Friday, October 19, 2018

Why You Shouldn't Get Discouraged as a Blogger

 


 Blog post updated 16/08/2019.

Thinking of new ideas and keeping to a blogging schedule can be really hard, especially when you have other writing commitments you need to get done.  If you're a freelance writer, or have a manuscript you're working on for a book.

Things can very quickly start to get out of control, don't get me wrong I love writing, but sometimes writer's block creeps up when you least expect it, and when it does all your ideas, and thoughts for that days work just seem to disappear, and that can be really frustrating.

So how do you get through a period of feeling totally deflated and discouraged?

Don't be disheartened and frustrated, we've all been there.

Here are 5 reasons why you shouldn't get discouraged as a blogger:

1. Don't Let Your Blog Stats Consume You

You can spend hours looking through your blog stats and not get any work done.  Don't get me wrong analytics have their purpose, they can show you some really useful information about your blog and demographics.  But on the downside looking at your stats regularly can be pretty depressing, especially if you're traffic has taken a downturn.

This is the same for Feedburner subscriptions.  Does it really matter how many you have?  That's why it's always good to get back-to-basics and keep continue writing, even when things are tough.

2. Don't Compare Yourself to Others

If love reading other bloggers blogs, your small blog can often seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things.  This particularly hits home if you're having a bad day, and things aren't going your way.

Don't despair, even well-known bloggers have bad days, we all do.  Take a short time-out and reevaluate your situation.  Ask yourself if their is anything you can do differently to improve things?

If not tomorrow is always another day, and you can start the day with fresh ideas. 

3. Try A Little Creative Education

There's no harm in expanding your horizons, and learning new things within your niche.  In the long run it won't do you or your blog any harm.

4. Be Creative

Why did you decide to blog?  I'm guessing because you have a passion you want to tell the world about.

Blogging is more than just promotion,  the secret lies in the time you spend creating, and getting your posts published. Marketing and promotion should be secondary, you need to think of delivering good quality content to your readers, just like any other magazine or newspaper does.

5. Automate Your Social Media

Having the time to create blog posts is crucial for any writer. You can do this easily by scheduling your posts in advance on Buffer or Hootsuite without thinking to much about it.

I use social media, don't get me wrong, I just keep my distraction down to a minimum.  By automating blog posts you can concentrate on the more important task of writing.

Don't be intimidated by other bloggers, your voice is important, and people want to listen to what you have to say.

On the Upside

How to Inject Passion Back into Your Blog

It takes passion to keep your blog going, and that takes constant drive, and motivation.

Inject passion back into your blog by following the points below:

1. 'Just Write'

Writing a whole lotta something is better than writing whole lotta nothing.  So even when your thoughts feel like they've dried up, sit down and start writing.

2. Incentivise Yourself

When things get tough take a step back, go for a walk, watch a movie, listen to some music.  What you have going on in your life reflects in your writing.  Keep distractions to a minimum, and find your own writing time..

3. Write Bite Sized Posts

There's nothing wrong with keeping your blog posts short, and to the point.  There's a debate as to how long a well-written blog post should be.  But consider the attention span of a human is 9 seconds.  Then writing shorter articles doesn't seem like such a bad idea. Remember you can say what you need in 500 words just as much as you can with 1,000.

4. Read Other People's Blogs

It's so easy to get caught up in your own bubble and not realise the wealth of inspiration that's out there.  Take time each week to see what's going in your local blogosphere.

5. Start a Blogging Plan

There's no harm in keeping to a regular schedule, when it comes to blogging.  Blogging is all about working around your day, and writing informative posts for your readers.  If you have a business and are doing other things alongside your blog such as, writing books, try using a blog planner to plan your blogging week.

5.  Make Regular Notes

If you're day is pretty hectic and you don't have time to sit down and think about what you're going to write, try carrying a notebook with you, this will help you capture any thoughts for future blog posts. 

6. Revamp Your Blog

Give your old blog posts a n overhaul, this will boost your your traffic, and help make your blog evergreen.


7. Dig Up Your Archives

Not unlike the above point, you can breathe new life into your blog by renewing your about page, or looking into the way your blog is set up.  Do you feel like you can improve your blog?  If so give it a go.  Just don't do anything too drastic, because that might put your followers off.

8. Create a Blog Series

Sometimes it's hard thinking about just one blog post let alone four or five.  So do some research, pick a larger topic and become innovative in your blog post creation.

I'd love to hear about your blogging stories in the comments below.

Share this post with your friends!

Read more:

The Definitive Guide to Writing a Blog Post

How to Generate Blog Post Ideas

How to Make Your Blogger Blog Look and Feel Like a Website

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