A lot of people have spoken to me about how to sustain a blog. It can be easy to be enthusiastic for the first month or so and then let life take over. For me though, I wanted to make my blog an integral part of my life, so I had it in my mind that this was going to become embedded into my daily routine. Of course, life throws things at you from time to time, but if blogging is what you love, then time can be set aside easily.
I decided to share some ways that you can keep your blog going, even when you are rushed off your feet.
- Bitesize it.
Sometimes I don’t have the time to sit down and write a blog post all at once. The way I deal with this is by doing it bit-by-bit. For example, when I wake up I often have an idea for an article and jot down the title and introduction. Then later on, when I have time for a break, I begin to write some content and look for relevant information. Producing bitesize segments of blog posts, I eventually have a publishable article by the end of the day.
- Have a back-up
Because you can never tell when you are going to have an emergency to deal with, I find it useful to have a couple of evergreen articles up my sleeve ready to publish on a day when things go suddenly downhill. For example, when I am Ill, I can then publish pre-saved material which is about a subject that doesn’t depend on a particular season.
- Keep momentum
Blogs grow because of consistency. There is no doubt that there will be times when ideas run dry and you may be tempted to not bother writing a new post for a day or two. The trouble is, when you start to lose momentum, you can become lazy and slow down your rate of blogging. Your blog readers are very loyal and come to expect consistency, so reducing the amount of articles you produce can result in less interest and make your blog less visible.
There are many brilliant bloggers who produce lists if ideas for blog topics each month and they can be invaluable when it comes to sparking ideas. Producing a shorter article on a dry day can be one way to maintain interest and keep your momentum. - Don’t get trapped in a niche.
This is probably contrary to so many other blogs that you read but ultimately, if something outside of your usual niche takes your interest, then why not write about it? Now and again I drop in an article about something which is on my mind and I make no apologies for it. I respect bloggers who can divert from their niche now again and stick to things they are passionate about, rather than just try to fit a mould.
- Enjoy it
You have to love what you do for it to be a beneficial process. If you find joy in blogging then go for it! Keep the pace and maintain the quality. If not, then perhaps the truth is that blogging isn’t for you. Either way, follow your heart.
For more information on starting your own blog click https://jamieadstories.blog/2021/07/11/how-to-start-a-blog-easily/.
I’ve been blogging for 10 years now and keeping it going is still something I still struggle with!
Yep, definitely not easy to keep it going, thanks for the helpful tips Jamie. Appreciated!
“Don’t get trapped in a niche” – love it!
I think momentum is key here! Just keep at it. The process gets easier when you’ve done it for a while!
Corinne x
Great post!! Love these tips I found them super helpful!
I think I’m in a bit of a slump this week. I really needed these tips and they will also be useful to other people.
Very interesting. I often wonder how bloggers manage to find things to write about all the time.
Aww you have a great blog!!
Thank you.
That’s a great point about having content ready to publish! I’ve started keeping a few posts in my drafts now for that exact reason.
Don’t get trapped in a niche – I could not have said it any better. Great post!
Motivation can definitely ebb and flow – as I work as a copywriter I often find that by the end of the day, I lack the motivation to do yet more writing! Sometimes, it comes down to planning a couple of hours on the weekend or a day off to write, plan and post.
Some great thoughts there and I love the niche part, I think it is important to keep your options open; thanks for sharing.
It’s really good to have these reminders when blogging as it can definitely have it’s ups and downs — thanks for this post, it was really encouraging!
Loved this! Not getting trapped into a niche and keeping momentum are a must! I admire people that can manage to have a lot of content in case of emergency, need to do the same x
Yes it can be handy.
I’m pretty new to blogging so this was actually really helpful, thanks
Good luck with blogging.
These are great tips! I struggle the most with being consistent and finding the time to write. It helps when I “chunk” it out like you were saying in your first tip to make it bitesize. Hopefully, I can take these tips to heart and start applying them. Most importantly, having fun while I do it!
Yes the most important bit is to love doing it haha.