A few days ago, I was talking to a budding blogger on the phone, and he was telling me that he was worried about his motivation for blogging. Here are the first few lines of the conversation I had with him (I will refer to him as “Mister X”):
Me: What happened? Why are you so demotivated?
Mister X: Harsh, I have worked on my blog for many months, and this is my 4th blog and probably the last one. I’m still getting only 100 or so odd views and people are commenting just because of backlinks. Things like “nice post” and “useful posts”, and I even get negative comments from time to time and that discourages me a lot.
Me: Why did you start blogging?
Mister X: I started blogging because I like it and it’s my passion. I’ve been blogging for the last 4 years and I like when people like my posts and follow me. The secondary reason is money; it’s not the main one right now but it will become a major one later in my career.
Me: What kind of people do you follow on social networking sites?
Mister X: Mostly bloggers and internet marketers.
Me: How do you feel when people talk about their success stories on Facebook or Twitter?
Mister X: Some of them motivate me and a few of them demotivate me. People who started with me and are doing great demotivate me, whereas blogs like ShoutMeLoud and HellboundBlogger motivate me, as I want to be like them.
When I was having this conversation with Mister X, I was already aware of his problem. This is one common phase of the blogging life which most bloggers face.
At this point in the conversation, I shared a few of my experiences and gave him a few tips.
I’m sure many of you (especially if you are a budding blogger) are also facing the same issue. If so, you need to take action now, or you may end up among the multitude of start-up bloggers who eventually quit blogging.
In this article, I will be sharing a few tips which will help you to bring back the motivation for blogging.
Bringing Back Your Motivation For Blogging
Tip 1: Blog for yourself first and for others second.
You must have read a lot about the importance of writing for your readers. While this is a good thing to do, it is also true that in order to capture an audience for your blog, you need to write for yourself first.
One of the first and most common mistakes new bloggers make is to copy someone else’s style. Your blog is your personal space, and it reflects your identity and your individual voice. You might not capture thousands of fans in a day, in a month, or even in a year, but if your blog post is helping even one person, its creation has been worth your time.
Just stick to your niche and write anything that interests you within that niche.
One of the greatest misconceptions about blogging is that there is no point in writing about topics that have been written about hundreds of times before. But that’s not true.
The fact is that every day a new internet user is born, and your blog might be among the first sites that that new user will find! You could be the one to teach them about whatever it is they want to learn. That’s how you build authority.
So, in short: Stick to your niche and write for yourself.
Tip 2: Start with the basics, then move to more advanced topics.
Many bloggers make the mistake of starting with information that is too advanced for a beginner.
In order to create, interest, and engage your readership, you need to have a pile of content that makes a reader want to stay with your blog, and this means that what you write has to help them understand the topic.
For example, Mister X had written about one of the premium SEO plugins, and he was not happy with the comments he was getting. Well, the first few questions he should have asked himself in reviewing his post prior to publication were:
When you see blog content with affiliate links, how do you feel?
Have you covered other topics leading up to your current topic in the same niche?
Have you previously educated your readership on the benefits of SEO and why SEO is important for their blogs?
Solution: Sit down and plan a content strategy for your blog. Write down every subject from the most basic to the most advanced topics you can cover. This will help a beginner who lands on your blog to learn something new. And as your blog moves forward in content from beginner to intermediate to advanced, your blog readership will grow!
Tip 3: Blog without any materialistic view.
There is always a motive behind blogging, and when I started it was all about sharing knowledge.
I wrote about anything which interested me, and money and a fan following were never in my mind. The first few “thank you” comments I received helped to significantly motivate me to continue blogging and to write more and more. This is my story – perhaps yours is different.
When you blog with materialistic motives, you miss out on the most simple fundamental truth of blogging:
Bloggers blog because they love blogging!
Your blog is your personal space, and you should write anything that interests you on topics you understand and have a passion for. Sooner or later, like-minded individuals will find you and follow you, and they will love learning new things from you.
Don’t blog for money or to build a fan-following. Blog for yourself, and let your passion be your path to becoming an A-list blogger.
Tip 4: Forget social networking and focus on blogging.
Yes, I know social networking is important. But social networking is also a big demotivating factor for many bloggers.
When you sit in a room for hours and you see someone updating about their awesome trip to Las Vegas, you feel miserable.
To be honest, that’s how I feel when I read those updates! I want to get out of my office and take a trip to some new destination, too!
However, I know that that time will come for me, but for now, I need to stay focused on working toward that goal.
Constant social media updates can be very distracting and unhealthy. They will steer you away from the very goals you are trying to achieve.
If you are unable to use social media as a networking tool instead of the constant distraction it’s designed to be, then you need to stop using it.
Use social networking sites for networking to create real-life connections. Connecting with the right set of people and learning from them will benefit you. Focusing on what everyone else is doing and comparing yourself to them will not.
If you are using social media just for sharing links, and you are expecting hundreds of people to jump aboard your blog as a result, it’s not going to happen.
Your own blog commenting efforts will be more helpful. Comment on other related blogs; not only can it drive targeted traffic to your blog, but you will end up creating many genuine connections.
Another reason here for the demotivation of “Mister X” is the fact that his social networking site is full of bloggers, and they are already aware of the things he is writing about.
Obviously, their interest will be limited. Instead of focusing on other veteran bloggers, he should focus on people who are new to this field and want to learn more.
My story: Blast from the past
When I started blogging in 2008, I commented on other blogs and sites a lot. I commented not for backlinks, but to participate in the discussions of issues that interested me.
I commented on blog posts that motivated me, which taught me something new or which triggered my thought process. I would comment with my perspective, with information which I felt was missing in the topic being discussed.
In this way, I generated a lot of additional comments. Yes, I got the benefit of branding and backlinks in the process, but I also created many important connections. And this is one of the biggest reasons for ShoutMeLoud’s growth!
Use social networking for the right reasons.
Use it for networking, and not only for self-promotion.
Tip 5: Have a blog business plan.
It is very important to have a business plan for your blog. If you wish to make money, have a plan to make money! Make a content generation plan, a blog monetization plan, a marketing plan, a growth plan, and so on.
With time, your blog plan will change according to your readership and the needs of your readers, so adapt your plan accordingly.
Things to keep in mind:
Don’t blog just for money.
Blog for passion and blog for yourself.
Before publishing a blog post, ask yourself one question: Is this post helping even one person? If the answer is “yes”, then hit the publish button.
Ignore other blogs and bloggers who discourage you instead of motivating you.
When you see other successful blogs, think about what actions you can take to reach that level of success, and start taking action!
Remember, success takes time to cultivate, and you can’t be the next big thing in a day or two. You need to work hard and be smart to be successful.
Whenever you are feeling demotivated in your blogging, stop and take a minute to ask yourself:
Why did I start blogging and why am I blogging right now?
Go through your old content and read the positive comments showing you that you have helped others to learn or solve a problem.
Now I want to hear from you: What are the kinds of things that demotivate you? What do you do to bring back the motivation? Share your thoughts with me and others in the comments below!
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