The Life of a Blogger




I hear way too many times how lucky I am to get sent blogger mail, how they should start a blog - and how easy it all is. Too many times I have had to defend my phone use - too many times I have spent telling people how it is so much more than just writing the content, so I thought I would share with you the effort it takes to run a fully functioning blog...


As I post every two days, this is two days worth of effort, the more you post, the more effort.

DAY 1:
IN BED

6.30am: Check emails to read latest blog comments, check for any new emails, delete all the spam then feel annoyed that companies take it upon themselves to sign you up to various newsletters.

6.35am:  Check Instagram, check my followers count to see how many I have lost overnight *grrr* ... reply to comments left on my own posts, keep up with my favourites, comment on at least 20 photos, like a lot more, watch a few stories, follow a few people then check todays posts are written up in my drafts. I then use various apps to see who has unfollowed me, and unfollow back if needed. 

6.45am: Check Snapchat - watch my favourites if they have posted, interact and open any snaps sent overnight - check how many people have viewed my oldest snap.  

6.50am: Check Twitter - reply to tweets, check my followers, then spend a while scrolling through and interacting with others, retweet if I can, and have a blether. 

7.00am: Schedule Tweets, mind numbing, soul destroying scheduling tweets. I post about 15 times per day on twitter though Buffer, Scheduling takes about 10 minutes of writing up the posts I want to schedule, or reposting previous Bloglovin' & Snapchat Links. 

7.10am: Check Stats, google analytics and Bloglovin' 

*At this point I have been lying in my bed on my phone for 45mins to get everything done, if this isn't done (If I sleep in) the day then falls to bits as I attempt to catch up and feel lost*


IN THE CAR OUTSIDE WORK/COLLEGE

8.45am: Post On Instagram. 

8.50am: Start Snapchat Story, update on plans for the day, confirm the days lipstick.

8.55am: Check Emails



BREAK

11.00am: Check Twitter, interact & post - delete auto DMs. Unfollow if being rude & pushy.

11.05am: Check Instagram, respond to comments, comment on more pictures and check messages.


LUNCH TIME

1.00pm: Check Snapchat, Respond to Snaps & Post

1.05pm: Check Emails, respond to emails, send links to posts if needed, respond to PR Emails.

1.10pm: Post On Instagram, interact, comment on posts, post on Insta-Stories.

1.15pm: Check Twitter, Interact & post.

1.30pm: Reply to blog comments left on latest post, ensure the links are working correctly.


HOME

5.00pm: Check Emails. 

5.05pm: Post onto Snapchat, Chatter, interact. 

7.00pm: Comment on Blogs, I will look at my latest comments first, then head over to BlogLovin' and comment from there, love and save posts - and follow some more blogs too. I typically comment on around 20 blogs per day. This takes around an hour. 

8.00pm: Twitter Chats. 

IN BED

11.30pm: Watch all SnapChat Stories in Feed.

11.50pm: Check everything one last time. 



DAY 2: 
IN BED

*REPEAT FROM DAY 1*
6.30-7.15


IN THE KITCHEN

8.45am: Post on Instagram

9.05am: To Do Lists - Start thinking about blog posts I need to do, write up and photograph. Think Instagram photos and content. 

9.15am: Comment on posts, check Bloglovin' 

9.30am: Take Instagram photos in my room if doing Standing picks (apposed to flatlays) as the light in my room is gone by 11am. 

IN TOWN

10.00am: Confess my love of coffee on Snapchat while drinking one.. I do love a costa *take pictures for IG and IG story too*

10.20am: Check makeup counters in Debenhams, Superdrug and Boots for new releases - then primark, tiger and paper chase for blog props!


IN THE KITCHEN

12.00pm: Check the mail. I am very lucky to get parcels sent, so I will check my postbox, respond to emails to let them know they arrived safely.

12.30pm: Take Blog Photos. Think ahead around a week of what pictures I need to take. Take a lot to have room to play with, make sure the lighting is good. 

1.00pm: Take Instagram photo flatlays for posts and filler Makeup of the day posts, post on IG.

1.30pm: spend some time on twitter chatting. 

2.00pm: Draft Save IG photos - Instagram now (thank goodness) have the function to edit, write the caption for and save posts. I will edit and write up my posts now and save them in drafts. This also gives me an idea of how it will look on my feed. 

2.30pm: Broken Links. Check them all using a web tool. Curse everything and everyone causing them to happen.

HOME

7.30pm: Edit blog photos. edit the ones I want to use, add names onto the photos, upload them into blogspot.

8.00pm: Pinterest. Forget I haven't done anything. Feel Guilty. Go pin some things - because I really have no idea how to work it.

9.00pm: Comment on blog posts. Keep up to date with my favourites, comment on some blogs which comment on mine, share the blog love!

IN BED

10.30pm: Remember I have to write a post. I wish I could say I was organised and write these a month in advance, but lets face it, its currently 10.57pm and I am writing this when it goes live at 12am. NICE.

11.00pm: Check and add all the links to the post where needed, hit schedule.

11.30pm: tell myself tomorrow I will be a better, more organised blogger. 

Are you a blogger? Can you relate? Or are you not and horrified by the amount of effort? or is it to be expected? Let me know in the comments below :) 

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41 comments

  1. Love this post, it's a very stressful life!

    Lauren x Huggled

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  2. I can relate, but on a much smaller scale as I only post two times a week and don't have Snapchat. For me the worst part is that people don't see the results of blogging, or understand the effort you put into it. I often get people saying stuff like" so, when are you going to do something with your life?" don't you think you should find something to do?. Its a tiny bit hurtful, and a whole lot disheartening sometimes.
    A Sparkle Of Grace

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    1. Yes! People have no idea how much effort and commitment it is! Don't be disheartened though, this is why we have blogger friends :)

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  3. Argh, hate it as well when companies sign you up to newsletters! I also am the person who can't be bothered unsubscribing so they just keep coming! Also can relate to that 10.30 pm realisation that theres meant to be a blog post going up and you only have the photos done..
    Kathy x
    Alongcamekathy

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    1. Haha I feel you sometimes I just let them send me the emails for some reason!

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  4. Wow your days are really busy! But really cool that you have a whole schedule down in the morning. My mornings are usually the same - consisting of reading/responding to emails & checking social media for an hour from bed, haha.

    Nicole | The Glam Surge

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    1. Haha glad I am not the only one working from my bed every morning! :)

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  5. Haha oh the life of a blogger! Not all sunshine and rainbows, there's a lot of planning that goes into it. Typically I hit the supermarkets dead early on a Saturday morning before people do their 'big shop' to stock up on ingredients for commissions or posts and recipe test all day. Sometimes I head to three different shops to find everything (like this morning!) and have the arduous task waiting for butter to soften before i can begin. Sometimes it takes weeks for a post or even a recipe to come together and as soon as its up, you have to start all over again! Love it though!

    http://victoriaspongepeasepudding.com/

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    1. Oh god I dread to think of the mess I would create being a food blogger, much respect for you! I do love your posts though - worth the effort!

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  6. I feel like I am much the same. I work full time as well so I try and do what I can during breaks and my dinner hour!

    Danielle xx
    http://www.fashionbeautyblog.co.uk/

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    1. Its a nightmare isn't it! Im sure people think I live in my phone!

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  7. Sometimes the writing of the blog post is the easy part; it's the promotion, comments, trying to gain a following that is the hardest. Which apps do you use for checking your unfollowers? I used to use Crowdfire but that doesn't do IG anymore. I've stopped following people who have 586793457 following and only 7 followers that add me as you know that as soon as you follow they will click unfollow :)

    The Life of Dee

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    1. Yes! Posts is the easiest bit! I use Followers for IG now, the function to see the unfollowers gets blocked by IG all the time, so you need to just keep changing about :(

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  8. Those are jam packed days! Well done for doing it - blogging isn't easy!

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  9. It's definitely not as easy as people may think! I do find that social media takes up a lot of time x

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  10. This is all so true! People really don't get the work that goes in. I'm currently working full-time, rehearsing for a play and have two kids so I bascially have to cram my blogging into the two hours between them going to bed and me falling asleep. I always feel like I'm behind and need to do more but I guess we're all doing the best we can. Keep up the good work

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    1. oh no! I feel you! Parenting working and blogging is SO hard!

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  11. You put a lot of effort in this and I admire you for that. Lately I have time to check social media and bloglovin only at night. I always can't wait for weekend when I can finally check everything and spend hours with my little online corner haha.

    Michelle Morchella

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    1. Thank yo so much! Haha I would love to have the weekend to do this, but I work all weekend so I need to just cram as much as I can in daily so I dont fall behind lol

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  12. I really enjoyed this post! I often see full-time YouTubers and bloggers do these but very few who are working and/or learning alongside it (I actually did something similar a while back but life has become even more hectic since then...) People don't realise how time-consuming and sometimes stressful it can be!

    Jasmine xx

    Jasmine Talks Beauty

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    1. you should post again! I love to see how people manage to run a blog and maintain their life! :) It can be so stressful! I have another post due up in the next month on how I study, work, parent and blog - but at the moment I have no idea how I manage it all - so no idea how to even begin it! :)

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  13. Love it. Please check out how I balayaged my own hair!

    Kisses xo | From Aliona With Love

    Instagram @alionawithlove

    Twitter @alionawithlove

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Please do not copy and paste comments on mine or anyone elses blog. If you take the time to leave a meaningful comment after reading a post I always take the time to go check out your latest post, but instead you are coming across as spammy, and no one likes that.

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  14. Such a cool, inspriring post! I loved it, cool idea. <3
    www.thebrightoner.com

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  15. I cannot believe how organised you are! My early morning routine is pretty much panned out the same as yourselfs. I didnt know about Instagram saving drafts now! You have just saved me so much time!!! Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou! xx

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    1. Trust me, I am far from organised lol, this is just chaos, especially if I add in life around it - which I will be doing in Feb! :) haha glad you found the IG feature! It has been a lifesaver in the morning!! <3

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  16. WAUW!!!
    I feel overwhelmed just to read your routine! Being a full time dedicated blogger is no joke and not to underestimate.

    I, on the other hand, am a hobby-blogger, though I try to keep it consistent, so it also takes a lot of my free time, after a 8-9h working day.
    But I do it, for the fun and pleasure of writing, which doesn't make it any easier. haha

    Good luck and keep up the good work!

    Porty's Diary - Blog
    Porty's Diary - Facebook

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    1. Trust me I wish I was a Full Time Dedicated Blogger, I have a job, a son and I am full time at college, my blog is a hobby too! :)

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  17. You have summed it up perfectly. It is a never ending to do list of stuff to do, but I love it so much it is all well worth it. I also check the weather constantly to see if there will be good lighting to take blog photos haha.

    www.themakeupaficionado.com

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  18. I can relate to this as I work full time and being a newish blogger for 6 months it really is HARD WORK! It's trying to fit everything in. Totally agree and it annoys hell out of me when people who I hadn't spoken to for a while message me and ask if I'm a blogger now and get sent loads of stuff arrrgh! Totally not true and can't believe how naive and blunt people can be. Plus when people say it's easy I always tell them to go write a post or set up a blog and they mutter about not finding time etc. So thank you so much for sharing this post because it really is stressful at times and takes a lot of effort <3 xh

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    1. It is so hard! Thanks so much for reading :D

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  19. Oh my goodness Erin, you deserve all the awards on earth for all that effort! So amazing! Of course, what wouldn't we bloggers do towards our beloved blogs eh?<3 I've been such a lazy bum, especially during autumn, with my blog. Work just really got in the way so I totally understand and appreciate all the hard work you put into your blog. I can get very obsessed about schedules, and now that I work as a teacher during the day and instruct fitness classes in the evenings a more relaxed system is better for me at the moment. I write when I have time for it and feel like it. If blogging was my only job, things would obviously be different :) thanks for the amazing post<3 I hope this reaches many people outside the blogging community too!
    Emma xxx

    www.wellemma.com

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    1. Thankyou lovely! I think its important to enjoy what you are doing too, if I didn't love doing it I wouldnt make the time for it :)

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  20. So true!

    Megan / www.meganmarieblogs.co.uk

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  21. Love this post! I've been still trying to figure out my schedule and managing it all. Appreciate reading this.

    http://www.swaagcaat.com/

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  22. I loved this post!
    I too check everything in the morning, twice during my lunch break and three times over after work! It's a habit but a good one because I'm always up to date! (or so I like to think, lol)

    Kirsty xo
    www.teenytinythoughts.com

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