Four Reasons Your Blog Is Dying

October 21, 2011 By Frank Dickinson Filed Under: Blogging Tips 46 Comments

Blogs more numerous to count are started each and everyday.

A good percentage of those blogs will never make it past 90 days.

Many more will fail in the first six months, with a huge number lying dormant in the first year alone.

So why is it that so many blogs die, and what can you do to stop yours from suffering the same fate?

Here are four reasons your blog might be dying as we speak:

1. Because you are rotting on the vine

This first reason could be all about motivation or inspiration or even determination, but it’s not.

It’s about education.

I see far too many bloggers who forget to keep learning. Learning the craft of writing. Learning Social Media. Learning blog promotion. Learning anything!

This whole blogging game is not for the faint of heart. It takes ongoing, persistent work – and a good part of that work is taking to the notion that to stay relevant, one must continue to push the mind to learn more.

By learning more, you can be more.

By being more for your readers you are able to provide them more value.

By providing more value, you become the go to guy or girl in this industry.

When that happens – your blog, your business, your life explodes with great things.

Never stop learning!

2. Consistency

Do your readers know what to expect from you? Does your community have any idea when you will post? Do they look forward to new stuff because they have grown used to it coming in a steady, consistent stream?

Consistency as a blogger may be one of the hardest things we will ever learn. Finding a schedule and a routine that works for you is sometimes elusive, but so necessary.

People are creatures of habit. The longer I blog the more I realize this truth. I publish a weekly Frank’s #FollowFriday post on my blog. Last Friday, due to circumstances (read: “life”), I missed putting up that post.

No big deal right? Not with my community.

I received tweets and emails asking what happened – where’s the #FollowFriday?

Your audience wants and needs you to be consistent – whatever that means for you – onCe a month, once a week or every day.

Blogs die because of lack of consistency.

3. Attention to the important things

Let me tell you right off the bat – the “important” things are more often thaN not the “little” things. I’ve had readers tell me that an image on a post was too big, or that my font type was too big or ugly – even that my personal picture on my blog was “scary”.

People notice little stuff – and while it is true that we will never please everyone, we need to be diligent about the little things that make our blogs look and feel right.

Nit picky? Maybe. Important? You bet.

4. Lack of exposure

It’s always amazing to me how many bloggers I talk to that have no presence anywhere else online other than on their blog.

Hello? WTH?

Here’s a short list of very simple truths that you need to write down, memorize and practice on a daily basis:

Your audience wants to get to know you.

They want to know that you are human and not some bot who throws up blog posts and waits for them to come.

They are on social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Linkedin and want you to be there too.

An ounce of engagement with your community is worth 10 blog posts.

Your blog is dying because your readers don’t know you, can’t see you and don’t trust you.

Get exposed!

Your Turn:

Are you guilty of any of these? What did you do to fix it? What other reasons are there that blogs die?

Let’s continue the conversation below!

image: kinnaird

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Filed Under: Blogging Tips Tagged With: blogging help, blogging tips, social media

About Frank Dickinson

Frank Dickinson wants to be intimately involved in creating conversations about the subjects that interest him the most; Internet and Affiliate Marketing, Social Media and Personal Development. On his blog, "creating conversations in a world of chatter", you will find tutorials, screencasts, reviews, blog posts, videos and whatever else he can get his hands on to teach, enlighten and inspire.

BestStuffForMen

Some good points here. There’s always something more to do, as we must infer from these four reasons. Becoming a blogger and succeeding — especially as a pro blogger — is only slightly less hard than juggling 8 balls. Plus you do it on stage in front of an audience. I’ve been juggling the balls for a couple of years.
BestStuffForMen

Some good points here. There’s always something more to do, as we must infer from these four reasons. Becoming a blogger and succeeding — especially as a pro blogger — is only slightly less hard than juggling 8 balls. Plus you do it on stage in front of an audience. I’ve been juggling the balls for a couple of years.
- FrankDickinson
  
  @BestStuffForMen Perfect analogy of juggling eight balls – or spinning 6 plates. Blogging adds so much to our lives, but only through hard work and dedication.
  
  Thanks so much for the insight!
http://judyleedunn.com/ JudyDunn

Hey, Frank. Good advice here. Not following these tips can certainly put a blog on life support. Of the four, as I grow my own blog, #4, consistency, has been a challenge. You are right, readers come to expect what day your post will come out. So the lesson for me was, if I move to 2 or 3 posts a week, I need to commit to it over the long haul. And tied to #4, I believe, is taking time to write something every day, even if you are not publishing daily. Sometimes people think of writing as a skill a person either has or doesn’t. I compare it to golfing ore tennis or running. It seems simplistic, but, the more you practice, the better you get. And when you do that, your blogging comes easier.

Thanks for the tips. Always enjoy your posts, Frank.
- FrankDickinson
  
  @JudyDunn Thanks Jusy – I always enjoy referencing your FBBB posts in mine – great insights in them.
  
  I think the writing something everyday is key – but man do I struggle with it. I see my schedule for the week and I work in the writing – rather than scheduling writing each day in and among the rest of my “to do’s”
  
  Always something to work on in this game eh?
  
  Thanks Judy!
- FrankDickinson
  
  @JudyDunn BTW – I’m excited about meeting your hubby at #BWE in LA – which you were going to be there as well!
  - http://judyleedunn.com/ JudyDunn
    
    @FrankDickinson Yeah, I went last year, but it just didn’t fit in my schedule this year. And this transition from business blogger to writer/author who blogs is taking some time to figure out. I’ll eagerly await the Bob Report on “the meeting of Frank.” : )
    - FrankDickinson
      
      @JudyDunn We are trying to put our schedules together for a Bob and Frank meetup. Fun!
    - http://judyleedunn.com/ JudyDunn
      
      @FrankDickinson Oh, and I forgot to thank you for linking to one of my FBBB posts in this one of yours. I kinda miss being part of the team. I’m working one a new (guest/contributor) post cuz Danny says I can still hang around and write here. : )
    - FrankDickinson
      
      @JudyDunn and I thoroughly second Danny’s motion!
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http://blueterritory.com/ Arisa

I’m definitely lacking in the consistency department. And I get easily demotivated when I have zero interaction. So for my next blog I’m taking a seriously different approach to it and I’m hoping it will help me. Focusing on a topic and preparing content are the big things I’m doing different.

I mean having a “personal blog” is fun, but nobody really wants to read what I did last Saturday so to speak.
- FrankDickinson
  
  @Arisa Cinsistency is one of those hard subjects – if you are consistent you will eventually get the interactions, but trying to stay motivated along the way when all you see is the tumbleweeds is hard.
  
  It’s a tough one to master for sure.
  
  Good luck on the new project Arisa – and thank you for being a part of the FBBB community.
http://www.lifeforinstance.com/ Lori

“This whole blogging game is not for the faint of heart.” You can say that again Frank! Thanks for this! I’ve been at it nearly a year and I have so much more to learn! What fun
- FrankDickinson
  
  @Lori Hey Lori! You know – you hit on it – blogging, learning and this whole game should be about having fun.
  
  Fun makes it easier!
- FrankDickinson
  
  @Lori Hey Lori! You know – you hit on it – blogging, learning and this whole game should be about having fun.
  
  Fun makes it easier!
MyMiBoSo

As someone brand new to the blogging world, these are great tips to keep in mind as burnout will inevitably try to rear his ugly head. . Of course, if I follow your other tips and keep seeking, keep learning, and keep engaging, hopefully this won’t be an issue!
- FrankDickinson
  
  @MyMiBoSo Knowing that burnout can happen is half the battle to keeping it at bay I think. The great thing you have as a new blogger is that motivation – use that as a battle cry against any of the negatives and you will do well!
  
  FBBB is always here as a resource and support system – we love having you!
  - http://www.MyMiBoSo.com/ MyMiBoSo
    
    @FrankDickinson Thank you! I’ll be sure to stop back by as I continue down this road!
- http://stanfaryna.wordpress.com/ Faryna
  
  @MyMiBoSo Is there a good reason why you don’t use your real name for the MyMiBoSo blog. It’s a real challenge for people to connect and engage with thing – as opposed to a person.
  - http://www.MyMiBoSo.com/ MyMiBoSo
    
    @Faryna Insecurity . I think it was me trying to find a balance between putting myself out there with some precautions (no stalkers yet but I suppose there’s always a small fear). But I agree – it probably does keep a bit of distance from my followers – will have a sit/meditation/think about it and I’m sure you’ll see the “real” me soon enough . P.S.Is there a reason you prefer Faryna to Stan as your Livefyre handle?
    - http://stanfaryna.wordpress.com/ Faryna
      
      @MyMiBoSo StanFaryna doesn’t work for me. Stan.Faryna would be ok. And Stan Faryna works for me just fine. Of course, ids do not seem to allow for such variations. But then again, I like owning the Faryna brand to the chagrin of some of my relations. [grin] Faryna is a somewhat rare name and Google etc. track it better.
nelsondanield8

Nice article, Frank.

I could add to your list “As far as my own blog is concerned” Ouch!

Without a doubt, once someones Motivation begins to drop off, and they do not keep up with their commitment to their Blog(site) the wheels can really start to fall off.

Also, I believe it’s a case of not letting those ” feeling down about my blog” moments get the better of us.

If at those moments, we push ahead by firstly having an honest look at where we are, then doing what is needed to improve our Blogs(site) we will achieve far more than we could have imagined.
- FrankDickinson
  
  @nelsondanield8 “If at those moments, we push ahead by firstly having an honest look at where we are,” – this honesty is key Nelson! It is what makes us better bloggers.
  
  Thanks for stopping by here – very much appreciated!
AlbanyInsurance

I have a blog in which I write about Insurance (my career) and (sales / social media) my passion and one of the ways I generate leads for my career. Fairly different topics… Should I create a separate blog for the Social Media stuff than the insurance stuff? Up until now I’ve used the same site for both…

Thanks

Ryan H. (shameless http://www.RyanHanley.com)
- FrankDickinson
  
  @AlbanyInsurance How is it working now Ryan? Do you get engagement on both topics from the one blog? The old adage is true – if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”
  
  If you feel you can still generate the leads for your career without the social media topic – you might move it off to a new blog just so the blog can have a single focus, but again – if it’s working – let it roll!
  
  Best of everything in your blogging endeavors.
  - http://dannybrown.me/ DannyBrown
    
    @FrankDickinson@AlbanyInsurance Adding on to Frank’s advice, which is spot on as usual, do you write about one topic more than the other? If so, can you change things up a little and have a weekly post that recaps your insurance ones, and how you turned these examples into sales and leads?
    
    Run with the “successful one” and top it off with the other topic as a “lessons to share”-type post at the end of each week.
    - FrankDickinson
      
      @DannyBrown@AlbanyInsurance “Run with the “successful one” and top it off with the other topic: – excellent advice!
    - AlbanyInsurance
      
      @DannyBrown@FrankDickinson Thanks for the advice… I think for now I’m going to keep them together but work to separate them on the Blog… So it doesn’t feel like everything is jumbled together.
    - FrankDickinson
      
      @AlbanyInsurance@DannyBrown Sounds like a plan – let us know how things go!
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http://www.TheSalesLion.com/ Marcus_Sheridan

Frank, well done bud, as always. I especially like #1, so many folks forget to keep sharpening the sword and then get left behind.

I’d add a few more:

1. You’re afraid to write what’s on your mind.

2. You’ve limited what you write about too much.

3. You’re not out doing and experiencing…thus you have no inspiration.

4. You don’t take advice from others that are having success because you’re too dang prideful.

Just a few things I’ve noticed over the years Frank.

Again, well done bud, have a great weekend,

Marcus
- http://dannybrown.me/ DannyBrown
  
  @Marcus_Sheridan #3 is spot on, mate. You can usually tell who has real-world experience versus what they’ve read somewhere.
  
  Cheers!
- FrankDickinson
  
  @Marcus_Sheridan Love the wisdom here Marcus – written from someone who has done this blogging thing with success.
  
  #1 is also spot on. While I’ve never really completely understood why the owner of a blog wouldn’t write what on his/her mind – I have seen it and it always feels weird – okay – fake. Fake = no good.
  
  Thanks bud!
jackiepaulson

I share more than the average, and it is amazing that if I don’t “say” stop by my link and post it, in the comments they do not.
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http://www.rsacourseonline.com.au/rsa-certificate RSA Course

To funny! love that people have told you an image is too big. Not being a detail person, I really don’t notice these kind of things and find it amusing that others do. Apparently there are 4 personality types in most of the personality tests out there.

From what I can remember their main focus is either, details, results, fun, or safety. So for the maybe 25% of people who are detail focused it is vital to care about the things you mentioned. The other 75% probably don’t care. But they will care about other things. eg results, fun, safety.

However I suppose it also depends on what your blog is about. If you are writing about a topic that attracts detail focused people then maybe your audience will be 90% detail focused people.

Results focused people like me will want to know this information in order to get better results. The fun and safety people probably just found this comment very boring or very worrying
- FrankDickinson
  
  @RSA Course LOL – hey, I’m fun and I LOVED this comment!
  
  Good points here – the trick is twofold:
  
  Knowing which is your audience
  
  Writing for them
  
  The ones who are successful in these things – are often the ones with the blogs that are amazing.
http://MomsIpodIphonePhotos.com/ ElyssaLowell

I started a New Blog a few days ago, and I have been sharing like crazy and Know people are “stopping by” because the stats are telling me so, but How do I get people to actually Follow my Posts, I think that my 7 posts so far are enough to get people interested in what im posting, Maybe im just in a hurry to get followers, since it has only been a few days, but in 4 days I have had almost 200 views. If you have any suggestions as to how I can get more Followers Im open to any and All suggestions.
- FrankDickinson
  
  @ElyssaLowell Elyssa – In my opinion it is all about the consistency thing mentioned above. Your readers are testing the waters right now. They want to see if you are going to be around next week and the week after.
  
  Good content breeds readers – consistency brings followers.
http://stanfaryna.wordpress.com/ Faryna

Your picture is scary. [grin] Just like thumbnail is too impersonal. How about an outdoor shot with your face in full light and a blue sky in the background?
http://stanfaryna.wordpress.com/ Faryna

Your picture is scary. [grin] Just like my livefyre thumbnail is too small. How about an outdoor shot with your face in full light and a blue sky in the background?
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http://expatdoctormom.com/ ExpatDoctorMom

Dear Frank It always a pleasure to read your reviews/posts. Your picture is not scary. 50 lashes to that person. I was guilty of the lack of exposure for the first 6 months of my blog. But, I corrected that when I realized the importance and once my time freed up. On the consistancy, I need to add when I post to my mission statement. Thanks for the reminder. I am a Sun or Monday once a week post kind of gal. Have only missed the deadline twice in the past year: not posting one week and then posting 3 days late another I would add when your blog gets filled with SELL,SELL, SELL as your main priority. The other thing I have noticed is that some people bend over backwards to proved they are authentic. Therefore their responses to comments seem in-genuine. If you have to proved you are authentic then ARE YOU? I hope this doesn’t come across too bold… Just my thoughts. Best, Rajka
- FrankDickinson
  
  @ExpatDoctorMom I agree with you Rajka – you shouldn’t have to “prove” a positive like being authentic.
http://www.veloxtelco.com.au/ Joanna Wilson

Hi Frank. For me it’s the lacking of important information and the connection between the readers and the author.Thank you for giving this kind of topic.Keep it up!