How to Know When It’s Time to Shut Down Your Blog

I’ve been blogging for a little over two years now. And, to be honest, there were times when I wanted to just shut it down. I’ve even gone as long as a month without updating it. But, alas, like an addict, I started to update it again.

While blogging may be addictive, following are two signs it’s time to shut down your blog. NOTE: I’m referring to professional blogs, not personal ones.

1. Not updating regularly: If its hard for you to find the time to blog, maybe it’s time for you to shut it down.

Blogs that are irregularly updated reeks of unprofessionalism – in my opinion. It’s like an unfinished project you leave out there for the world to see. To gain a base readership, readers have to be able to depend on you to deliver on a regular basis. And, regular could be whatever you set them up to expect, eg, daily, weekly, bi-monthly, etc.

TIP: The less you update, the longer your posts should be. And, twice a month is about the longest you should go without updating. Once a week would be even better, with daily being the optimal.

POST CONTINUED BELOW
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The point is, whatever schedule you set, let your readers know what to expect so your blog doesn’t look like it’s been abandoned.

2. No Marketing “Oomph”: I use my blog as a marketing vehicle. Updating it regularly has built a loyal readership who trust my opinion enough to purchase my e-books, e-classes, etc.

Being a full-time freelance writer leaves you with very little time to “doodle.” I make sure that every project I tackle during working hours has a direct impact on my bottom line. My blog is a big part of this.

So, if your blog is not helping your marketing efforts, it may be time to shut it down, or update it during non-working hours.

To make a living as a freelance writer, you have to become ruthless with your time – almost like an assassin. While this may seem a bit diabolical, it’s the difference between being able to make a full-time living, and complaining about not being able to make a full-time living.

NOTE: Sometimes your posts may have nothing to do with the subject of your blog. Maybe that day, you decide to go off topic. This is fine, it gives readers insight into your personality. But remember, readers flock to a blog, normally, because they want to learn something to help them achieve their goals. So, give them that on a regular basis.

How to Officially Shut Down Your Blog

Like quitting a job, there is a right and wrong way to officially shut down your blog.

Rule #1: Don’t just stop blogging. Give readers a shut-down date, eg, a “resignation post.” This will prime them for what’s to come.

Rule #2: Share your reason for shutting down the blog. You don’t have to go into grave details. Whether it’s because you’re too busy, a personal issue (eg, birth of a child, sick family member, new business venture, etc.).

Rule #3: Give readers some Q&A time before you sign off. Respect them enough to let them chime in. This is good for you as well because you never know how much you’re appreciated until you’re not there any more. Even if all the feedback is not good, it’s something you can take with you into your next venture.

I remember when I first shut down my site, InkwellEditorial.com, in December 2004 to revamp it. I received close to 100 emails within 30 minutes of sending out the “shut down” memo.

I saved the feedback because it was overwhelmingly positive and let me know how much users had appreciated me and my company over the years. When I’m feeling blue about business, sometimes I read through these emails. They are a real spirit booster.

Rule #4: Say “Thank You” to Your Readers. After you’ve answered all the feedback you can – and to make a concerted effort to respond to everyone – even if it’s just to acknowledge receipt of the email – send a final thank you and wish your readers well in their endeavors.

Now, that’s a classy way to end any relationship – even if it was only a virtual one.
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Copyright Notice: May be reprinted with the following, in full: Yuwanda Black is the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com: THE business portal for and about the editorial and creative industries. First-hand freelance success stories, e-courses, job postings, resume tips, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Log on to InkwellEditorial.com.
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I want to apologize for the delay in getting to this post. I was recently in a car accident and suffered severe whiplash; am getting better with the help of a wonderful chiropractor.

Sincerely,

Yuwanda Black, Publisher
InkwellEditorial.com
InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com

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Now, on to the much-delayed Part III of this post, Lessons Learned from Two Years of Blogging.

Lesson 11: Reference other blogs. Referencing other blogs means that you must read other blogs. Much like reading a newspaper to know what’s going on in the world, read other blogs to find out what’s going on in the blogosphere.

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Lesson 12: Stay on top of blog technology. Referencing other blogs benefits you in numerous ways, namely:

i) Updates you on new blog technology. Want to learn which technology allows you to blog faster, make more money, advertise your blog better, etc.? Like all mediums, blog technology changes rapidly. Consult other blogs to stay abreast of it.

FYI, Darren Rowse’s blog, problogger.net, is a great one to consult about all things related to blogs – software, increasing income, pervading opinions on blogging, etc.

ii) Increases your blog’s rank. Especially if you link to high-ranked blogs like http://www.entrepreneurs-journey.com, http://www.thegoldenpencil.com, and http://www.writersweekly.com.

Lesson 13: Copyright your material. Many blog without ever thinking about how they might earn income from it down the line. Most think in terms of making money from the ads that appear on their blog.

BUT, you never know when your ideas – the text itself – can become invaluable. I copyright all of my material. Why? A little story:

I was watching Oprah one day and Dolly Parton was her guest. She asked her about her finances and where most of her income came from. She said from her songs, as in, the publishing rights to the library of over 3,000 songs she’d written.

When Whitney Houston recorded I Will Always Love You (yes, that was written as a country song by Dolly), she said she made a mint. Her songs have been sampled, re-recorded used in movies (she wrote the hit, Working 9 to 5, for the popular movie, in which she starred), etc.

Every time any of these happened, she was paid.

So, while it may seem like your copy is disappearing into a black hole on the net and no one cares about it but you, you never know who is reading it and may have a valuable use for it.

Lesson 14. Make your blog posts serve double duty. What do I mean? Each entry I make into my blog serves three purposes:

i) first and foremost, it’s a blog post;

ii) second, I circulate this material to free article directories to drive subscribers to my site; and

iii) sell it whenever possible.AssociatedContent.com pays for content – whether it’s been published before, or not. It’s a nominal payment (pay ranges from a low of $3 up on up to $40), but I figure, as long as I’ve written the material, I might as well get paid for it.

Other Ways Your Blogging Can Pay

a) It serves as a body of work to show to potential clients; b) You can dig deeper into a topic – I try to keep my posts to between 700-900 words. See my 10/10/06 post for why I think this is an ideal length for articles/blog posts.

You can also do a web search for an article I wrote entitled, Why Longer Articles Make You More Money. It’s found on several sites on the web.

However, many times I’ve written a post and wanted to learn more about a subject in order to sell the piece, which I go on to do. This brings me to my next lesson:

Lesson 15. Use series whenever possible. Many write to me wanting to know how I find fresh topics to write about, especially as I write within a niche. One of the ways I expand posts so that I don’t run out of material -- which you never have to worry about even if you don’t use this tip -- is to write series (eg, Part I, Part II, etc.).

Like soap opera cliffhangers, series not only allow you to break longer posts into smaller ones, it gives readers a reason to come back. If readers think enough of your writing to return again and again, before long, you will build a loyal readership who come to trust and rely on your blog.

Lesson 16. Link back to articles on your blog. Why? Quite simply, I find that it creates connectivity and gives readers a sense that you really know what you’re talking about.

If you’ve written a body of work that is so valuable that readers can find useful info in posts from a year ago, then you’re on your way to becoming more than just a blog; you’re building a resource – with you as the “expert.”

Tomorrow’s Post: Cash in My Pocket -- Some Benefits I’ve Derived from Blogging (And How You Can, Too!)
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Copyright Notice: May be reprinted with the following, in full: Yuwanda Black is the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com: THE business portal for and about the editorial and creative industries. First-hand freelance success stories, e-courses, job postings, resume tips, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Log on to InkwellEditorial.com to learn how.

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Lessons Learned from Two Years of Blogging (Part II of III)

Today’s post is a continuation of yesterday’s post entitled, Lessons Learned from Two Years of Blogging. Without further ado:

6. Use Photos: This is something I very recently started doing. It makes sense as, as human beings, we are visual beings.

A photo works much like a great headline/article title – it draws readers in.

Tip for selecting photos: Of course, make it pertinent to the story. Also, make it funny if you can. Making people laugh is almost never a bad idea. (Image courtesty of ChrisAbraham.com)
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7. Don’t Be Afraid of Running Out of Things to Say: I wish I had a dollar over the last two years for everytime someone has written to me, “If I update my blog more often, I’m afraid I’ll run out of things to say.”

This is particularly true if they blog within a niche.

All I can say is, don’t be afraid of this. LIFE will provide you with topics to write about. Once you start to write regularly, strangely enough, you will have MORE to say, not less.

A prime example -- this list. When I first sat down to write about what I’d learned over the last two years of blogging, I had five initial points that I wanted to make. BUT, once I started writing, the ideas kept flowing.

And, as I’ve said elsewhere, when you write on a regular basis, you will pick up topic ideas from everywhere – eg, watching the news, talking to friends, reading other blogs, reader queries, etc.

You’ll just have to trust me on this point – you will not run out of things to say.

8. Longer Posts Fare Better: In my post, Article Marketing: Long or Short Articles -- Which Is Better?, I explain this in detail, so I won’t rehash it all here.

The gist of it is, shorter articles don’t explore a topic in enough detail to be beneficial. And, as you’ll remember from Part I of this article (Point 6), I advise all bloggers to respect their readers enough to give them useful information not found anyplace else.

Post Continued Below
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9. Don’t Stress about Feedback: I’ve been blogging for two years now, and only get a few comments on my posts. Does it mean that my blog is not popular, or that nobody’s reading it?

Not from the amount of email I get. If your blog is but a slice of your marketing efforts, then whether or not you receive massive amounts of feedback shouldn’t bother you. That’s why I advise bloggers to figure out why they blog (Point #1 in Part I).

If your blog is your living like Darren Rowse over at ProBlogger.net, then if you know that going in, then you can start marketing it like the from the beginning.

As my blog is only a part of my marketing plan, it serves its purpose just fine. Massive amounts of feedback/interactivity is not what I need from my blog.

10. Clearly Define a Niche for Your Blog: Some may disagree with what I’m about to say, but I’m a firm believer in niche marketing. Why?

According to the CNNMoney.com article, Getting pizza coupons by text message:

The average customer is targeted with more than 3,000 marketing messages a day, so people have developed a resistance," says Erik Hauser, CEO of Swivel Media, a
creative agency which has done mobile marketing work for clients like Wells
Fargo.

We are inundated. One of the most effective ways to get through is target marketing – ie, target people who have a pre-disposition to hearing what you have to say. How do you do this?

Become an “expert” in your field (eg, niche it) and build up a relationship of trust over time with a highly targeted market. In the October 2003 article, Calling All Marketers, on FastCompany.com, Bill Blundon, chief marketing officer of Extraprise, a consulting firm in Boston says:

It's time to get back to understanding your customers . . . When I get a call
from American Express, I always listen to what they have to say. I have a
23-year relationship with them.

While some blogs achieve popularity without being niche blogs, eg, Kottke.org, these are rare. Jason Kottke, the owner of Kottke.org, had been blogging for years as a hobby before he tried to make money off his blog. According to his site, he has updated his blog almost every day since 1998 – that’s 9 years.

How many blogs do you know that have been around that long?! Most flame out after four or six months because there’s no immediate payoff. Blogging is no easy road to riches. Anyone who has a successful one will tell you that.

Blogger Makes History! Jason Kottke has quite an interesting story – in 2005, he quit his job as a web designer to blog full-time. While this may not sound like news now, it was big back then -- he was among the first to do this.

To this day, his full-time job is writing his blog. Tool around his site – interesting stuff (much of which I don’t understand or have an interest in; but, the simple breadth of material is impressive).

Tomorrow: Part III of this post.
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Copyright Notice: May be reprinted with the following, in full: Yuwanda Black is the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com: THE business portal for and about the editorial and creative industries. First-hand freelance success stories, e-courses, job postings, resume tips, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Log on to InkwellEditorial.com to learn how.
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Labels: blogging advice, monetizing your blog, tips for bloggers

Lessons Learned from Two Years of Blogging (Part I of III)

Happy Birthday InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com! Today this blog is two years old. I never knew that it would add so much to my career, but oh boy, has it.

Following are some lessons I’ve learned from the past two years of blogging.

1. Determine Why You Blog: I liken this to driving without directions. How do you know where you want to go unless you have a destination in mind? Having a purpose in mind will also focus you more.

If you decide to monetize your blog, you will have a concentrated body of work right at your fingertips. This makes for a tighter, more concise and interesting blog.

POST CONTINUED BELOW

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2. Appreciate Your Style: My writing style on this blog is what I term “conversational business-like.” I throw in a bit of self-deprecating humor to illuminate points, and voila, I have a writing style.

As a blogger, especially in the beginning, you may get intimidated by other bloggers. You may wonder, “Am I too personal, too business-like, not funny enough, too sarcastic, etc.”

My advice is, whatever your writing style, embrace it. Don’t try to be like anyone else. You will never please everyone and you’ll spend too much time trying to “sound” a certain way. This, IMHO, defeats the purpose of blogging, which is to convey information.

The best – not to mention easiest and quickest – way to do that is to be true to you. Not only will you write better, you’ll enjoy the process more.

3. More is Better: As in, more posts. Update your blog regularly for maximum effect. Search engines are driven by content. The more you feed the hungry search engine monster, the more popular your blog becomes, the more links you get and the higher your PR rankings.

4. Blog Fearlessly! As in, don’t be afraid to tackle controversial topics, angles, etc. As we all know, controversy sells. Don’t gratuitously cover controversial topics, but don’t back down if the occasion presents itself.

For example, my 11/706 post was entitled, Should Freelance Writers Have a Minimum Wage? In this article, I proposed a minimum pay scale. I got some flack from that. BUT, at least it started a debate (or rather, continued one that’s been raging fiercely since content writing became the rage).

5. Blog Topically: As in, tie in what’s going on in the news to what you blog about. The article mentioned above is a good example of this. I got this idea for an article while watching CNN one morning as they were discussing the new minimum wage that went into effect in 7 states this year. I need to do more of this myself.

Many times, there won't be an obvious connection from topic to topic, but if you think for a few minutes, you can usually come up with a relevant spin on an issue you've heard/read about that’s currently in the news.

6. Stay Away from the Obvious: Many times I will click on an article on the web with an interesting title, only to be bored to tears with obvious information that can be found on the web in a two-second search.

The post, 34 Reasons Why Readers Unsubscribe from Your Blog on problogger.net bears this out. “Redundant, repeated or recycled news is one of the top five reasons why people unsubscribe to RSS Feeds,” according to feedback sent in from readers.Surfers are looking for information.

Respect your readers enough to give them useful information not easily found everywhere else. This where I think blogging about what you know/do comes in handy. I pepper my posts with personal experiences because this is inside information that only someone who does what I do for a living (freelance writing) knows.

Over time, this will build you a loyal readership – which pays dividends in numerous ways (product sales, interview requests, ad revenues, etc.).

7. Don’t Overpromote: As in, your products, services, etc. Remember, readers want useful information. While using your blog to promote your products/services is fine, too many ads or too much self-promotion is a big turn-off.

I mean, think about it. Who wants to interact with someone who is always trying to sell them something? By all means, use your blog as a selling too, but unobtrusively so.

Tomorrow: Part II of this post.
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Copyright Notice: May be reprinted with the following, in full: Yuwanda Black is the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com: THE business portal for and about the editorial and creative industries. First-hand freelance success stories, e-courses, job postings, resume tips, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Log on to InkwellEditorial.com to learn how.

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