Not long ago, I received a call from a blogger who was sick to death of writing his blog. This is not a picture of him. This is Jimmy Buffett. I’ll get to him in a minute. But first the blogger…
“I just sit at my computer, staring blankly at it, feeling like I have nothing to say. I’m just so sick of writing.”
A classic case of blog burnout. So what should this once prolific blogger do?
Relax, take a deep breath and read my “Top 10 Ways to Avoid Blog Burnout.”
If this doesn’t work don’t say I didn’t try.
Enjoy! And feel free to leave your own tips for avoiding and dealing with blog burnout. And be sure to watch my electronic newsletter posted below from Smilebox. If you’d like me to email you this newsletter, just leave a comment here and I’ll get you on the mailing list.
TOP 10 WAYS TO AVOID BLOG BURNOUT:
10) Focus on quality not quantity. Never write just for the sake of writing. It’s better to have 2 good posts in a week, than 5 mediocre ones.
9) Read other bloggers posts. And not just blogs that you normally read. Go outside your comfort zone and read posts from many different bloggers. They might inspire you in ways you wouldn’t expect.
8) Get a little help from your friends. The Beatles might have said it best. Get a little help from a guest blogger. Or just interview an interesting person in your community.
7) Look at your blog stats and see what’s resonating with people. If you know what topics have hit with your readers, you might get that boost you need to write more.
6) Read and reply to your commenters. You might get inspired by one of their observations. Or not.
5) For heaven’s sake don’t obsess! Perfection is overrated. If you’re stressing out over every word in every blog post, you’re taking this whole blog thing way too seriously. Make it good, but it doesn’t need to be perfect.
4) Rework a favorite old post. Maybe you didn’t have enough time to really get into a topic that you loved. Well do it now. Find a new angle. Start a new conversation about a favorite old topic all over again.
3) Remember, short blog posts are generally more popular than long ones. If you feel like you’re running out of time to post, maybe you’re posts are too long. Consider breaking subject matter into 3 or 4 shorter blog posts. That’ll help your blog traffic and make you feel less overwhelmed to produce a lot of content.
2) Put yourself on a schedule. Make a certain couple of hours every week as your “blog time.” Write several posts and post date them so they’ll publish whenever you’d like them to. It puts less pressure on you to post everyday and it helps you stay focused.
And the Number One Way to Avoid Blog Burnout is…..
1) Embrace it then move one…..
There’s a reason bosses like vacations. Workers come back refreshed, inspired and more productive. The same can be true for blogging. Take a break. Go to the islands, drink margaritas and listen to Jimmy Buffett. Maybe, it’s just the break you need. Your blog isn’t going anywhere. You can take a break for months at a time and your Areavoices blog will be waiting for you. (And really if you’re in the islands drinking margaritas with Jimmy Buffett, you’ll probably have a lot to write about when you come back!)
Happy Blogging! (and/or say “hi” to Jimmy!)
Often times, I go out and speak to community groups about social media (by the way, I’m taking appointments now, so if you’d like me to talk about blogging and social media to your club or organization I’m available. No charge. But of course, I won’t turn down lunch if it’s offered. I’m not stupid.). Anyway, I tout the benefits of using your Areavoices blog as part of your multi-tiered social media plan.
