Blogging burnout - can it be avoided?
August 8, 2006 – 5:50 amby Darren
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One thing about blogging, it’s a job that never really goes away. Bloggers are expected to blog quite a bit, and even on days off, they might be expected to produce content. In a sense, the job really isn’t any different from traditional journalism jobs, but depending on how you set up your blogging business, you may feel obliged to post every day. This can be a dangerous mindset, especially if you run out of material.
Probably the most essential tactic to avoiding blogging burnout is to live a well-balanced life, filled with interests beyond your computer terminal. Let’s face it: the act of blogging can be one boring thing. It’s basically you and your keyboard, and a lot of sitting around and typing. This can definitely be an empty act, if it comes to dominate most of your day.
What other measures can you take to avoid blogger’s burnout? The same steps that can be used to ensure balance in life, in general. If you’re spending too much time on one thing, you need to try and introduce counter measures to make sure the imbalance doesn’t lead to an obsession.
The act of blogging might be prone to burnout, but there’s no need for it to happen. If you have trouble posting daily, you can always schedule posts so that you write more on certain days, and less on others. You can pace yourself and make whatever you want out of the daily work activity. If you remain flexible, chances are good you’ll be able to stay fresh and keep on blogging quality content for a long period of time.
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9 Responses to “Blogging burnout - can it be avoided?”
I only have time to post 2-3 times a week. If I only have one post in a week, that’s all that gets posted. One thing that really helps me not burnout is that I don’t feel obligated to follow a schedule. Sure, it helps readership levels and such to keep a frequent flow of information coming. Rather than turn into a big speed-linking blog where the majority of my posts are just other links, I’m more concerned that my infrequent posts have something that I really want to say. I’ve found that when I’m less pressured to follow a schedule, writing ideas pop into my head faster than I have time to produce posts for them.
By Retrospector on Aug 8, 2006
This is a big challenge for professional bloggers like me. I have been pro-blogging for nearly 135 days and I just could not post one day. It is really a big challenge to write daily and get some hits. The best way avoid burnout is to try to have a genuine interest in the field of your blog.
By Razib Ahmed on Aug 8, 2006
You both make good points, and I think the topic is important. There is a ton of pressure to produce content, because that’s the main way to grow your website, but the quality can suffer unless you really go the extra mile to make the posts interesting.
By Darren on Aug 8, 2006
Writing peronal diary for friends and family is one thing but doing it professionally is another. In the case of the second, one ca not afford to dry up. Nice food for thought for pros.
By shirazi on Aug 9, 2006
Welcome aboard, Shirazi, and thanks for the comment.
I agree with you, completely. Money changes the dynamics and makes things as serious as a heart attack. You have to try and increase your professionalism, and you can’t afford to not post.
By Darren on Aug 9, 2006