One of the goals I wanted to accomplish in April, while stuck in the hotel, was to write for blogging systems like Hubpages, Medium and Vocal Media. Unfortunately, I haven’t really put in a lot of effort. But, not for some of the reasons you might think.

I still have a few issues sticking to my schedule. However, lately, most of my time is being taken up by a myriad of real-life things that are unavoidable.

Why I Haven’t Done Much with Blogging Systems

Although I still have my regular job to do, I have a bit of time throughout the day to work on content for Hubpages and the like. I just have a hard time staying focused on writing those pieces.

And it’s not all related to being lazy for a change.

Been Incredibly Busy with Clients

I suppose with the quarantine going on thanks to the pandemic, my client has time to spruce up the website. So, we’ve been doing a lot of image revamps, layout changes, and other adjustments that have taken a lot of my time in April.

And my client always comes first.

I Keep Saving Good Posts for Myself

I’ve started several pieces I wanted to share on the blogging systems. The problem is that I wind up writing something that I would rather have on my own website. This causes a bit of an issue.

I can see why sites like Hubpages and Medium are great for those who don’t have their own domains. But because I have several blogs of my own, I could simply get full credit myself and publish the content.

Getting Distracted By Sharing the Hotel Room

To help afford the hotel room, I am sharing it with my best friend. And although her job is essential and she still goes to work, she’s also in my space for half the day. Which is quite a distraction.

It’s the same issue I had when living in the old house – kids walking past me, talking to me and being in my area. I work far better if I am in my own area and isolated from other people trying to talk to me.

But then, who doesn’t?

Dealing with House Buying Paperwork

One of the biggest distractions when trying to write for blogging systems is dealing with the house paperwork. We have to scan, print or email all kinds of documents to the lender.

And this is getting incredibly ridiculous. You have no idea the number of hoops we have to jump through to ensure we’re not terrorists or laundering money for the mafia.

I’m not kidding, either. The requirements in place today are simply nerve-wracking. I just want a place to live, damnit.

Still Facing a Lack of Motivation

And lastly, I am still facing motivational issues. Some days, it just gets incredibly hard to put forth the effort…especially with how stressed out I’ve been lately.

I mean, I haven’t had the most stellar past seven months. I’m keeping it together, sort of. But the lack of motivation is real, especially when considering writing for blogging systems.

In the back of my mind, I start to think, “Why bother? It’s not like I rake in the money from them anyway.” But that’s the wrong attitude to have, really.

If I actually put in effort and created some good pieces, I probably would bring in a few bucks each month.

Why Should You Care About Blogging Systems?

In reality, platforms like Hubpages, Medium and Vocal Media can have a place in everyday life. This is especially true if you don’t have your own blog.

But what about the people who have websites? Should we just keep saving the good posts for the blog? Wouldn’t the time be better spent working on our own sites?

I suppose you could, but then you might be missing out on a few of the following:

Cultivating an Audience

When you maintain your own blog, you are responsible for every bit of marketing related to your site. This means putting in the effort to make sure it’s fast, mobile-friendly, scores well in SEO and a slew of other elements.

Most blogging systems that I’ve seen have their own audiences and dedicated readers. So, you’re not necessarily reaching for specific terms to score well in a search. It has more to do with developing a reader base.

And because some of these readers could click on social profiles or your home page, it may result in additional visits to your site.

But even if you don’t drive in a ton of traffic to your blog, you start to build a fan-base for your content on those systems.

Generating Residual Income

So, one of the reasons why I keep so many posts for myself is because they’re more valuable to me on my own blogs in terms of making money. After all, a lot of my content is read far more often than it is on something like Hubpages.

But, there is a bit of a catch to that. Remember what I was saying about building a dedicated audience? A lot of those people don’t even know my blogs exist or may not actively search for that content.

And since these platforms have dedicated readers, it’s more like writing for a magazine. Now, I probably won’t make the same amount as if the post was on my blog. But, it may do even better for that particular audience.

This means there is a possibility to generate a decent amount of income with enough good pieces on those blogging systems.

Keeping Yourself Practiced

One of the biggest reasons why I have my blogs is to keep myself practiced in writing. I often take what I learn, whether it’s from editors on Textbroker or research in Google, and put it to use.

Blogging systems like Hubpages and Medium are just another extension of that method.

Also, part of keeping practiced is being able to write for a target audience. And since the audience for those platforms is quite diverse, it’s a great opportunity to expand knowledge and methods.

Productive Way to Pass the Time

Since the world is in the middle of a pandemic, many of us need ways to pass the time in a productive manner. It’s easy to get incredibly bored when you’re stuck at home…or so I hear.

As there are a number of ways to write on the Internet, you might as well do something that could open up a new world of potential. You never know who’s reading your content, and you could become the next big thing.

Well, it’s a good way to pass the time no matter how you slice it up.

How I’ll Put in More Effort for Blogging Systems

This is supposed to be my “Year of Effort,” after all. And lately, I haven’t been able to get myself into a good groove. Well, ever since we got told to leave the house back in February.

I mean, January was a really good month for me. It’s time to get back into the swing of things. I would love to beat January’s record for words typed and hours worked.

And yes, I still keep track of everything using a spreadsheet.

Alright, from my perspective, how am I going to motivate myself to put in more effort?

Try to Avoid Distractions

The hardest part for me, especially right now, is avoiding distractions. My friend tries to leave me alone while I work, but part of me still thinks I need to be social whenever anyone is nearby.

And there might still be days when I have to deal with house paperwork. Though, we’re hoping yesterday was the last bout with the lender. I’m not holding my breath, but we can still dream.

In reality, I’m not doing too bad when it comes to YouTube and Netflix…for a change. I wait until after 5 pm before I watch anything as that is my normal “work” routine; 8 am to 5 pm.

Sticking to My Productivity Goals Every Day

What I’d really like to do is get back into my passion for maintaining goals. I kind of lost quite a bit of that passion due to the events of last year, but I want to find it again.

Today is going really well in terms of maintaining productivity. I just need to keep it up. But, I say that a lot. We’ll have to see how that unfolds over the next week or so.

Tackle Topics I Don’t Fully Know

One way I can get more done with writing for blogging systems is perhaps diving into subjects I don’t fully know. For instance, maybe I should stay away from writing about freelance writing, losing weight or gaming – because I have my own blogs for those.

Then again, I might be denying readers my expertise on those systems. And I really do love helping people.

Perhaps I can do both? Maybe I can turn one of the blogging systems into a type of running journal regarding a new experience. For example, I could have a running tale about fixing up the YouTube channel or setting up a podcast.

The point is to try to find topics that I don’t want to keep for my own blogs. I could always rewrite the topics I’ve already covered. And I am really good at writing the same topic several times without plagiarizing.

It comes from years of writing on Textbroker.

Are Blogging Systems Really Worth My Time?

In the long run, I do believe blogging systems like Hubpages, Medium and Vocal Media are still worth the effort to explore. Generating a revenue stream from some good pieces is worth the attempt, especially since it really doesn’t cost me anything.

I’ve heard of people making about $60 per day from past articles, and that would go a long way to help me pay for the cool things I want to add to my YouTube channels and websites.

At any rate, it would give me an opportunity to get my name out there a bit more before actually publishing my first book.