How To Avoid Blog Burnout (from: Priya Shah)
http://www.blogbrandz.com/2005/03/how-to-avoid-blog-burnout.htm
Steve Rubel commented on WebProNews about bloggers throwing in the towel with some of their blogs.
One of them includes Robert Scoble, whose Linkblog (where he blogged me, incidentally, about eight times) is the latest casualty of blog burnout. Scoble says he spent 3 to 8 hours a day on it. Wow! That’s more than I spend on all my blogs and websites together.
Blogging is a time consuming process. It involves the process of gathering, reading, digesting and compiling information into a nice, meaty post that gives your reader an insight into the unique way you see and understand issues.
And many business bloggers often have at least two or three blogs that they write simultaneously. I have ten, but don’t update all regularly.
So how do you avoid becoming a burned-out business blogger?
Well, I guess in this case it helps to live like an Indian. We Indians tend to do things in moderation (most of the time, at least).
But if you don’t have the good fortune of living on this side of the globe, here are a few tips to help you keep your blog(s) fuelled up and running.
1. Get your priorities right
Is starting a new blog really going to help your business (or personal) objectives? If not, then don’t. Simple as that. Save your energy for the blogs that help you achieve your objectives.
2. Discard the chaff
Do you have blogs that are not “hot” anymore? If you have blogs that are not getting much traffic or are about topics that no one wants to read about anymore, give them a quiet burial.
3. Grow up
Are you continuing to blog (whether it serves your purpose or not), out of some misplaced emotional attachment to your blog? Then you probably need a 12–week program.
Lots of blogs are abandoned everyday because they stopped serving their purpose, or more often, because the bloggers just grew up and moved to greener pastures. Find more appropriate ways to spend your time.
4. Get a life
Most creative types know that in order to keep your mind brimming with ideas you need to do things that nurture your mind and body. I enjoy going to a beach, for a movie or partying with friends and family.
Take a walk in the park, workout in the gym, get out of the house and get some fresh air. Just shut down your PC and get away from it for a while. You’ll be amazed at how easy (and fun) it can be it to get your creative instincts flowing again.
5. Give yourself a break
If you miss blogging about something big because you had something else equally pressing, don’t punish yourself for it. Don’t force yourself to keep up with an impossible schedule. Nothing is so important that it can’t wait a day or two.
Sometimes procrastination is not a bad thing at all. If it helps, write a bunch of posts at a time, so you can take a break and attend to other matters when you need to.
6. Quality, not quantity
Blog frequently, but not too often. Most bloggers will agree that two or three posts a week is a pretty good frequency. I usually make that grade, but never push myself more than I have to.
The key is to make your posts count. Don’t post about anything and everything in your field just because you have to.
Posts that are original and full of opinion are more likely to get noticed and linked to than those that are just a few words with a link to the news source.