Are you a blogger who’s discouraged and thinking of throwing in the towel?
Any blogger who hasn’t thought about quitting either isn’t human or never really got started.
There are many reasons you may want to quit. Maybe your blog isn’t earning money. Or you’re discouraged by negative feedback – or no feedback at all. Perhaps you’re not sure what direction you want to take, or you can’t find time for your blog.
There is nothing inherently wrong with giving up on a goal. Sometimes it’s the right decision.
But if you enjoy blogging and want to keep going, here’s some encouragement.
Below, I share common issues experienced by bloggers, and my tips for overcoming.
Photo by Nico Smit on Unsplash
Blogging Is a Marathon
Coming up with great content day after day, week after week, for months on end with little reward (at least, not at first), can suck.
You wonder, is this thing on? Is anybody reading? Bueller? Bueller?
Rest assured that for every comment, there may be one thousand people (or more) reading the content.
On this blog, there’s a post that over 30,000 people have visited. It’s been shared on social media over 3,000 times. Yet there are only 3 comments. Three.
If you judge the success of your blog by how many comments you get, it will set you up for disappointment quickly. You may get one “fan” email for every ten thousand people who actually laughed/cried/moved by your post.
If you’re in it for the feedback, it can get discouraging.
If you’re blogging for money, don’t expect to earn much for your first several months or even longer. Of course, there are exceptions. And blogging can help you segue into other business and moneymaking ventures and partnerships.
For most bloggers, the money comes on the back end. It takes determination and a long-term focus to stay the course.
If you’re a beginner to blogging, grab my free Making Money Blogging course by entering your name and email below.
Set Goals. Know Your Purpose.
If you’re clear on your goals and purpose for blogging, it will be clear when you’re accomplishing them and it will be easier to stay in the game.
Blogging to keep your sanity as a stay at home mom? Connecting with others through your writing is your purpose. Who cares if you don’t have rock star stats?
Need to make money blogging? Rejoice in that very first $2 affiliate payment. It will grow if you keep at it.
When you feel like quitting, keep revisiting those goals. “Don’t compare yourself to others” – we’ve all heard this advice. It’s everywhere and it’s sage.
Blogging Can Make You Vulnerable
The best, most engaging and magnetic bloggers have a bit of transparency in their blogs. This opens you up for a lot of love, and a whole lot of crap too.
Case in point.
I get an email from an anonymous person who told me I should be locked up for breastfeeding a 6 year old, that I was a pervert and somebody should call child protective services, quick!
Now, the first thing. I have never breastfed a 6 year old.
The hate came after I offered a quote to a reporter in a story about extended breastfeeding.
Truth: people who behave like this don’t bother to fact check. They rarely want to be confused by the facts when their minds are made up.
That kind of thing runs off of me like a duck’s back, but it can be quite upsetting when you’re new to blogging or don’t have a thick skin.
For 3 years, a woman followed me around on various blogs I owned or places where I was guest blogging, leaving nasty, hateful, spiteful, personal (anonymous) comments. I finally tracked her down. She was a woman I had met very briefly offline. It bothered me at the time, but now?
I block and move on.
Grow a Thick Skin.
If you’re building something online, you’re going to encounter people who are unhappy with their lives and triggered by your success or visibility. Try to think compassionate thoughts about that person, and don’t let it get to you.
Their bad behavior is about them, not you. Happy people want everyone to be happy, miserable people want company.
Blogging Is a Balancing act
I could also have named that headline, “blogging is addictive“. It’s true, isn’t it?
For many of us, blogging fills a need. A need to express ourselves creatively through writing. The need to connect with others. A desire to share our story and help people.
Even when we’re primarily blogging for income, these other things are part of why we choose blogging instead of some other way to make money.
Occasionally I see a blogger announce she’s quitting because she was spending too much time at the computer. She’s stressed about it, and the blogging becomes an issue between her and her husband.
First, I would bet my left kidney that if she were earning income with that blog, her husband would have had no problem with it. That’s kind of the way men are. Straightforward. I would bet if he saw a direct benefit from the blog to him and the family (meaning, money), he would have been more supportive.
But if she was spending hours a day plugging away at something that, while valuable to her on a personal level, didn’t produce an appreciable result to him, it’s understandable he would have an issue with it.
Not saying it’s right or wrong. It just is. So the answer would be communication. If blogging is free therapy for you, communicate that to your significant other. Make sure they understand how important it is to you. Show them the benefits they may not be seeing.
Many times, the initial problem that presents isn’t the real problem.
The real problem is “I feel ignored when you’re online at night“. Get to the bottom of the issue and talk.
The question of balance is a tricky one. What’s balance for me may not be balance for you. It goes back to goals and purpose.
Draw Boundaries. Stick with Them.
Have you ever driven in the mountains and noticed the guard rails on either side of the road? Those put my mind at ease.
Put some guide rails in place when it comes to your online activities. A few ideas to implement so that blogging doesn’t take over your life:
- Set an intention before going online. Say out loud what you’re going to accomplish.
- Set a timer when you get online. When it goes off, take a break.
- Avoid email and social media sites until after you’ve accomplished real work.
- Decide how many times you’ll check email or social media each day.
- Have a firm “quit” time each evening.
- Choose office hours and stick to them.
If you’re struggling to stay off your phone, read this post about moms cell phone addiction.
How not to quit blogging: make money!
If you’re struggling with blogging because you’re working hard and not making money, boy can I understand that. It’s quite possible to work very hard on a blog to have little profit to show for it.
Solve this problem by getting mentored and educated.
Writing frequently, even if your content is engaging, is not enough to earn money from your blog. There really are things you must do to turn your words into money. But those tactics aren’t secret. You can learn from others who are doing it, but this requires an investment of time and money.
My favorite resources on making money from a blog:
- Ruth Soukup’s ebook How to Blog for Profit Without Selling Your Soul – an excellent book that gives you a basic knowledge of how to start a blog and how to make money with it
- Michelle Schroeder Gardner’s Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing – this self-directed course teaches you how to utilize affiliate marketing to create income, fast, from a blog. Michelle earns over $100K per month (not a typo) from her blog.
A few more articles you might enjoy about blogging:
- How to make money at home blogging – an interview with four moms who are doing it
- My favorite blogging resources
- Doubts, fear and discouragement – give your voices the silent treatment
Carrie,
Thank you for writing that. Although it was meant primarily for people who are already blogging or have a website, it is also helpful to those of us who are still in the planning stage. I really believe that some of those reasons(especially in regards to becoming vulnerable) can hold us back if we let it.
You’re so right Michelle. Of course, pushing past that fear of vulnerability is essential. That’s why having a business is a vehicle for personal growth. Pushing past “what others think” and other limiting thoughts is essential for a successful blog, business and life. 🙂
Hi Carrie – I like this article. I think having a goal and knowing what you want to get out of it is so important. I have a family blog that I have done for a couple years now and I’ve always known that it was just for me to have a record of my journey being a parent… if I happen to entertain people along the way, great. It has also helped my practice and lead into my journey as a craft site blogger, which I’ve just started working on as a way to help promote my Etsy shop. It is hard and sometimes thankless… but knowing what we want from it helps us define our blog and keep going!
Carrie,
Thanks for stopping by and reading and commenting. I didn’t even know you read my blog..see I made your point a reality.
I think you give some great tips about not giving up. If bloggers know why they are blogging it is easier to not give up because there is a point and hours aren’t wasted, if time is used wisely.
great points! thanks for sharing them.
Carrie ~ what a great article! I have been blogging for a bit and seem to have a steady set of readers who are family and friends. I’ve struggled wanting to take my blog in a different direction – maybe reveal more of my thoughts and positions on issues if you will and have been reluctant to do so for fear of how it will be received. This post was encouraging. Thanks!
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I’ve sorta hit a blogging depression and am just not feeling it. Thank you for writing this and reminding me that I’m not blogging for stats (and definitely not money), I’m blogging for my sanity.
I’m gonna start thinking about setting some blogging boundaries so I don’t get run down.
Thanks,
Abby
@sweetbabboo
Good stuff, Carrie. Blogging is work. And you are opening yourself, your life, feelings, opinions and family up for criticism. It isn’t easy to have a thick skin for some. Especially on a personal blog where you might feel like someone is in your home attacking you, since we often feel like our blogs are our home online.
I’ve been lucky so far and haven’t experienced a personal attack, but I’m sure there will be one in my future. I think that if you’re thinking about quitting then maybe it’s a sign that you’re online too much, on your blog, on twitter…etc.
I’ve not known any Mom bloggers, that blog occasionally, write a post about quitting their blogs. It’s always the active ones, the ones who spend al ot of time on their blog and blogging. Getting burned out from too much time online might send you to the “quitting” side of things.
I “quit” (more like an extended vacation) my personal blog last year (2007/2008) for a few months because, quite frankly, I was dealing with a lot of really overwhelming and painful emotions from my Brother’s trial. On top of all the pain I was dealing with (I couldn’t be fun or interesting on my blog anymore) I was also very busy and couldn’t find the time I really needed to be active in the Mom blogging community. But, over all it was all the crap in my life that took me away from it.
I can’t just blog either. I have to also be part of the community, reading other blogs, leaving comments, tweeting with people…to me, blogging is about sharing our lives and building friendships, so I don’t like to be one-sided and only be the taker in the friendship. If I don’t have time to blog and be part of other Mom’s blogs then I feel like I don’t have time for blogging.
Anyway, good article. I’m going to read the other one you linked to.
Nell
Hi Carrie
What an incredible post. You are so clear, and definitely hit the nail on the head.
Even though I’ve been blogging for a couple of years now, I still meet the challenges you are talking about.
I’ve definitely thought about quitting, but I keep on keeping on!
I think my biggest reason for not blogging regularly is that I get sidetracked and want to do too many other things too….
Thanks for sharing such excellent info.
Diana
Carrie,
You’ve given some good tips on not getting discouraged. Now, we need to take them to heart…
Thanks for sharing.
Keeping our eyes on the big picture of why we are doing it is important. But we do have to set limits and finding the balance in blogging, relationships and household duties is hard. I’m already struggling with keeping up with the housework.
Hi,
I’m not a mommy blogger as i’m not a mommy. But i feel you on this article, and it is a great topic. I like how you bold and highlight numerous times throughout the article, that “blogging is hard work”. Cause guess what? It is.
Lots of people create a blog, get traffic and get comments. And they are like (weehoo) i’m a big deal now. But then fast forward three months or so, and they are not quite as excited anymore. Because it is hard work, it is constant, and you really have to continuously do what you do. As far content, marketing, networking, seo, back end technical stuff, etc.
And the real test is longevity. Because “blogging is hard work”. Stick it out if you’re in the right niche, have a true passion for your topic, can write regularly, (and regularly – could be weekly or could be daily) and mix and mingle with other bloggers so that it is FUN.
Great topic.
Missy.
“For every comment you get, there may be a hundred or even a thousand people actually reading the content…”
That is so true. I need to remember just because I dont have 90 comments, it doesnt mean no one is reading!
Thanks for a very interesting article that I have wondered about myself. Both in asking myself whether to continue, sometimes it seems to make no difference ‘out there’ if I do, or if I don’t, and wondering if others ever feel the same.
But I like to do it and it has really been handy sometimes when I need to find out when I did something or details on something etc. I’ve had to look up my own recipes a few times, it was great!
I’ve swung between trying to be very serious about posting schedule, doing it ‘right’ and making it part of a business, to loosening up a little, slowly getting a little more personal and just winging it more often. It has taken the pressure off and no, it didn’t seem to make a bit of difference :0)
In the end, if all I have is a chronical of the ‘blog year’s’ and me ‘back when’, it will have been worth it for me, and I like to think that somewhere ‘out there’ it has been of benefit.
You know what would be great? If you put your 100 tips on kindle format in the Amazon store. I bought a Kindle and love to read that sort of thing. If you ever do, let me know. 🙂
Good points. Valid info. Thanks for the tips. I started a blog and then quit-not intentionally, but it just faded. I had barely started. I want to start again-this and your free report are probably good starting places! Thanks!
I’ve been blogging for about 8 months and have contemplated quitting over lack of traffic- when you only get a few comments on a post- you think that it is all the people reading. But then I looked at my stats and it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought.
Now that I’ve been blogging for a while I will probably never quit because it is therapeutic for me and as much of a habit as brushing my teeth LOL
Great post!
Oh boy! I don’t blog YET and the term ‘hard work’ scares me, but it IS time to get on with SOMETHING! Don’t get me wrong, I am an at home Mum (intending to Homeschool) to a 3 yr old and have always worked hard before being a Mum, too. I know setting up any kind of business is daunting and hard work, not only just for the set-up period. I have been researching business ideas for a few months now. I’ve had to warm to the idea of hard work in an area I know so little about ie Internet work and usage, but this article, Carrie is just so realisitic and has helped me realise that I have to put in the hard work to be successful. At least I know there is a lot of support from people such as yourself and I feel like you have so much integrity and knowledge. I don’t take everything you say for gospel, but almost. LOL. Cheers and thanks on so many levels.
Christine
Oh so true, girl!! I think every blogger at one point thinks about quitting because of the numerous pressure we suffer! Blogging is way harder than I thought but oh, so rewarding!! Now top blogging with homeschooling at the same time, right? LOL
Thank you so much for keeping it real and for encouraging the rest of us!!