It’s a new year and the perfect time to commit to your business blog!
If you’ve felt a bit burnt out, idea challenged, or just mojo-less… here are 7 ways to fix it FAST.
Re-Focus on Your Vision
Think back to the moment you make the decision to start your own business.
What motivated you to jump into this world? Why are you in business?
What results do you create for clients? Why is this important?
How does your business serve you and your family?
Take time to reconnect with the vision you have for your business and for your clients. Re-read your fan mail (testimonials, emails from clients, blog comments).
Remember that what you are doing MATTERS and blogging can be part of what helps you achieve your vision and enables you to reach more people.
Re-Evaluate Your Goals
Blogging can feel like a CHORE if you don’t connect it to your goals and see how it fits into your business plan.
What are the business goals that your blog will help you achieve? Based on that, what are your blogging goals?
Here are some possibilities (and ideas of what to measure and track so you know how you’re doing):
- Build a Platform
- Create a Community (Time Spent/Bounce Rate)
- Drive/Attract Traffic (Stats)
- Build Your List (Subscribers)
- Create Discussion (Comments)
- Social Sharing (There’s a cool tool at QuickSprout you can watch this with)
- Build Business/Sales ($$$)
- Ad Revenue (Alexa/Compete)
- Content Creation (Book)
- JV/Partnership Invitations
- Media Requests
- Authority/Reputation
- Get a Message Out (Downloads & Views)
If you don’t know your goals, your blog may frustrate you simply because you have no way to measure it’s results or success!
Re-Create Your Calendar
Start by figuring out how often you want to blog. It doesn’t have to be daily. Maybe it’s twice a week. Maybe it’s weekly. This is YOUR plan and it needs to work for YOU.
As you consider how often to blog remember that you can repurpose your content – feature it in an email to your list, share it on social networks, etc.
Here’s how I create my blogging plan based on my business goals:
Begin your plan with a calendar for the month. Look at the month ahead and check for:
- upcoming holidays
- promotions or sales you’re running
- new products you’re launching
- teleclasses or interviews
- special affiliate promotions you’re involved in
Block out the dates that you want to blog about any of those events or occasions. Then begin filling in the days around those. If you’re launching a new product you may want to write a series of posts in the week leading up to the launch that showcase your expertise on the topic or explain why it’s valuable to learn about the topic.
If you don’t have product launches or special events happening, then you could use a series strategy where you pick 4 topics and write one week on each topic. Do an overview post at the beginning of the week, 5 posts on different aspects, then a wrap up post at the end of the week. In your first post, you can build interest by letting readers know what to watch for during the week. Invite questions with your posts and in your last post in addition to a wrap up you can also answer any questions on the topic.
Another popular option is to have features based on the day of the week. For example, an inspirational post every Sunday or an image focused post every Wednesday. You could make one day of the week the day you create and share a video post. Or plan one day of the month each month to do a giveaway or drawing for readers.
Once you’ve got your plans in place you’ll find it’s easier to keep up with your blog and that your readers look forward to your regular series and features.
Re-Energize Your Ideas
When you love what you’re writing about and your ideas inspire you, it’s much easier to write, right?
Here are some great resources to help kick-start your creative brainstorming:
- 43 Fill-in-the-Blank Headline Ideas – it’s like Mad Libs for blog post ideas (free PDF download)
- Creative Ways to Breathe Life Back Into Your Blog – post from BoostBlogTraffic with some seriously cool ideas
- Chris Brogan’s 100 Blog Topics – things Chris hopes you write about
- 50 Blog Title Ideas for You – some random ideas I shared from business to silly
- 50 Blog Post Ideas for Business Blogging – from Tad at White.net
Or, reach out and ask your readers and community for suggestions!
Re-Evaluate Your Backup Plan
We all have days (okay, sometimes weeks…) where we don’t feel like writing.
While there’s immense valuing in learning how to DO THE WORK whether you feel like it or not in business, there are days where a backup plan is the answer. So, what’s yours?
Here are some “back up” ideas:
- write a few “evergreen” posts and save them to publish later
- learn how to ethically “swipe” content from yourself
- know where to go to find content you can republish, like EzineArticles, YouTube, or TED talks
P.S. If you have a lot of those days, I highly recommend The Creative Habit.
Re-Engage Your Community
There’s an energy that shows up when you know people are reading and learning from, laughing with, and loving your blog posts.
How can you re-engage your community?
- Get clear on where your community is at. Where do your readers hang out?
- Find ways to spotlight your community with link posts, guest posts, interviews, and collaborative style posts.
- Be brave about getting your content out in front of your readers. Share your posts on social networks. Send an email to your list just to say “Hey, I wrote this post for you…”
- Reply to your comments, and visit as many of your commenter’s blogs as you can. Share their posts and leave them comments.
- Watch for people who share your posts on social media and thank them.
Re-Vitalize Your Promotion
If you resist blogging because you feel like no one is listening or reading, you aren’t alone. This is one of the most common frustrations I hear from clients.
So let’s fix that!
What’s your plan? Don’t have a written promotion plan yet? YOU NEED ONE.
Start with the 5 tools freebie that’s on the top right of this page. Just scroll back up and put your info in the box. I’ll send you some super short video tutorials that will help you put some energy into your promotions and help you reach new readers.
Bonus Idea: Join the Ultimate Blog Challenge
If consistent blogging is one of your 2014 goals, don’t miss the Ultimate Blog Challenge!
It kicks off today, January 1st, and runs for the entire month. Every day we’ll send you new blogging ideas and tips.
Sign up free at http://ultimateblogchallenge.com/
Your Turn!
Hit me up with a comment. This month I’m going to choose a dozen commenters and send a special gift (in the mail) so talk to me.
What are your favorite ways to recapture your blogging mojo and get excited about blogging again?
Do any of the ideas or strategies above work for you? Are you going to try any of these?
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27Shares
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Debra Jason says
Every so often, I find it’s good to take a break. That doesn’t mean I don’t post on my blog, instead I may have a guest blogger. Or perhaps something inspires me and I share that with my peeps.
I just realized that, while I have 3 “themes” that I post on Twitter & Facebook (i.e. Monday Motivation, Wednesday Writers and Friday Focus), I haven’t done that on my blog. The new year may be a time to revisit that.
Thanks.
:)
D
Delia says
For me, it helps to have a laid out plan and go write based on that whether I like it or not. If I do this consistently I eventually get my creativity back after a few posts :)
Thanks for sharing these awesome tips, Michelle!
Naomi says
Hi Michelle,
Refocusing my vision really helps me to get my blogging mojo back.
I’m a self-confessed control freak so to pull out original content, I have to stay organised and know what I’m doing next – your calendar video will help me organised just that extra bit more!
Series strategies is a fantastic idea which i will be using.
Thanks. Happy New Year
Naomi
Jennifer Medeiros says
I have been in the habit of bulk dumping my emails in promotional on the gmail tab so I can just keep up with them. However, your last email about blogger burnout caught my eye and I opened it! I just did my end-of-the-year post and saw first hand how blogger burnout can affect your blog. My stats were much lower than when I was on fire with passion instead of just posting. This is exactly what I needed to get my fires going again. I joined your Ultimate Blog Challenge and I am ready to get inspired. I need to re-engage my community since I am slowly shifting my focus to tips and trends over R&G. Thank you for continuing to be a steady source of inspiration. I look forward to completing the challenge and getting my hands dirty in a labor of love!
Val Frania says
Thanks for the encouragement – it’s frustrating to work the system and see little results. BUT, I am in it for the long haul.
Ray says
This one hits home. After hitting a high with my audience in 2010 and into 2011, somewhere along the last two years the blogging become a dreaded task instead of an enjoyment. My goal right now is to get the enjoyment back and the posts will come, that of course will bring the audience that has been lost back.
Jamie says
This will be my first year of trying to take my blog to the “next level.” Thank you so much for this post, as I needed a little fire under me to get me going. It all seems so overwhelming until you write out a plan and put your goals into focus.
Vatsala Shukla says
I admit I experienced Blogger Burnout in November last year! It helped to take a step back and ask myself, whether my vision for my blog was still aligned with my goals. A bit of tweaking and I’m back on track. It shows in the visitors and the joy I experienced in sharing my blog posts in December. Happy New Year, Michelle!
Kimberly Gypsy LoSavio says
I have to admit — the last quarter of 2013 was lame for me when it comes to my blog and getting things out of stagnation. The past several weeks I’ve been working through my Life & Biz planners from Leonie Dawson, mindmapping out what I want 2014 and beyond to look like, and I’ve been working on January’s and February’s blog calendar for me.
I’m still feeling lost in translation when it comes to who and how I can help and I’m still working through this “Am I good enough?” obstacle, but I’m also seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. But I’ve got the perfect outlet and I’m part of such a great tribe of lovely, helpful people that I’m not scared or worried about it anymore. It’s taken a LOT to get here but I’m excited and looking forward to the next 30 days of the UBC!
Thanks, Michelle! 2014 is full of Change but also full of absolutely amazing and awesome stuff!
Sarah says
I always take advantage of the down time between Xmas and New Year to get some writing done. Just like you Michelle I use an editorial calendar, so I have all the topics planned out already. Then of course I can always add posts related to current events during the year. You’ll see below in the comment luv’ link that I just did a little experiment on my own blog and in this post I’m sharing the results. Yes, less posts definitely means less traffic. But I also analyze the question: is traffic really all that counts? Would love to hear your take on this, Michelle!
Sunday says
Hi Michelle, this is a very helpful post. It is very motivating ( at least to me)! The refocusing on blogging goals is very crucial for success. The 7 fast ways to fix blogger burnout as discussed in this post are spot-on. Thanks for sharing the details.
In kingged.com,this post was bookmarked for social and Internet marketers. I have also left the above comment there.
Sunday – kingged.com contributor
http://kingged.com/zap-blogger-burnout-and-get-your-mojo-back/
Pebbles Jacobo says
Another MOST excellent post, Michelle! Your post helped with a course correction. What better way to begin the new year than with a renewed vision and commitment to my business. 2014 is going to ROCK!
Jonell Alvi says
I’ve joined a blogging mastermind group that has helped me with feedback on my writing and consistency for getting posts posted. But I can’t afford to continue the mastermind, even though I recognize it’s value (my business is *still* pre-revenue). I’m going to try finding an accountability partner, and I think having one I can meet in person will be important. That should help me find my mojo or whatever it’s called.
I also found the Ultimate Blog Challenge was really helpful way back a couple of years ago when I was working on my first blog. I think I may check it out again, even though we’re already a few days into the month. Sometimes, though, everything just feels like an uphill climb, kwim?
Chris says
Great post to start off the new year. Having a well-defined online marketing plan and an editorial calendar is your best bet in having a successful 2014. Much of the effort will come from the start during planning and preparation as the days ahead are dedicated to implementing the plan you developed. Aside from the links and resources you included in the article, I would also suggest that people visit QuickSprout’s Advanced Guide to Content Marketing for this. It’s the most comprehensive guide I’ve seen that lets people refine their business and develop their quarterly plans for the year.
Danny says
Hello Michelle, it’s a pleasure to read your article!! You’re a brilliant author and know pretty well when is the perfect time to write up such information. I was planning to give proper attention on my websites because for sometime I was too careless and was busy relaxing during holidays. Thanks for the handy notes and to take better care of my websites I’m looking forward to follow above provided ways.
James Robinson says
I always start the new year setting goals for myself and my business. It keeps me motivated and productive throughout the year.
Lance Carlson says
Michelle, I am quite glad that I found you. This is one awesome listing of actionable things to get the blog rolling. I was really needing the work with blogging titles.
Thanks Michelle I am hooked
Andrew from Piggy Financing says
I think I should really re-focus my visions and goals for my business. Have to get more positive results for this year. Thanks for sharing this wonderful article, Michelle. Been awhile to read a post like this one that reminds me of the reason why I wanted to make a blog.
James says
Just the kind of motivation I need at the start of January! When I’m stuck I think of my audience and what they tell me they’ve liked and imagine what they might like to see next. I was at a networking event before Christmas when two people came up to me and said how much they enjoyed reading my blog. Knowing that there are real people out there who are liking what I’m writing really helps and having a clearly defined niche that I’m filling means that I’m rarely completely stuck for ideas.
I do like the advice about “evergreen” blog posts though. I will get on and create some of those right now!
James
Julie Ann Price says
I just recently asked my list what they wanted. That way I know I am writing directly to what my followers want. I find that helps me stay on track. Sometimes my writing is about what I want to talk about and not what they want to learn or read. Refocusing at the beginning of each year helps. That is when I create my calendar too – so my readers’ feedback is fresh in my mind.