During my last post, A Return To Blogging, we discussed in brief the advantages of blogging and how the issue of not consistently posting on your blog can have a negative effect on your business. To maintain a quality blog – regardless of how good a writer you may be – you need one thing – and that one thing is motivation.
The motivation to write may be hard to come by when you have a busy lifestyle, are juggling jobs or children – or you may be struggling with a writer’s block of sorts and are not sure how to tap into your passion for what you do. Negativity can easily creep in with the laziness and thoughts like “why bother”, “who reads it anyway”, “what good does it do me” may appear and others who see your efforts as a waste of time will add to the negative pile. It is time to refocus on your desire to do what you do – and get back to work.
Think back to why you started your blog and what you wanted to achieve. There are many valid reasons for blogging. Was it to share what you have learnt, did you want to teach others, or did you require a platform to show off your business, your family or your hobby? If it was a monetary reason then often the focus can be hard to maintain particularly if you are not seeing an immediate return for your efforts spent. So often the incentive to write has to be more than the dollar return. What aspect of your subject focus do you love, what inspires you to get out of bed in the morning – draw immediately on your love for the subject and write about that to draw you back in to the routine of blogging.
Sometimes we need an outward motivator – look for a powerful quote or image and put it above your workspace to draw from – this can help immensely. Or try the reward approach – reward your efforts once you have completed your post for the day or have finalised your monthly blog schedule – use whatever will work for you.
If you are unable to tap into the passion it may be worth enlisting in the services of a ghost writer even for a short period of time to at least make it look like your business is still in operation – often outward appearances need to be maintained regardless of what is going on behind the scenes. A break from blogging may just help you out of the doldrums and ignite your spark – or at least one can only hope!
In my next article I will share some blogging tips with you to keep you on the straight and narrow but know that only one person can be responsible for keeping you motivated and that person is you.
If you’re overwhelmed, struggling to get things done, or recognise you need some assistance, organise a call with me to discuss your business support needs.
