Ten Minute Blog Tasks To Grow Your Blog

 

Quick Blogging Tasks for Blog Growth

If you’re a parent or working a regular job while building a blog, your time is very limited. Sometimes you may only have a small chunk of time to work on your blog growth.
Only have 10 minutes? No sweat! Today I’m going to share 10-minute blog tasks you can accomplish while you’re short on time.

This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. All opinions are my own. Read my full disclosure here.

 

If you only have a small window of blogging time, make the most of it!
Here are 20 ten minute blog tasks that you can complete in a few minutes and still feel productive.

 

1. Brainstorm New Blog Post Ideas

Spend 10 minutes thinking about what you’d like to write about next. 

Make a simple list of ideas you’ve got floating around in your head. Get those ideas flowing by asking yourself a few questions.

• What have I accomplished in my field of expertise?
• How can that accomplishment help my audience?
• What is a pain point my audience has? And what solution can I offer them?
• What is a question my audience often asks me?
• Can I create similar content to one of my most popular posts?

Related Reading:
Epic List of Blog Post Ideas for Mom Bloggers
Blog Post Ideas for Travel Bloggers 

 

Still need inspiration?
Check out your mailing list platform. Dive into the emails you’ve sent to your list. See which emails got the most clicks. This will give you a better idea of what your readers are craving.

Or check your Google and Pinterest analytics to see what pins and posts are getting the most traffic.

You can also head over to Pinterest for inspiration. Scroll through some pins in your niche and see if you have anything unique and valuable to say on the topics you see floating around.

 

 

2. Update Your Plugins

Head over to your blog’s dashboard and see if there are any updates available for your site’s plugins.

This is one of those important blog tasks for your site’s maintenance. I like to check for plugin updates often – they are available for a reason. Making sure you have the latest version of your plugin will ensure they run smoothly, quickly, and glitch-free.

*Tip* – Only update one plugin at a time. They are usually very fast to update and updating a bunch all at once can cause problems.

 

3. Check For and Reply To Blog Comments

This is another good blog task to keep your blog well maintained. Check your comment section, delete any spam, and approve the genuine comments.

Make an effort to reply to anyone who takes the time to give you feedback on your post. Answer any additional questions they may have.

*Tip* – Try to work in a few keywords into your replies without it seeming forced.
See Example below: This was from a post about Unique Ways to Use Secret Boards on Pinterest. When I replied to the comment I was sure to include “Pinterest Secret boards” in my reply, as well as the word “tips”.

Why do this? The more keywords Google can find in your post, the better. And that includes your comment section.

Related Reading:
Blog Comment Tips You May Not Know

 

4. Check Emails

Another blog task for those 10 extra minutes is checking and replying to emails. Delete the ones that are obviously junk and read through the valuable ones from those bloggers you admire. Respond to any email replies from your subscribers.

 

5. Draft your Next Email Newsletter

I’m not saying you should necessarily compose and send out your newsletter. Maybe some seasoned bloggers can do that in 10 minutes. But I am not one of them.

Simply brainstorm or write out a rough draft of what you’d like to say in your next email. This will at least give you a head start for when you have a bigger chunk of time to focus on it.

Need some extra help with your email marketing?

Here are 2 fabulous (& FREE) email resources:
– Freebies That Sell & Serve Free Webinar
– Free Newsletter Swipe Copies

 

6. Create a New Pinterest Pin

Got an extra 10 minutes? Create a new Pinterest pin for an older blog post. Creating new pins is a great way to keep traffic coming to your site even if the content isn’t super fresh. 

You don’t have to design your pin from a clean slate. You can simply open up an old Canva design, change out the photo, fonts, or colours. It really doesn’t have to take long.

However, if you struggle with pin design you can grab my 25 Pinterest Pin Templates to speed up and simplify your design time.

Use Coupon Code 40%OFF at checkout to save $4.

Tight budget? Try out some Free Pinterest Pin Templates HERE.

 

 

 

7. Share Your Required Shares In Tailwind Tribes

Sometimes I use Tailwind Tribes to share my new pins. Sometimes I run short on time and don’t get my necessary reshares done with the amount of time I have.

Translation: I usually get interrupted by my busy 4 year old.

I find reciprocating my required pin shares is the perfect blog task when I have a 10-minute window. And if I AM fully caught up, it’s always good to get ahead and add some extras to your queue.

Not on Tailwind yet? But Tribes is free! Join HERE.

 

 

8. Follow Others In Your Niche on Pinterest

Following others in your niche provides you with new information to learn from.

Following others can also result in you getting followed back! When you follow someone, they get a notification that it’s happened. If they are notified someone within their niche has followed them, they may choose to check you out and follow you in return.

This is why it’s also a great idea to include keywords relevant to your niche within your Pinterest profile name.

This strategy has worked really well for me to grow my followers. Just don’t go nuts and follow too many people at once. Pinterest could mark this activity as spam.

Want the latest method that’s gaining me, 225+ new followers, every month? Read more here:  How to Easily Get More Pinterest Followers

 

 

9. Create a New Pinterest Board

Pinterest loves new. New content, new pins, and new boards. Create a new board for your pins to live on.

Be sure to do your keyword research and create a detailed, keyword-rich description. Include hashtags and a clear title for what your board is about. Skip the cute, short-form, slang words. Make sure Pinterest will have a very clear idea of what that board is about.

Save some relevant third party pins to your new board to again, make sure it’s obvious what this board is about. Create a branded board cover over in Canva, if that’s your thing. Some bloggers brand their boards, others don’t feel it’s necessary.

 

10. Participate in a Facebook Group Sharing Thread

If you are trying to grow a blog, online business or social media presence, Facebook Groups can be really beneficial.

By joining the right Facebook groups that offer promo days and insightful tips, you can grow your blog and social media platforms. And it’s a quick little blog task you can do easily.

Take a few minutes to browse your Facebook groups for a share thread. Choose the one that best suits your needs that day. It could be a thread to gain social followers, repin a Pinterest pin, request blog comments, etc.

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Here’s my favourite groups: The Best Facebook Groups to Grow Your Blog

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11. Make a Social Media Post

We don’t always have time to post on ALL our social platforms. And it can be exhausting trying to come up with fresh, unique things to say to our audience. But if you have a few minutes, throw out a new Tweet. Post an inspiring quote on Facebook. Share a new photo or story on Instagram.

Maybe you’ve shared all your blog posts on Facebook but it’s time to start cycling through them again. Do you have a post that’s relevant right now? Reshare it!

If you are totally burned out on social media, don’t feel like you HAVE to do them all right now. Don’t stretch yourself too thin.

It’s better to be on only one or two social networks and be highly engaged than be on ALL of them and not have enough time to give them the attention they need.

Need something new to share?
Check out my Free Social Media Sharing Images – 14 days worth of social quotes to share with your followers.

 

 

12. Research Future Blog Post Ideas

This is one of the most important blog tasks. If you have an idea for a future blog post but need to do some further research, spend a few minutes on that. Or maybe you’ve got all your information but need to spend time collecting resources and links to be included in the post.

Gather all your links for related blog posts to include or affiliate links, suggested articles from other sources, etc. and copy them all into a new post. This way they’ll all be waiting for you when you go to fully write it out.

 

13. Update and Revamp an Old Blog Post

This is an awesome way to breathe new life into an old post. And with that new life comes the potential for new traffic!

You may need more than 10 minutes to do a complete revamp of the entire post.
See the 10 questions I ask myself when I do an update here: How to Revamp an Old Blog 

If you don’t have time to do the whole update, you can at least start by reading through the old post carefully, as though you were a new visitor to your blog. Take note of any adjustments you’d like to make or anything else that stands out as being outdated.

Refer to the steps in the post above and make the needed changes when you have more time.

 

14. Learn! Read a New Blog Post From a Blogger You Admire

10 minutes is all it takes to learn something new! Look up something you’ve been wanting to achieve with your blog. Or a task you know you need to do but have no clue where to start. 

And if nothing comes to mind, simply check out a blog post by one of your favourite bloggers.

Looking for some inspiration? Check out a few of the helpful blog posts here:
Favourite Blog Post Round Up

You’ll find cool WordPress hacks, copywriting tricks, email marketing advice, and more!

 

15. Brainstorm a New Freebie or Digital Product

Speaking of freebies, do you have one yet? Is it time to create a new one to offer your readers? Take 10 minutes to brainstorm a new freebie idea.

Or if you already have an idea, take some time to research what’s involved to get it done.

Jot down step by step what needs to be done to get it from idea to online. Set a timeline for yourself to accomplish the end result.

Breaking it down into steps can make freebie creation seem less daunting. Focus on one step at a time instead of looking at it as a time-consuming project.

Related: How to Make & Sell Your First Digital Product

 

 

 

16. Check on Affiliate Sales

Wondering how your affiliate sales are going? Take a few minutes to log into the dashboards of your various affiliates and see how things are going. This can be one of the more enjoyable, quick blog tasks if you make a lot of affiliate sales 😉

Knowing how your sales are going will give you an idea of what links are getting clicked and which ones you need to spend more time marketing. 

If you’re anything like me you’ve got quite a few affiliates. All those dashboards and login information adds up and gets hard to remember.

I created a printable password organizer to keep all those usernames and passwords in one place. It’s SO handy! You can download a free copy for yourself HERE if you’re interested.

Or grab yourself one of these cute little Password Books.

 

 

17. Check Google Analytics and Take Notes

Don’t get obsessive about checking your analytics. That can drive you crazy! But it is good to check on your traffic.
Not sure exactly what you should be looking at? A few things to note are:
• what day of the week is traffic strongest
• what time of day are you seeing traffic
• what is the traffic source (ie. Pinterest, Facebook, organic, etc.)
• what posts are getting the most views
• what device your audience is using

This will help you determine what day and time of day you should be putting out new content, what platform is working best, what topic your audience is most interested in, and what device to optimize content for (mobile, desktop or tablet).

 

 

18. Leave Comments on Other Blogs

Commenting on other blog posts is a great way to build trust, brand recognition, and gain authority in your niche. It’s a way to help out your fellow bloggers with their SEO and they’ll appreciate the engagement.

Commenting on posts is also a great way to make new connections and gain some exposure to your site. (Learn more about how comments can help your blog HERE.)

Ideally, you want your photo and your website name to show up in the comments so other readers can hop on over to your site. But whether your website appears will depend on the theme or commenting plugin the other blogger is using.

This is why I highly suggest you create a Gravatar for yourself.

What the heck is a Gravatar??
Basically, it’s an image, headshot or logo. And it follows you online. Whenever you leave a comment or post questions on blogs/forums, your Gravatar will automatically be added.

This gives you brand recognition and lets others know your comments are not spam. Plus, the more that photo is viewed online, the more people in your niche will start to recognize it. This makes you look credible and trustworthy to others.

To make your own please read this awesome post by one of my favourite bloggers, Elna Cain. She further breaks down why you need a Gravatar and provides a great video tutorial on how to set one up.

Don’t worry, it is easy easy easy! And it only takes a few minutes to do. Why Every Blogger Needs a Gravatar – And How to Set One Up

 

 

19. Do Keyword Research

If you’re working on a new blog post or pin description you’ll definitely want to do some keyword research first.

When trying to decide what to name your blog post, type some ideas into Google and see what comes up first. You want to see what words pop up in the search bar AS you type in your title. This way you’ll know other people are searching for those keywords.

Also, scroll to the bottom of the Google search results to see the “Searches Related to…” section. This will give you more keywords and search terms people have looked for.

Do the same thing on Pinterest. Search for your title or keywords and see what kind of pins pop up. Check the descriptions and see what keywords those pinners used.

The above ideas are some free options. To really stay competitive in the oversaturated online world, I highly encourage you invest in a dependable, high quality keyword research tool.

My favourite is RankIQ. It’s designed specifically for bloggers and is the highest rated SEO tool in the world!

Related Reading: An Honest Review of Easy On Page SEO

 

 

20. Write a Practical To-Do List

If you struggle with prioritizing your blogging time, make yourself a to-do list for the following week. Break it down by days of the week and keep it practical.

I like to make myself a daily list with 3 main tasks. If your daily list is too long it can seem daunting. This can deter you from getting ANYTHING done if you get overwhelmed.

Write down 3 essential blog tasks and focus on them first. 3 things will seem easy and achievable and you’ll hopefully tackle them with confidence.

If you complete those 3 tasks and have time/energy for more, write down 3 additional items to get done. I think you’ll find you accomplish far more by only focusing on a few jobs at a time.

A lot of bloggers swear by using Asana, an online organizer. I honestly haven’t tried it yet but plan to see what all the fuss is about soon.

I personally love the blog planner I got from Angela at StrayCurls.com. I’m a big fan of her artwork and her blog so it was a no brainer for me. 

It’s 50 pages long and is so stinkin’ fun! I love her illustrations. They are so happy, funny, and colourful. 

Grab yours here: The Stray Curls Blog Planner  

I hope this list gives you some ideas on how to grow your blog even when you’re short on time. They are also perfect blog tasks to tackle when you have writer’s block.

So don’t stress if you don’t have a ton of time. Or if your kid just keeps interrupting you for yet another snack (I feel your pain)!

Prioritize what’s important, pick a task, and feel great knowing you did your best with the time you had.

You may also like:
How to Grow Your Blog With PLR Products
How to Maximize Affiliate Marketing Efforts (& Sales!)

 

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Blogging To-Do List to Tackle When Short on Time

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Blogging Resources I love and recommend:

SiteGround – I use SiteGround as my web hosting platform and I love it. They are trusted by the owners of over 1,900,000 domains! It’s secure, fast, reliable, and the customer service is AMAZING! I’ve contacted them for help for a few reasons and received outstanding support. Learn more about SiteGround HERE.

Sendowl – I use Sendowl to sell my own digital products. Sendowl acts as the middle man between buyer and seller. They deliver your product and handle the payments for you. If you’ve got an eBook, printable, or service to sell, Sendowl makes it really easy and affordable. Learn more about Sendowl HERE.  

ShareASale – If you are interested in monetizing your blog through affiliate marketing, ShareASale has got to be one of the easiest ways to do it! They’ve got merchants for every niche looking for affiliates to promote their products. Learn more about ShareASale HERE.

Grammarly – I saw a huge improvement in my writing after installing Grammarly. It’s the World’s leading checker of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and plagiarism. The better your writing, the more credible you will seem to you readers. Did I mention they have a FREE version? Check it out HERE.