Blogging still works – when you work it. Like anything in life that you want to accomplish, it requires effort for success to happen.
If you’ve started a blog, congratulations! Enjoy it, post consistently, and try out ways to make it become successful. When it hits a lull, don’t give up. Connect with other bloggers, learn strategies others have used to make their sites’ successful.
Consider the word success for a moment. What does that mean for your blog? Publishing a post once daily or weekly? Monetizing your blog? Seeing your blog traffic increase? All of these take time and effort, but you can make them happen if you follow a few important steps.
Commitment
Many people have good intentions of making a blog successful. Life events happen, and the blog gets nowhere. I know. I’ve been there. Recently, my WiFi service and cell reception changed. Then my computer started doing strange things. This went on for over a month. Without a working computer and WiFi, blogging doesn’t work. It was frustrating. Yes, I understand that things will interfere. Commitment, however, means you stick to the goals that you set and find a way to accomplish them.
Routine
First, it helps to have a routine, daily and weekly. Get up early every morning about the same time, drink coffee, eat a light breakfast, and spend a few minutes in prayer or studying the Bible. That’s one way, doing whatever helps you to start your day off with a positive mind. Meditate on good things. My mother-in-law used to tell me she liked to start her day off early in the cool of the day with her gratefuls. Be grateful for what you have. Find joy in the little things and with family.
Discipline
Write down your plan. I learned years ago that to accomplish a goal, I had to write it down. I attended a Franklin seminar and learned about organizing goals into A’s, B’s, and C’s. If you don’t write it, you forget it.
MyFitnessPal is an app I use for keeping up with my daily calories. Sometimes I forget to record what I eat. Guess what happens. That day the calories shoot up way high. Seriously, I think I can gain five pounds in one day. The app is a great way for disciplining myself. So it is with blogging. I have five blogs. If I plan my strategy of how to blog consistently on them, I’ll make it happen. When I don’t write the plan down, something will come up and I’ll forget to blog. After my time of computer problems and no WiFi, I was determined to discipline myself and work the plan I have in place for all five blogs. It’s doable but only if I follow my plan.
You can learn from the best of bloggers and apply their advice, but you must stay committed if you want to have success with your own blog. If you’re not committed, you’ll become inconsistent and discouraged. Interruptions will happen. The more that you have interferences, publishing posts will eventually end up on the bottom of your priorities.
Remember your purpose, your why, for having a blog. If it’s important to you, you have a reason to stay committed.
Routine will help keep you from overload. Without a routine, it’s easy to slack off from writing when tight schedules are a hindrance. Include these necessities in your routine:
- Sleep
- Healthy Eating
- Exercise
- Relaxation
- Sunshine
When you deprive yourself of those five needs, you’ll feel frustrated. Network with other bloggers, and read inspirational material like the iBlog magazine to stay positive and learn.
Go back to your plan from time to time and make changes when you need to. If one thing isn’t working, scratch it off the list, and replace it with something else you’ve learned from another blogger.
Be careful about comparing your blog so much to everyone else’s. Learn from others, but keep in mind that every blogger had a beginning. It took each one time to reach success. You’ll get there, too, so enjoy creating your blog as you fulfill your purpose.