Does blogging interfere with your day job?
This is a question of particular relevance for me at this exact point in time. davidthedesigner asked me this question a while back, and I was thinking about it today during the beginning of my house move.
Does blogging interfere with your day job?
Obviously if you’re a professional blogger this won’t apply. However, there aren’t too many people who can afford the luxury of blogging for a living (if you can call it a luxury?), so this is a question I’d love your take on.
It’ll be a few days before moving home, and all the joys that come with it, is complete. I’ve informed my clients that I’ll be taking some time off as it’s important to keep them in-the-loop, but I still wonder if I should be spending the time taken to write this post on efforts more ‘day job-related’.
I consider blogging to be part of my spare time. Not something that’s ever going to interfere with the job I love – graphic design. So if you’re a client of mine and you’re ever wondering why I haven’t yet finished that project I’m helping you with, please bear in mind that I blog ‘out of office hours’.
Oh, and thank you very much for your custom! If there’s ever anything you think I can do differently to improve our working relationship please don’t hesitate to let me know.
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23 spot-on reader comments to “Does blogging interfere with your day job?”
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Not really with my day job. I have an occasional peek whilst I’m at work but I wouldn’t sit down and write an entire post at work. Blogging is strictly after hours.
Now, if you’d asked me if it interfered with my social life then that’s a different story.
ps - about the Liverpool thing… Looking forward to seeing you in the Champ League final ;)
I pretty new to blogging, but I have to say its pretty addictive - thats why I am still sitting on my computer and its 9.00. It doesn’t interfere with my work but you do find yourself thinking mmm… what can I write about today
No, I’d never have the opportunity to blog from work. I only blog in the evenings and at weekends, well maybe a quick reply to comments in the mornings.
Ian
At work I used to run a fantasy football blog and I posted there usually at work. But I did it because it made me look like Im working too!
I normally reserve my blogging to break times at work. I keep a notebook to jot down ideas for posts and force myself not to stop and write them. The ability to post via email can be a deadly distraction as well since it’s so easy to fire off a post (and waste 10 minutes). Overall I try to avoid it and stay focused, but it’s sometimes difficult. However, I find reading posts in my aggregator a bigger distraction than writing them.
Tara, I think in a similar way to you. When I’m out and about I often look at things of interest and wonder how I could transfer it to a blog article. If nothing else it’s a nice way to record your thoughts.
Ian, is you never having the opportunity to blog from work not for the want of trying? Or are you as professional in your work as I think you are? :)
Brett, ah the fantasy football. I have a little league on the go with a group of friends, for a friendly wager. Doesn’t take up much time at all though.
Richard, I can empathise about the time involved to read blog posts. Having missed over a day of not checking my feed reader I’m VERY tempted to hit ‘mark all as read’, but I don’t like the fact of missing something relevant.
Blogging interferes with my day job big time! Right now I’ve got a mountain of stuff to do but I’m here instead. I’ve said elsewhere that no matter how busy I am, I can always find time to do something I shouldn’t be doing, but it does add to the stress. Still, you never know what you’ll learn.
ya it interfere little bit,but you have to manage that.I,m a cs enggineering student,i,ve to go the college,do the college works,but inspite of that,i steal the time to manage my blog.
Unfortunately, there have been times recently where I have let blogging interfere with my “real” job. I’m trying to put myself on more of a schedule of blogging now, so that it doesn’t take over my day.
I usually try to blog early morning before work or in the evening after work. I do, on occasion, break those rules — just like right now. :-)
Actually one of the most important things I do everyday is blog. You could consider it a professional interest :0)
A little bit of branding and marketing myself. A lot of fun. And I make enough money doing it to pay the bills :0)
It doesn’t effect my day job.
(just in case my boss is reading this)
Technical reasons and yes, being very professional 0:-) Knowing how much monitoring there is, it wouldn’t do for the gamekeeper to be caught turned poacher.
Oh my god, it very much interferes! All I think about during the day is what article I’m going to write next.
And when the big bosses leave for the day, it’s on:)
I love this video. I posted it a while back. And yes, blogging does sometimes interfere with my daily work. I find I’m always having to balance my desire to create a better, more successful blog quicker with the needs of my business, my clients and my ledger.
Fantastic clip! Just found the site, but I’ve no time to read it at the moment, too busy blogging!
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I blog at all times of the day and night when I get a chance. It doesn’t effect my work as my work is based around it, which I guess I am lucky for.
I must say yes. Got to go now and start actually do my work now :)
goldcoaster.wordpress.com
I know this is a bit after April 2007 but I found this interesting, and 1 year on as blogging increases in popularity, is it worth asking again? Or did you already? I started our t shirt printing blog as part of my day job, it seems increasingly that blogging is an essential and major part of any forward thinking business, we are encouraged by google to provide more relevant info, educate our customers and be transparent and open about who we are and our motivations, the internet is benifiting as a result. Blogging has not so much interfered with my day job but enhanced it, we aim to do the best work possible so we can ’share it’ love it.
Steve’s last blog post…5 colour index separation and waterbased ink
Thanks for keeping this page of my website fresh with your comment. :)
The question is as valid now as it was a year back, and even though I now spend longer on my blogs, they’ve become a more vital aspect of my marketing. I agree with you completely. A blog can form an essential part of any business with an online presence.