Are you familiar with the blogging wall?
The blogging wall is typically the period about 30 to 60 days after you launched your new blog where you realize bloggin’ ain’t easy.
Sure, when you first started it all looked so easy. You probably figured that you would throw a few posts out on your blog and you would begin earning the big bucks like Shoemoney and Darren Rowse.
When the dollars did not come pouring in like you thought, you might have lost a little motivation and the posts became less frequent – maybe even stopping completely.
As this picture indicates, some bloggers hit the blogging wall and have the ability to crash right through and continue on the path to stardom. Before another blogger can squeeze through, the wall is patched back up and claims another victim.
I haven’t been blogging that long – not quite a year and a half – and I have seen many blogs come and go. All along I have been having a good time and laughing at the concept of the blogging wall – until now.
The last few weeks have felt different to me.
It started when I took some time off of work before the holidays and I had big plans to get a lot of work done on my blogs. Somewhere along the way I lost those plans because I ended up doing a whole lot of nothing during my break – at least from a blogging perspective – and enjoyed some time away from the computer.
The blogging wall that I am experiencing right now is not about the money, as I have been doing fairly well (in my book) with my efforts to blog for money. Right now it is more about time and motivation.
As I am sure many of you are in the same boat, my schedule at the full-time job has been kicking my tail as I prepare one system for a production deployment and begin the early phases of the next project. When I get home from work I have been guilty of succumbing to the lure of the boob tube. While I have still been getting posts out there, I’ve lost the mojo.
Does this mean I am done blogging?
Not by a long shot! At times I do feel that running three blogs with my work and family schedule is a bit much, but I have been able to manage for the most part – although I have been putting my secret to earning more with AdSense to the test a little more than I care to admit.
There have been too many late nights when I battle between sitting down to write a post or sitting down to watch a thrilling Steven Seagal movie – and I hate to admit that the Steven Seagal movies have been winning that battle.
By addressing the blogging wall I am hoping to finally put it behind me and continue to move forward. Much like the college athlete that hits the wall through a portion of their first professional season, I have confidence in myself and I have the support of a great group of people – all of you – to whom I am truly grateful.
Here is to all of the bloggers that have hit the blogging wall with full force, scraped themselves back up, and continued to build their blog and community!
Photo credit: robenmarie
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
Hope you get your mojo back. didn’t seem like you’d lost it 😉
It gets to a point where blogging can be like work . . . and, just like work, you sometimes need that work detachment. Take a break to come back refreshed. Blogging shouldn’t be a chore cause then your lack of interest translates into your posts.
Maybe you should let the wife out of the kitchen to go on a road trip 😉
Sure, a little break every now and then never hurts but it should definitely not turn into a habit, since such an approach will end up hurting you in the long run.
Alan Johnson
Now that you have identified the problem resolved to do something about it and most importantly, written about it, i have no doubts that you will go through other walls and cement them up behind you. It is also nice that you have thanked all the people who have been supporting you.
All the best.
You mean that wall that keeps popping up? I know how you feel buddy. It’s a good thing we’re stubborn. We just keep smashing through heh.
It sure can be frustrating when you see no positive results for so long. I do know how you feel. :O(
A lot of people launch their blog expecting all sorts of impressive short-term results but things just don’t happen overnight. Hitting the blogging wall in full force is definitely something I always recommend as well 🙂
Alan Johnson
Derek, Thanks a lot for informing me about Blogging Wall. I am going through this phase and I didn’t know why is it happening and what is it called. Now I know what I need to do, I know I have to barge in through the Wall.
Keep pushing. The important thing is not to think of it as work. You need to enjoy writing the posts and chit-chat with your commenters. Building a community of regular visitors who participate in duscissions is a very important part of blogging, often times neglected.
Exactly, the main thing which separates winners from losers is the fact that successful people don’t give up, even if a certain goal seems out of reach. Hard work and determination can and will get you far.
Alan Johnson
Keep going until you achieve your goal with different tactics. Hit the wall with all you have 🙂
You reckon you’ve lost your mojo? Doesn’t seems like it. Perhaps the lethargy is due to the year-end holidays, or is it the Wii that has reduce your blogging productivity?
I was caught by the B monster earlier and lost my mojo too.
I guess no bloggers or writers are immune to being block by the “wall”. It is how we rise to the challenge and breakdown and barge through it that counts!
It may have to do with this time of year since a lot of people focus on other things and tend to see a decrease as far as their personal productivity is concerned.
Alan Johnson
Hi Alan
I believe Derek may be suffering from post-holidays blues.
With his pedigree, he’ll shake off the lethargy in no time and charge forward!
Indeed, it’s not all that uncommon but he definitely seems to have that behind him and I’m sure that he will get back on track in no time.
Best wishes,
Alan Johnson
Derek I had a similar problem over the break. For me it is just depression over the holidays. Long story you have read some of it. I had to really push myself after looking at my stats to get my head out of the fog and get back out there.
I am not making money on my blog yet. However, I am sure getting the traffic I want so I am pushing through that wall and kissing it goodbye.
Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help when you hit that wall again. It would sure help me in the process.
Joe, it’s great that you are back on track and, as a word of advice, I always suggest never being shy when it comes to monetizing your website. The way I see it: as long as you offer quality content on a regular basis, readers won’t mind, since they are interested in gaining knowledge, not in the number of ads a certain website has 🙂
Alan Johnson
Alan thanks for that I am going to be working on my first product launch this year and I will be doing one heck of a launch when the time comes.
I got my groove back and there ain’t no stopping me now.
I do hope that I can survive my crash. I would really want to post more frequently on my blog than I do right now. But a full time job leaves little time.
A word of advice (I am running a brick&mortar business as well and, as such, there are days when I am simply not able to write): write articles in advance. Whenever you have some free time on your hands, put it to good use by writing articles which you will be posting on your blog at a later date. For example, weekends are a great occasion to complete most of the articles you will be posting during the week.
Hope it helps,
Alan Johnon
I totally agree with you Nicole Price, maintaing a blog and a full time job is tough. It’s so difficult to remove time and write for the blog.
yeah the trick is to not give up and mimmic those who have proven to be successful.
Hitting the Blogging wall is just like writer’s block. Its true and it has happen to me.
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