How Do You Maintain Your Motivation To Blog On WordPress?
This article was mostly taken from my personal blog and I edited/added some stuff so do take note @cheetah & @steemcleaners.
Blogging is a long-term hobby for some and a full-time profession for others. It’s normal to lose the motivation to blog if you don’t see much traffic or income from your blog.
If your blog is just a diary, then it may not be that bad for you guys, since you're not doing it for the money right?
Here are some ways that I use to maintain my motivation to blog.
Read realistic success stories
Why the word “realistic”? There are lots of success stories among bloggers but some are much more successful than the rest.
Look at successful bloggers like Darren Rowse, Michelle from Making Sense of Cents, Neil Patel and Pat Flynn from Smart Passive Income. They probably make at least six digits a month but it's also rare. Majority of us don’t even earn 4 or 5 digits blogging. You may get demotivated if you see someone earning $100,000 a month and you’ll still at $100 after a year.
Hence, when you look at success stories, look at one that you can relate to. Maybe you guys won’t agree with me but I rather look at the average blogger and set my goals. It’s more realistic that way.
Similarly when you look at startups. Most startups fail and a few turn into billion dollar businesses. We can’t all be billionaires so it’s good to be realistic sometimes, although we should always aim high.
Do non-blogging things
If you blog every single day, you’ll probably get burned out easily. It's easy to feel demotivated or burned out sometimes but do try to stay consistent.
One good way of feeling fresh whenever you blog is to do other things in life. Play a game, watch a movie or have a nice fancy buffet.
They’ll keep you energized and you may even be inspired to write an awesome article! In life, moderation is the best. Anything extreme normally leads to adverse side effects.
Remember why you wanted to blog in the first place
Some of us blog because we love to write and share things with others. Some bloggers want to make a living out of it and escape the 9 – 5 office life.
Always remember why you started a blog. Was it because it’s a hobby?
Whenever you feel demotivated, remember why you started and look at the progress you’ve made!
I’m pretty sure your blog had a crappy design and lower quality articles when you first started. Look at where you are now. Look at the reader base you’ve built on your blog.
Don’t give up!
Network with other bloggers
If you’re blogging on WordPress like I am, it can be a little lonely especially if you have no comments coming in. Luckily I have Steemit these days and other chat groups. :P
To overcome the loneliness, network with other bloggers on Facebook, forums and so on. Even Reddit has a huge subreddit – r/blogging.
You’re never alone in this. Lots of other bloggers struggle as well and it’s normal to struggle in the beginning.
Keep pushing on and don’t stop trying because who knows, you may be one step closer to success.
You can also join blogging conferences and meet up with other bloggers. Networking may actually help you to succeed.
Do your best but expect the least
This is probably the biggest problem bloggers face in staying motivated (especially if you're in for the money).
Expectations. It’s said to be the root of all evil. Perhaps it’s true.
Hence, always keep your expectations to the minimum and you won’t be disheartened. It’s definitely easier said than done.
Think about it this way. If you’re struggling, there are always others worse than you. You are never alone. Therefore, don’t be demotivated and keep blogging!
In a nutshell
Blogging on WordPress, i.e. the conventional way can a pretty lonely thing unless you make friends with others on social media or forums or whatnot.
Luckily Steemit came into existence and may change the whole concept of blogging altogether. It's pretty cool because your articles are easily discovered by your followers, and you don't have to wait for Google to send you some traffic.
Furthermore, if you're only into hobby blogging, it's pretty rewarding to get paid while doing what you like.
P.S.: I'm still blogging on my personal blog and Steemit at the same time so I'm not giving up on either. Both have its pros and cons.
Thanks for reading!
Image sources: Pexel Photos
Nice post that resonates. Finding the motivation to write can be tough when there aren't any results. I've found networking with other bloggers to be both a great stress reliever and beneficial for the blog at the same time.
Thanks. Not having results is the hardest part!
It does take some discipline and motivation.
Thank you very much for this article.
My last post on my WP blog was in June. It's a Steemit Tutorial. I don't find enough motivation or time to post regularly there. I did renew domain and hosting though to keep it alive.
I guess posting on Steemit has more benefits eh
Great! Blogging tips are genuinely good. Networking is the ley
Great post! I still post things on my personal wordpress site mostly because it's a way to really market my personal "brand" but after being on STEEM for about 2 weeks now I'm really enjoying this community.
I saw your disclaimer at the top of the article saying you cross posted this on your wordpress site. Do you find that the bots catch that often?
I was more active on my blog until I met Steemit and after a few months I'm on Steemit more often than I am on my personal blog. :P I'm not giving up on my blog though.
Yeah i cross-post occasionally but so far no problems. I always tag cheetah and steemcleaners when i cross-post. I also have a link to my Steemit page from my blog.
Excellent post thanks for sharing