Author: Neil Patel / Source: Quick Sprout The entrepreneurial lifestyle is often a hectic one. Some “treps” easily end up working 50, 60,
The entrepreneurial lifestyle is often a hectic one.
Some “treps” easily end up working 50, 60, or even more hours per week.
Don’t get me wrong.
I love almost everything about running my businesses and blogs, but time is definitely at a premium.
And I’m sure many of you know exactly what I’m talking about.
Sometimes there are just not enough hours in the day to spend on an extensive, exhaustive marketing campaign.
But you know what?
There are a lot of marketing activities that can get legitimate results that you can do in 1 hour or less.
I came up with 28 specific activities you can do in your downtime but which will still give your business a nice boost.
Here we go.
1. Create an editorial calendar
Almost any great blog begins with a detailed editorial calendar.
This is where you coordinate your content, schedule your posts, set deadlines, list your CTAs, and so on.
In other words, an editorial calendar provides structure to your blogging campaign and keeps things from getting messy.
Honestly, this is the only way I’m able to stay on top of my game (and maintain sanity) with all of my different projects.
I recommend checking out this list of editorial calendar templates from Builtvisible for more.
2. Tweak your editorial calendar
You should also know that an editorial calendar is never static.
A good one is dynamic, ever-changing.
If you haven’t checked your editorial calendar in a while, look it over and make any necessary adjustments.
For instance, you might:
- Check off posts that have been completed
- Add new content to create over the next month
- Look for ways to make it more organized
3. Read three industry blog posts
I really recommend staying on top of industry trends.
This is your ticket to spotting patterns, generating new marketing ideas, and coming up with interesting new content to share with your audience.
That’s why I try to make it a habit to read three high-level industry blog posts whenever I get a chance.
4. Comment on three industry blogs
When you’re done reading, leave a thoughtful comment.
Go for more than just saying, “I love this blog post!”
Instead, shoot for something more detailed and insightful to prove you’ve really sifted through the information and analyzed it.
Here’s a great example of a recent comment I received on Quick Sprout:
I think this comment added even more depth to the conversation, and I can guarantee you any blogger would greatly appreciate such a comment.
I know I do.
5. Research industry trends
The way I see it, crushing it in most businesses is all about striking while the iron is hot.
That’s why I routinely do industry research to see what’s happening and stay on top of recent changes.
A quick Google search on “[your industry] trends” should pop up a wealth of information.
This can shape your business and marketing decisions and will help you stay sharp as an entrepreneur.
6. Brainstorm topics for your blog
As I’ve said before, coming up with new ideas for blog posts can be quite exhausting.
That’s why I like to devote some time to simply brainstorming new ideas so I don’t have to come up with them off the top of my head.
One of the ways I streamline this process is by using Alltop and BuzzSumo.
Here’s Alltop:
And here’s BuzzSumo:
Sometimes, I can come up with as many as 50 rock solid ideas in just 1 hour this way.
7. Do keyword research
I’m a big fan of a process known as “batching,” which I’ve written about before on Quick Sprout.
Batching can be used to make nearly any task quicker and more efficient.
Here’s a simple example of using batching to deliver mail:
When you do this prior to writing every blog post, it can really drain your time.
That’s why I suggest doing it in blocks: identify keywords to target—all in one sitting.
You can then add your keywords to your editorial calendar so you know what to use in your upcoming content.
8. Send a pitch for a guest post
You probably already know I’m a huge proponent of guest blogging.
If you can get in front of a large, established audience, you’ll get exposure for your brand.
It’s just as simple as that.
But, of course, guest blogging first begins with sending an initial pitch.
If you’ve got an hour to burn, why not send out a couple of pitches to relevant bloggers?
And if you’re new to this, I really love this guide from Backlinko.
It will walk you through guest blogging step by step.
9. Repurpose one of your best blog posts
If you’ve been blogging for awhile, there’s a good chance you have a handful of posts that totally crushed it.
They’re the best of the best—your “unicorn content.”
Repurpose one of your best posts using a different medium, e.g., a whitepaper, long-form guide, infographic, or a short e-book.
If your audience was receptive to a particular topic presented in a standard blog post, there’s a good chance they will give it a warm reception in a different medium too.
Read over this guide for everything you need to know on repurposing content.
10. Record a video
Video marketing is ridiculously huge right now.
On average, video gets crazy engagement.
If you’re not already leveraging video marketing, I suggest getting on board right…
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