A problem a great many writers/authors face is how to maintain consistency with their social media presence versus writing time. We are encouraged (read expected) to have a platform and engage our readers on a constant basis. So how can the majority of us do that? Holding down a day job, a home, family commitments, some sort of social life, and the time to write, limits our ability to have the presence we are ‘required’ to have. The result can be an irregularity of posts, blogs, tweets and so on, and trying to fit in that golden hour (or two) a day to write. Maybe every day is not realistic for you, so look at how your week is structured and find periods in your routine you can allocate to writing and social media posting.

Obviously, the answer is different for everyone because all of us have restrictions on our time to varying degrees. How can we change the irregular into the regular? The trick is to find periods when there is less demand for our involvement. You may have a long commute on a train or bus, you can get up extra early, or be a night owl. There is no firm and fast rule – find what works best for you.

A routine of posts on social media can be created as long as the frequency is workable for your schedule. Look at when (date in the month, day of the week, time of day etc.) works best for you and make it your ‘writer/author’ time. Personally, I found drafting my twice weekly blog posts in advance has helped me a great deal – no mad panic each morning thinking of a subject. This is especially helpful when I am away on vacation. If you track your time, create an editorial schedule, and set realistic goals this will help elevate the lure of scrolling, and going down those ‘rabbit holes’!

I set a time for social media posting twice a day, which gives me time for other activities and the essential ‘writing’ time. It is not always the same time every day, so I am not a slave to a routine. Flexibility on this schedule allows me to feel in control rather than the other way around.

There are, of course, social media scheduling platforms you can utilize, so you can schedule a week’s worth of content in one sitting. The busier your life the more help these will be to you.

Can you share how you balance your writing and social media activity?