Top 3 Reasons Blogs Fail

The New York Times reported in 2008 that about 95 percent of people who start blogs abandon them. An abandoned, or failed, blog is a blog that isn’t updated for 120 days or longer. That’s a huge amount of people who had at least an iota of ambition and, for one reason or another, lost it. At least some of these blogs were business-related.

Starting a blog seems incredibly simple, especially with the slew of free programs that feature a fill-in-the-blank approach. However, writing daily (or even weekly) can be frustrating, especially when you’re not getting comments or followers. You might find an SEO company that offers blog maintenance along with other services. Unfortunately, that’s not in the budget for many small businesses.

The Time Crunch Many blogs fail because people don’t think they have the time to update them regularly. This is an excuse, considering a short blog update only takes 15 to 30 minutes. Of course, this is a slice of time that can be spent surfing the web or taking a coffee break. Blogs aren’t considered real work, but of course they are.

It’s important to schedule time for blogging and stick to it. Some people are very ambitious in the beginning, but that drive quickly fades as you feel that no one is reading what you write. Getting blog readers takes constant outreach and relationship building with other bloggers. Utilize your existing customer base and any social media presence to boost your blog.

The Poor Skill Set Some lucky people are getting readers, but the interest wanes quickly. This can happen if you’re not a real blogger. It takes a certain kind of writer, usually a professional, to garner and foster blog readers. Not everyone has the skills to find high-quality images and produce consistently solid writing.

Ideally, you can hire a freelance writer to take care of this project. If that’s not possible, make sure you use the best writer at your disposal. Remember that this is an additional job on top of current demands, so re-distribute time or pay accordingly. Most importantly, if the person you use isn’t a professional writer, don’t expect their work to reflect otherwise.

Prioritization Issues Similar to time-crunches, blogs are often put on the back burner. They’re abandoned during busy seasons, or the writer thinks it’s fine to skip just one day (and then a few more). There are always priorities in small businesses, but blogs can’t come last. They need to be somewhere in the middle in order to survive.

I’ve worked with businesses who want me to save their blog. That’s a tough task when they only allot a handful of blogs to me and expect that to be the magic cure. Assess if you have the time, skill and drive to start a successful blog. Having no blog is better than a neglected one.

About Guest Blogger Adrienne is a blogger and aspiring writer. When she’s not blogging about tech and social media on her site Pongra, you might find her practicing her French, whipping up some recipes she found on Pinterest, or obsessing over vintage postcards and stamps. - See more at: http://www.thesimplexdesign.com/2013/02/top-3-reasons-blogs-fail.html#sthash.wUGgcaTr.dpuf