Feel Like You Have a Tough Mountain to Climb?

One of the toughest parts of helping people blog for me is when people come to me feeling despondent with their under performing blogs. I know in many cases they bring them to me as a last ditch attempt. Next step would be for them to call it a day.

Of course I try to help them where I can and I like to think I do a good job :) Thing is if you are feeling this way then all it might take to get back on track is a small change of perspective.

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  1. Goals – What exactly does success mean for you? So many people come to me thinking their blog is a failure but when I ask they can’t articulate why. Usually once a blogger works out what they want to achieve the road ahead becomes much more illuminated!
  2. Time – How long have you given it? Blogging takes time. It might be six or more months before you even get a glimpse of the success you hope for.
  3. Validation – A lot of the bad emotions around blogging, and a lot of the good ones, come down to self-esteem. Don’t take successs or criticisms as a judgment of you.
  4. Competition – Don’t look at other blogs and feel bad about your own, and by the same thinking don’t gloat on other blogs when you think you are doing better. You have to remember that blogging is a competition with yourself, not with others. Think about it, just because someone has more or fewer subscribers, makes more or less money or gets better or fewer comments has zero impact on your life. Learn from what other people do well, make tons of blogging friends, but carve out your own niche.
  5. Positivity – Once you start getting down you will drag down your blog. Better to take a break than depress your readers! Readers react positively to positivity! :)

Look again at that mountain. It’s not really a mountain, it is a series of small hills. Concentrate on scaling the next hill rather than the whole thing. Before you know it you will be looking down from the summit :)

View Comments (7)
  • That’s a good point you make – “What does success mean to you?”

    People seem to have a blog simply for the sake of having one, like getting the latest must have gadget. They then assume that if they build it people will listen to them. But if your just wibbling on about nothing then chances are people wont associate with it and it wont turn up in their searches.

    You have to know why you’ve got a blog. Personally it’s for my own satisfaction – it’s a complete success because it keeps me happy.

  • I like your point that blogging is a competition with yourself, not with others. I have just started blogging. I agree that one shouldn’t compare with others. One should only look to gain knowledge and inspiration. I find blogging enjoyable and challenging. Challenging because I want to write interesting material for clients and others to read. Great points and great blog.

  • Nice checklist,Chris. Point no. 2 is a particularly good one to keep in mind. Because everything we do on the web is so easy and instantaneous, we have come to expect the same with everything else. Not so.

    Keep up the great work!

  • Good points! I’d say, with so much blogs nowadays, some basic points of why blog started in the first place has disappeared, like, blog was intended so the blogger can share what he wanted to share, spread the news and express him/herself. Cheers!

  • Hi Chris

    It’s a good reminder.

    Sometimes I think we’re our own worst enemies though. The blogging world is so full of posts on “how to get 1000 subscribers in a week!” or “how to treble your income in 3 easy steps!” we fall into the trap of:

    thinking success for others is quick and easy;

    concluding if it doesn’t work like that for us that we’re not as good or successful as them; and

    believing that if we could just read a few more blog posts on “how to be a successful and brilliant blogger…” we’d have it cracked :-)

    Joanna

  • Good Post on blogs. In my opinion Tons and Tons of patience is required to build traffic to a blog. It may take one year or more also. Since from one year I am working hard on my blog. Now I am getting 50 – 70 users daily to my blog. Can u suggest me for better improvement?

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