Here’s the truth: blogging is a lot more than writing a cute post and hitting publish. Between content creation, SEO, social media, and email marketing… It’s easy to feel like you’re doing everything and getting nowhere.
But productivity isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing what matters most. And that’s where the 80/20 rule swoops in to save your blog (and your sanity).
Let’s talk about what that means, the time-wasters you need to ditch, and the five powerhouse tasks that actually move the needle in your blogging biz and help you become more productive as a blogger.
What Is the 80/20 Rule (and Why Bloggers Should Care)?
The 80/20 rule—also called the Pareto Principle—basically says that 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts.
Applied to productive blogging? That means a small handful of strategic actions are responsible for most of your traffic, growth, and income. So instead of doing all the things, your job is to double down on the stuff that’s actually working.
Spoiler: it’s probably not scrolling Instagram looking for inspo.
Time-Wasters All Bloggers Should Avoid
Let’s call these out, shall we? These are the productivity killers that sneak into your schedule disguised as “important” tasks:
- Endless tweaking of your blog theme (Done is better than perfect!)
- Obsessing over Instagram likes instead of tracking traffic sources
- Consuming more content than you’re creating
- Writing posts with no SEO strategy and wondering why no one’s reading
- Trying to master every social media platform at once
Here’s the mindset shift: productivity isn’t just about time management—it’s about energy management. Protect your time like it’s your full-time job (because eventually, it can be).
5 Things You Must Do to Grow Your Blog
If you want to grow your blog or are thinking about starting a new blog with purpose and productivity, these five actions are your bread and butter. Focus here—consistently—and you’ll build momentum without the burnout.
1. Write High-Quality Content
Let’s start with the obvious. Your blog needs to be filled with valuable, helpful, easy-to-read posts that solve a problem for your ideal reader. Quality over quantity, always.
2. Learn More About SEO
You don’t need to become an SEO expert overnight, but learning the basics—keyword research, meta descriptions, headers, and internal links—will make your content findable (and binge-worthy) in search results.
3. Repurpose Your Content
Why reinvent the wheel every week? Turn your blog posts into Instagram carousels, Reels, Pinterest pins, emails, or even mini-trainings. One blog = multiple pieces of content.
4. Update Old Articles
Your blog posts are digital assets. Don’t let them collect dust. Refresh old posts with better keywords, new links, and updated content to keep them ranking (and relevant).
5. Start an Email List
Social media changes. SEO algorithms change. But your email list? That’s yours forever. Start building one from Day 1—even if it’s just a simple freebie and a welcome sequence.
How to Be Productive as a New Blogger Using the 80/20 Rule
Here’s how to put the Pareto Principle into action so you’re focusing on what matters most as a beginner blogger:
1. Do a Blog Analysis
Look at your blog traffic, Pinterest analytics, or email open rates. What’s getting the most attention right now? Which posts are performing best? Start there.
2. Do More of What’s Working
Once you know what’s performing, lean in. Create similar content, build out related blog posts, and repurpose those ideas for email and social. Maximize your best stuff.
3. Choose ONE Social Media Platform and Commit
You don’t need to be everywhere. Choose the platform that aligns with your strengths (Pinterest for traffic, Instagram for community, TikTok for reach) and go all in. Show up consistently, test content styles, and give it at least 90 days of intentional effort.
Final Thoughts: Productivity Is a Strategy, Not a Sprint
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the advice out there, here’s your permission to simplify. Focus on the 20% of tasks that get 80% of the results.
Blogging isn’t about being everywhere and doing everything—it’s about doing the right things with purpose.
So take a breath, pick your focus, and get back to what matters most: creating content that helps your people.
You’ve got this.
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This is all such great information! I didn’t realize different social media can be so different when you post/pin/etc. Thanks for sharing!
All of these are fantastic tools to make money, Candice! I use many of them, but have always wanted to try BlogtoPin, I’m so intrigued by it, I always create my own pins in Canva but that would be so helpful if it did it for me!
Make Life Marvelous
That’s so true, BlogtoPin is a huge time-saver! It really speeds up the Pinterest process so you can focus on content creation.
Love all of these blog traffic tips for the holidays, Candice! It’s so hard to believe it’s almost holiday time and it’s always great to get ahead as much as possible with content.
Wishing you a wonderful rest of your week! 🙂
Make Life Marvelous