Blogging is time-consuming. And, it’s also a viable mechansim for reaching an audience. I don’t think there is a staffer or contractor on our team that doesn’t read at least a few blogs regularly. Cameron is an avid blog reader, as am I. As the use of blogging in general, and the ability to connect with an audience specifically has evolved, some blogs are losing their shine.
As noted in varous articles, you can often tell when a blog is ready for an AED shock: more posts about the blog itself (as in nothing to write about), or very random, infrequent posts. While it’s certainly true that the entire model for blogging is to not follow traditional editorial calendars, it’s also true that to generate or keep a large audience, frequency of posts is extremely important.
One of the most common problems for a blogger is success. By this, I’m referring to the growth of the blog. On occasion, you may find an individual who starts to write to a niche audience, thinking, “oh, I’ll have a few thousand readers a month.” If the blog is a hit, that could easily result in thousands of visitors/readers a day. When that happens, a certain sort of responsibility takes hold.
It becomes more challenging to write. Now, it’s not just for fun any longer. You have people to please!
You start to track your web stats more carefully, and any dip sends your blood pressure through the roof. And, every increase adds to the value of the blog, while in some cases, also adding to the stress level for the blogger. Don’t mistake the message: most bloggers have a terrific time and love what they do.
But there are times, notably in times like these, when the blogger needs to adjust his vision, either personally or professionally. Many companies start blogs as a method of getting people to know about their brand or to participate in a program. When sales dip, then the blog becomes less important to some of these people. And as a result, there are blogs that wither and die.
Rather than let the blog just die, there are options to keeping it alive, or letting it die properly. There are a few things we’ve learned about blogging that may be important:
- Keep focused on the mission of the blog. If you lose interest, or if you don’t have time, it’s pretty clear that your posts will be noticed by your readers.
- If you can’t keep the blog going yourself, consider working with someone else (we do editorial, for example). But, regardless, make certain you have whomever you work with stick to the mission.
- If you can’t continue, let your readers know and move on. A weak blog is just that – weak.
- Don’t let the blog sit for several months and then assume you can start it up again. We’ve seen several examples of this and in our experience, it just doesn’t work.
There are a number of reasons why blogs die – and often, the author doesn’t consider the issues prior to starting the blog.
We thought long and hard about creating a blog for our company – our mission being to let our clients and prospects know what we’re up to. In today’s complex media-rich world, it’s the personal things that make a difference. So, letting our clients and friends know about our projects, our ideas and production notes is a useful method for setting ourselves apart. But, as noted herein, it’s also time-consuming. But, this is part of what we do, so we’re up for the challenge.
If you need help keeping the blog alive, let us know and we’ll share our thoughts with you, or help point you in the right direction. And don’t give up on your blog because times are tough. A blog is a terrific method for communicating with your audience. Properly managed, it can help you build your business, so should be an important component for any company that can be found via the web.