Blogging means different things to different people. Some enjoy doing it as a writing exercise. Others like engaging with like-minded people online. Others yet do it as a full-time job. Whatever the case may be, there comes a time when for one reason or another, we have to take an extended break from blogging.
Unfortunately, while starting a blog is usually trivial, getting back into the blogging game can be something of a challenge. If you don’t flex your blogging muscles regularly, your blog posts will end up having the impact of a wet noodle hitting a wall.
With that being said, bringing a blog back to life is indeed not impossible. With proper measures and the right attitude, you can once again take your place among fellow bloggers online. To help you get started, we have created a list of useful tips for putting your blog back on its feet.
Get Motivated Once Again
Before attempting to give your blog a new lease on life, try to remember what got you into blogging in the first place. Everyone’s motivation is different, but we all had some goal at the start that drove us to write that first post. Remembering your humble beginnings is a crucial step for figuring out how to get motivated to give blogging another go.
Before attempting to give your blog a new lease on life, try to remember what got you into blogging in the first place. #blogging #wordpress Click To TweetMaybe your opinions have changed substantially over time, and you need a place to share them with the public. Perhaps you see a market niche that’s just begging to be filled with new content. Or maybe you were unsatisfied with your previous efforts, and want to give the whole thing another go, now with the benefit of being more experienced. Whatever the case may be, reforging your motivation is crucial for restarting your career as a blogger.
Write a Kickass Comeback Post
After you have figured out why you want to give blogging another shot, it is time to prepare your proverbial guns and ammo. We will start with the latter. To recapture the attention of your audience, your return to the blogging scene has to begin with a bang. In other words, you need to write an explosive comeback post.
Start with an eye-catching title. Let your audience know that it’s not businesses as usual and that they should pay attention to what you’re writing. Follow it up with a clear and concise mission statement, letting them know this is not a one-time thing. Proceed by explaining the reason for your absence, and what’s in store for the future. Finish it up with a concluding remark that inspires confidence, and promises great things to come in the future.
Implement a Visual Redesign
Once you have given a clear indication that you’re back, start changing things around a bit to show you are serious. The re-imagined visual design is an excellent place to start. Giving your blog a fresh coat of paint will signal that changes are in store for the future. Your previous blog posts will benefit from a new look as well.
There are countless ways to redesign the look of your blog. Giving a different color scheme is a good place to start. Look around the web to see what is trendy and get the inspiration from some of the best website designs, or if you have an eye for design, figure out something on your own. Follow it up by implementing a fresh new typeface. Fonts are an easy way to make your design unique, and they don’t consume any extra resources. If you are technically inclined, changing the layout of your blog can also do wonders. It will look like you are creating a new page from scratch, with the benefit of having all of your older content available from the start.
Do The Necessary Maintenance Work
Equally important to how your blog looks, is how it works under the hood. The chances are that if you have been outside the blogging for a long while, the underlying code of your blog underwent significant changes. CMS services such as WordPress release updates regularly, so it’s essential to bring your blog up to speed.
For starters, update your core CMS components. This will ensure that basic functionality of your blog, such as posting and commenting, is intact. Next, update any plugins you might be using. These often contain security holes which need to patch to keep your blog secure from hacker attacks. You can use Security Ninja, which performs extensive tests and provide a great overview of sites’ security. Finally, screen your blog for junk content that might have accrued over time, such as spam posts, broken links, etc.
Re-engage With People
Once your blog is up and running, it is time to gather an audience. Without an audience, your blog will be nothing more than a testament to your failure. This is the most challenging part of restarting your career as a blogger, so it’s essential to do this part right. Otherwise, you might not as well start.
There are two groups you need to consider when consolidating your audience: previous visitors, and new blood. You can try drawing in the former by sending out emails notifying them that your blog is up and running once again. Be sure to include your comeback post in the body of the email. To find a new audience, you have to employ some form of marketing. For example, you can use social media marketing to your advantage, and write some promotional content to be shown on Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social networks of note. While you can’t rely entirely either on your old audience or newcomers, the combination of the two is good enough to get started.
Conclusion
You don’t have to possess the skills of dr. Frankenstein to bring your blog back to life. All that is needed is a bit of common sense, some creativity, and a pinch of renewed dedication. Falling out of shape happens to the best of us, but a comeback is definitely in the realm of possibility. Give it a go!