedious task of being on top of your emails.  I like to take out about 30 minutes every weekday for reading emails, brand offers, and pitching brand deals.  Since I’m limited to time, with my full-time job and other things, I like to set a time for checking emails.  Setting a 30-minute limit helps me focus on reading, replying, and pitching in a short amount of time.  If I didn’t set a time, then I would spend too much time on this tedious task.

Weekend Part-time Blogger Life

Instagram and TikTok  If you have been reading my blog for a while then you know that I batch my content.  So, I’m not going to spend too much time describing what batching is but rather how often I do it, etc. Anyway, I like to take pictures for the following month during the current month; usually on a Saturday or Sunday morning (to avoid crowds).  I call this my “content day”.  My husband, I will pack about 3-4 outfits, pick a location, and start shooting!  Occasionally, we’ll film behind-the-scenes as we’re shooting, to post as an Instagram Reel and TikTok.  Lately, I have also come back from our shoot and filmed Instagram Reels and TikToks in those same outfits.  I would like to post more of those so hoping this technique helps me with this goal.

Blog  On weekends, I’ll promote my blog on more Facebook groups, check SEO’s, and reply to comments on any of the posts.  I’ll also double-check my future planned post for the week so if it’s a feasible topic for me to post on.  As we know with the pandemic, things can change out of nowhere, so you want to make sure that you stay relevant.  Also, I’ll spend about 30 minutes or so looking up current fashion trends for the season and preparing outfits with those trends for the following month’s content.  Lastly, I’ll spend time on Instagram Reel and TikTok to see any new trends for the week.  This allows me to stay relevant within my niche.

I hope you enjoyed the breakdown of my days in the life as a part-time blogger.  Blogger friends, how do you manage your blog and life?  Let me know in the comments below!

Much Love,