Blogging is the perfect pastime/profession for introverts. But in order to do it successfully there are a few things to keep in mind.

We talked a bit about how introverts can grow their business here, but today I want to give some advice to my fellow introverts who are trying to do this all alone and have no clue how to handle everything that's thrown at them. Because...we don't really like asking for help...

10 Blogging Tips for Introverts

• Start slow.

• Plan ahead.

• Work ahead of yourself.

• Follow a schedule you can handle.

• Keep personal and business accounts separate.

• Set your hours.

• Make your contact system seamless.

• Automate as much as you can.

• Network on your level.

• Know your audience.

Let's dig into these.

Start slow. With everything! It takes a while for us to get comfortable with a setting or a process. When you attempt to do anything new with your business it can be tempting to go full speed ahead (because you sort of think that will propel your business forward even faster). Instead of taking off with a sprint and never paying attention to anything around you because you don't want your business to fail try doing the complete opposite.

For example, let's say you want to get into Pinterest more and you sign up for BoardBooster and Tailwind in the same day with absolutely no clue what your strategy is. What happens? You get completely overwhelmed and both of these incredibly helpful tools start collecting dust and you jump onto the next thing. 

What you should do is research and write down everything you learn. Look on YouTube for tutorials or read blog posts. Soak up everything you can and write down what you took away from your learning experience. Then go back to the software and implement what you know. You're starting slow. As you keep working with something, the more questions you will have, and you will continue to improve your experience.

Plan ahead. I'm a big believer in planning. My favorite planner right now is from here. I love it because it's very basic and doesn't have a lot of random junk in it that I don't need. The minimalist approach will get me every time. Use a physical planner to help retain and record your future events and important dates. I also have a calendar marker board as well. It's duplicate information, but it helps me remember everything that our family and business have going on.

Work ahead of yourself. For your business, I recommend planning and scheduling at least a month ahead of time. Only do this if you want less stress and more time though...

Follow a schedule you can handle. It's so easy to go crazy and fall into the trap of claiming you can be super woman next month when you're planning ahead, but make sure you're being totally realistic with yourself, your business, your family, and your sanity. You can always set the "extra to-do's" aside incase you happen to have the time to do them, but don't overwhelm yourself.

Keep personal and business accounts separate. I remember when I first started I noticed that everyone I followed (bloggers) were very transparent with their family and personal life. For some reason I thought that was something you had to do and I did not feel comfortable with that. I personally, just didn't like the fact of putting my kiddos on social media/on my website or anywhere really. That's completely my choice and I think that so many people feel they have to share or tell their life story if they're a blogger when the truth is...you don't. It's your business. It's all completely up to your discretion and comfort.

Set your hours. I only get "in the zone" a few hours per day and that's between 1 and 5. Winging things gives me major anxiety and I have to have that structure to keep me happy/sane.

Make your contact system seamless. When people email you or set up an appointment with you make sure you have a seamless line of communication. I used to get so nervous when people would set up a call with me and I had no standard email to send them. Again, winging it does not work for me.

Automate as much as you can. This is huge and is a big lifesaver. Invest in the extra $10 a month in your MailChimp account for automated emails or upgrade to ConvertKit when you're ready. I promise you, you will not regret it. When someone signs up for a freebie, you no longer have to wonder and worry how and when they're going to get what they asked for. Automation just makes life easier. Take the time and look at  your systems of communication. What can you automate? Make your email system WORK for you. 

Network on your level. If reaching out to people you think are more advanced in this journey than you, then reach out to people you feel comfortable reaching out to. Just because you're at home, behind your computer does not mean you don't ever have to talk to anyone again. The beauty of it all is that it can be done via text (our favorite way of communication).

Know your audience. If you're a bit clueless in this area then of course you're going to be uncomfortable when you have to "get out there" and talk. When you post on your social media accounts, send out an email, or write copy for your site think about who your audience is, what their problem is, and how you can help them in a way no one else can.