Blogger burnout. Yes, it’s something that happens to lots of bloggers. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say that every blogger has probably experienced some level of burnout before. Whether it’s taking a week off, or quitting altogether. It’s something I’ve seen quite a lot in my more than 10 years of blogging. But why does blogger burnout happen? What can you do about it? Today I’m going to share my two cents on the subject.
why does blogger burnout happen?
This answer will look different for everyone. Probably the most important though is this–do you enjoy what you’re doing? In one of the blogging webinars I host I talk about finding your why. As much as that phrase makes me want to gag, knowing your why really is important. Did you know there are over 500 million blogs in the world today? That means that your blog is “competing” with an obscene amount of other blogs. Blogging is not the get rich quick scheme that many think it is. That’s why 80% of blogs will “fail” in the next 18 months. In fact, many will fail within the first 6 months.
It is a lot of hard work for very little “reward”. So, blogging burnout is common when you feel like your constantly hustling yet are struggling to gain any momentum. This is especially monotonous as a parent or someone who works full time outside of blogging. When you have constant demands on your time and energy there is little left for you to focus on blogging. And if blogging is a creative endeavor for you it’s a struggle to have any creative energy left. Too little time, too little focus–these things can lead to blogger burnout.
what to do about it?
It’s no coincidence that I’m writing this blog post as I’m struggling with this a little bit myself. If you follow me on Instagram and frequent my Stories you might remember me talking about banking blog posts. This year I set a goal for myself of having 40 blog posts banked. My “deadline” I set was to be at that number by the halfway point for the year. Well, we’re nearly halfway through the year already and I’ve been hovering between 12-15 for a couple months now. I’m just struggling with feeling tapped out creatively. So here are some things I like to try when I’m suffering from lack of motivation or writer’s block–a.k.a. blogger burnout.
make a list
Check it twice. Okay, not really, but I do recommend you keep a list of blog post ideas. A great place for this is on your phone or in your planner. I often think of an idea when I’m in the car pick-up line, or walking through the grocery store, or as I’m laying in bed at night. I currently have a list of about 20 blogpost ideas in the notes section of my phone. Some are evergreen content ideas, but many are seasonal ideas, which is why I can’t necessarily act on them yet. It is really handy to have a list of potential blog post ideas when I’m feeling some writer’s block settling in.
| Read more about creating evergreen content here! |
take a break
For a few years I would take a whole month off from anything blogging related in the summer so I could focus more on my family. It was nice to come back from that break feeling reenergized and ready to be creative with the blog again. However, I have learned that summer is when I typically get the most pageviews. That’s why I decided a couple years ago to stop giving up a whole month at a time. Instead when I feel like I need a break I either take a day off here or there, or I rely on one of the blog posts I have banked in my drafts folder.
| Learn how I bank blog posts for when I need a break here! |
outsource if you can
I know several bloggers who outsource various things. Some outsource managing their social media pages, some outsource participating in blogging threads, and some outsource creating printables. I can pretty much guarantee you that any blog task that can be done is being outsourced by somebody, somewhere. I always say that you shouldn’t spend money you don’t have. So if you haven’t made money from blogging yet I recommend you wait until you’ve saved your pennies. I know that’s an unpopular opinion but I think it’s solid advice. Shall we refer back to the beginning when we talked about how many blogs fail each year?
When I converted from Blogger to WordPress I outsourced all that with a designer. I knew it would take me forever to do and I wouldn’t enjoy it. It was worth it to me to save up and outsource that job to a professional. I also have started outsourcing photography… sometimes. This weekend will be my second brand photoshoot. I think there’s a lot to be said for shooting your own images, but it’s also nice to have a good stock of photos ready to go when you need them.
| Find out why I suggest getting a brand photoshoot as a blogger! |
If you’ve done all these things and you’re still feeling some blogger burnout it might be time to be honest with yourself–do you like blogging? Do you still feel that same passion for it you did when you started your journey? It’s okay to walk away if that’s what’s best for you! The trick is recognizing if it’s just a momentary funk you’re in, or if it’s something more.
Curious who I like to book my brand photoshoots with? The photography in this post was shot by Britney at Your Creative Counterpart:
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One Response to blogger burnout: why it happens and what to do
Great tips. I love the idea of having drafted posts so you can take a break while still posting. I love that you have been able to ahead with those posts. It’s one of my goals to have posts ready for November and December so I don’t have to do as much for those months.