*Five Blogging + Freelance Hacks

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I've been blogging for over seven years and I've been working as a freelance writer for the past four years and while I feel as though I'm constantly learning and adapting to such a new industry, I think I have acquired a few useful tips that could help any blogger, freelancer or small business owner. I'm by no means an expert when it comes to blogging, social media or writing but I hope these basic tips can help and if you have any tips or advice then leave it in the comments below.

Keyboard Shortcuts & Text Replacement 

The simplest hack I have is to make a few keyboard and text replacement shortcuts! I started doing this with my blog URL years ago but now I do it for my email too. I've added a keyboard shortcut on both my phone and iMac so that when I type 'myblog' on either, my blog URL is typed instead which saves me time. I also have a note on my phone of my social media stats and my email so I can reply to tweets, facebook messages or campaigns quickly with all of the information that is needed instantly.

Spreadsheets 

Another basic hack that I'm sure most people use are spreadsheets. I use them not only for keeping track of my blog post schedule but also for payments. I hate doing my self assessment tax return every year but keeping track of the payments as I go within a spreadsheet makes it a little less stressful.

Blogger Chats & Groups  

A few years ago blogger chats were everywhere and they were incredibly popular but sadly they aren't as much now. However, there are still a few each week and they're great opportunities to 'meet' new bloggers in the community, share links and share ideas. Blogger groups on Facebook are great too and I've been able to find lots of blogging opportunities and events through them.

Apps

Next up, I wanted to recommend a few apps that I use constantly. Aside from the basic social media apps, I also love using Colorstory to edit my photos, WordSwag to add text to images and Imaging Edge to take photographs remotely through my Sony A7 iii (I'd also highly recommend the Canon Connect app too).

ContentCal 

Last but not least is ContentCal which is a service to help you plan, schedule and publish your social media content in one place with an easy to follow visual calendar to keep track of your upcoming content. One of the things I struggle with the most when it comes to working as a freelancer (alongside the embarrassing process of chasing up payments and the instability) is the time it takes to schedule and post to social media constantly and it is an aspect of blogging/freelancing that I'm failing at currently.

Posting on social media, editing photographs, replying to comments and engaging with content isn't difficult but it is very time consuming and since having laser eye surgery a couple of months ago, I find that the constant staring at a screen (whether it's my phone, iMac or camera) can be quite draining for my vision. So if there's a way to reduce my screen time and to make social media a little less time consuming and planned ahead of time then I'll take it!

ContentCal has a variety of pricing options based on your needs and the requirements of your business, from 'pro' to 'enterprise'. All of the options allow you to connect between four to twenty social media accounts, a visual calendar to monitor content, analytics and more. If you're looking for an easy social media management tool and fuss free social media planning then check out ContentCal for more information and prices.

Do you have any blogging or freelance tips? 

*Gifted