If you are new to blogging and need to write 500 words for an upcoming post, you may be wondering how much time you should set aside to get it done. Whether freelance writing or managing a website, time management is essential to creating quality content while staying within deadlines.
Generally speaking, it should take the average person around one or two hours to complete a 500-word blog post. The length of time it takes to complete a blog post can be affected by certain factors such as:
- How fast a person can type
- Time to research the subject
- Outside distractions
To learn more about how long it takes to write blog posts and other tips for managing your time continue reading.
What it Takes to Get the Blog Done
It is important to understand that whether you are writing 500 or 5,000 words, the same principles will apply when it comes to how much time it will take to complete the job.
As mentioned above it should take the average person between one and two hours to complete a 500-word blog post. Since most people are paid by the word, it is important to get the work done quickly.
Assuming the research has been done quickly and thoroughly beforehand, the average person should be able to type 500 words within twelve minutes. That leaves you over an hour and a half of quality research time.
A more experienced typer can type 500 words within 8 minutes or less. Someone less skilled with a keyboard can take over an hour to type 500 words.
Keep reading to learn more about what it takes to get a blog post written so you can increase your productivity.
Avoiding Time Suckers When Writing Blog Posts
In addition to other things, a good majority of what affects how quickly you accomplish writing a blog post has to do with how you manage your time. These factors will be discussed in more detail below.
Time Management is Everything
As previously mentioned, how well you manage your time will greatly affect how quickly you are able to complete your blog post, regardless of how many words you need.
Managing your time properly can be difficult especially if you are a freelance writer who works from home. Working from home has its perks, but it also comes with many challenges that will be discussed further in the article.
You will see as you continue to read that everything comes back to time management when it comes to writing your blog posts. Self-discipline is something that you will need to learn if you wish to reach your maximum level of productivity.
The Hare Wins the Race in Typing’s Case
It should go without saying that the more skilled a typist you are the faster you will be able to complete your blog post.
If you are hen and pecker when it comes to typing it may take you significantly longer to complete your post.
This is where it helps to practice your typing skills or even take a few classes for some pointers if you find that your lack of typing skills is hindering your productivity.
Research for Quality Content and Citations
When writing a blog post it is super important that you are posting well-researched, original content and can provide proper citations when referencing someone else’s work.
This can oftentimes be the lengthiest part of the blog writing process. Once you have your information the rest is generally a breeze.
This is also where time management becomes important. If you are getting paid by the word versus the hour you want to be able to research your topic quickly and efficiently without dawdling.
The longer time you take to get the necessary information the longer it will take to complete the post. In the freelance world, time is literally money; the more blogs you can post the more money you can make.
Distractions Are The Bane of Working From Home
Oh, it must be so nice to work from home they say. What many people don’t realize is that when you work from your home there are distractions that you would not have if you were working in a more professional setting.
When working from home there is a greater chance of putting your writing on the back burner because you begin to think about all of the things you need to get done around the house. In addition to household chores and maintenance, other significant distractions can suck your productivity level to zero.
- Children/Family
- Hobbies
- Pets
- School
- Television/Video games
The problem that can arise when working from home loops back to the issue of time management. When you are working from home you are essentially your own boss, which means you need to keep yourself in check.
It is very easy to tell yourself that you can write a blog post anytime because you are home and don’t have a boss or manager breathing down your back, but you mustn’t let yourself fall into the trap of laziness.
Working from home when there are young children in the house can be especially distracting even if you are trying to tune them out. Setting boundaries and creating a schedule for your home can help combat this issue.
If you are unable to find someone to watch the kiddos during daylight hours you may consider waiting until they are taking a nap or working after they have gone to bed at night.
500 Words Are No Problem When Time Is Properly Managed
If you are new to blog writing it can be an overwhelming process, however, if you properly manage your time and create a schedule that makes sense for your lifestyle. Allowing yourself an extra hour of time than you anticipate needing to write your blog can alleviate some stress and make you feel better when you get it done earlier than planned.
