Quitting Your Blog: Dealing With Blogger’s Remorse
I was in a blogging forum I frequent today and read two different stories of blogger’s remorse. Both situations started because of keywords. Have you ever considered quitting your blog? While doing my own keyword research, in the same day I might add, I found myself frustrated by what I was finding and started to think…is it time to quit my blog?
New blogs are hard to get started. They require care, patience, and a lot of hard work.
And blogger’s remorse is real. Just about every blogger has had it. What if I chose the wrong niche? Am I cut out for this? Do I suck as a writer? Have I run out of ideas? Will Google ever recognize me? Does anyone care?
I quit.
That’s the solution. Right?
The Reality of Blogger Burnout: When Passion Fades
Blogging is hard work. If you’re reading this, you probably know exactly what I’m talking about. You pour yourself in post after post, but you feel like maybe this isn’t your calling.
Welcome to blogger burnout.
There are many reasons you may find yourself contemplating quitting your blog. I know I’ve experienced a million reasons to quit. Some of the most common reasons for losing motivation to blog?
- Lack of traffic
- Too much work
- No comments
- High bounce rates
- Posts not ranking
- Realizing there are a ton of other sites in the same niche
- Feelings of impost syndrome
- Not making any money
- Spending too much time blogging
Any one of these (or a combination of many of them) can cause even the most dedicated blogger to give up. I know because I’ve abandoned a few in my day.
A blog is kind of like a puppy. It’s a commitment. A long-term, often messy, and frustrating commitment. But it will also be your best friend and love you back if you treat it right.
You may find yourself pulled away from your job, your friends, your loved ones, or your hobbies because of your blog. (It’s a Saturday night, and I’m working on this post instead of hanging out with friends.)
If your passion is waning and you’re just not feeling it, it’s easy to start thinking about throwing in the towel.
Analyzing Your Blog’s Impact: Is It Time to Let Go?
So should you waive the white flag and quit your blog?
Before you shutter your blog forever, it’s time to take some personal inventory and look at your motivation for your blog in the first place.
First, take a look at your analytics. If your blog is new, you should still check, even though it might hurt a bit. Are you on an upward path? Is there something in there that might spark your passion again?
Look for the wins you’ve already accomplished. If you’re a new blogger, take a moment to remember that Google is often slow to pay attention, but once it does, everything can change.
Next, think about your goals and how the align with your blog. Does your blog fit into your life? Can your blog co-exist with your life? How do we find the mystical blog-life balance that top bloggers seem to have achieved?
Starting a blog is a step into the world of entrepreneurship. Anyone that’s ever started their own business will tell you there are bumps in the road ahead. You have to weigh the pain of those bumps against the potential returns in the future.
Only you can decide if you’re ready to forge ahead or press the delete button.
Lastly, take a look inward and be honest with yourself. Have you followed your blog content strategy? Did you opt for popcorn and the latest episode of Below Deck Mediterranean (I’m addicted) instead of that “ultimate guide” that you need to get cracking on? Have you truly put in the work?
It’s easy to slack off and let things slide too long. And sadly, it’s easy to lie to yourself and convince yourself that you worked harder than you really did. Much like getting up and going to the gym, this blog won’t write itself.
The Emotional Rollercoaster of Quitting: Navigating Blogger’s Remorse
Failure is a tough word. It’s one I don’t like. Don’t get me wrong; I have failed at many things in life. From blogs to relationships, healthy eating habits to Mr. Hoetzer’s social studies class, I have failed miserably, painfully, and publicly.
And I have quit.
Jobs, relationships (again), college, and even smoking. At least that last one had a positive effect on my life.
I quit the band I was in for 14 years. That was painful. It was the hardest decision I have ever made, and it led to one of the worst periods in my life. I was depressed and lost without the thing that had become an integral part of my identity.
Quitting is hard. It’s usually easy in the moment – unless it’s something like the aforementioned smoking – but once the initial act is complete, you’ll find yourself on an emotional rollercoaster ride, cycling through the stages of grief and wondering if you made the right decision.
You’re bound to feel like you’ve failed or disappointed yourself and anyone who may have been rooting you on. You may struggle with a loss of identity if it was a blog that you really poured yourself into.
And depending on why you started your blog in the first place, you may have anxiety about your future or experience feelings of dread over returning back to the world of cubicles and coffee breaks.
If you’re truly invested in your blog, you’re certain to feel loss. And that can be hard to cope with.
Alternatives to Completely Quitting: Exploring Your Options
Maybe you have some choices…maybe some you hadn’t thought of. Before you hit the delete button and walk away, consider some of these alternatives.
Scaling Back Your Post Frequency
I know a lot of bloggers who set ambitious goals when they first started out. I may even be talking about myself. It’s easy to do. You just set everything up, you’re excited about your niche, and ready to spill all the knowledge you have onto the page.
Everyone tells you that you need to post enough to build topical authority, that Google wants to see more than a small handful of posts before it starts to take notice – everything leans toward you cranking out post after post at breakneck speed.
And there are advantages to building up a good stable of content. But at what cost? You’ve now lost your passion, and writing seems more like a chore than something you love to do.
Take a step back. Post less. Maybe the killer content is what’s killing you. Switch to a twice a week and see how that works for you. You may find the lack of pressure is exactly what the doctor ordered.
Slowing down may be the key to revving up your creative juices and getting you back in the game.
Time to Pivot
Have you considered that maybe your niche is the problem? Maybe you feel no joy because there is none in you for this particular topic.
Often when we pick a new blog niche, we focus on what we think everyone wants to read, rather than focusing on what we want to write about. I have built some absolutely lifeless blogs in my past and within weeks I knew they were done.
One of the great things about owning a website (hopefully with a good domain name that isn’t too tightly tied to your niche) is that you can do what you want with it.
Perhaps it’s time to pivot to that niche you really had your heart set on. Maybe there’s a niche you always wanted to be a part of but were afraid to try. Now is the time to experiment and find what ignites the passion in you.
Outsource Or Write Elsewhere
Perhaps it is time to bring in hired guns instead of quitting your blog. Bringing on new writers who can manage the day-to-day content creation can be liberating. Perhaps you could focus on the big picture plans while they focus on churning out the goods.
There are a lot of talented writers out there looking for a new gig. Don’t be afraid to look for one.
Maybe the problem isn’t the writing but the constant need to write? If you think that’s the case, you could try getting some part-time guest post spots. When the pressure to create content every day is gone, you may find your love for writing has returned.
See if there is a blog in your niche that would take on an occasional post – maybe a weekly or monthly feature. Something to keep your feet wet without the burden of trying to produce consistently.
Making the Decision: Steps to Quit Your Blog Gracefully
If your final decision is truly final and it’s time to shut down the blog, there are definitely some steps you can take to bow out gracefully (and leave the door open for future endeavors).
The most important thing to do is to talk to your audience. Let them know what’s going on. There is nothing worse than visiting your favorite site and finding a big 404 screen one day. Post about it and try to leave the post up for a while so that visitors have a chance to read it.
If you have an email list, now would be a great time to use it.
Let everyone know so that if you ever decide to start a new endeavor, you still have a relationship with your audience. All of those readers may come in handy some day.
Archive your material. There a variety of ways you can do this, from cut and paste to making copies of the database – your webhost may even have an option to archive everything.
Whatever you do, don’t ignore this step. You may think it’s not worth saving, but someday, you’ll wish you had those posts again. Trust me.
When I left the band, I left behind years worth of work on the website, including my tour journals, known as Diary of a Madman. They covered every show the band had played from 1994 to 2008 and were often brought up in interviews and when hanging out with fans.
Shortly after I left, they changed the website around and removed this section. Lucky for me, I had a text-only copy on a hard drive. I couldn’t use them for contractual reasons, but I was very proud of all the work that went into them.
And then that hard drive crashed. And I was devastated over the loss. Years worth of late night work driving through countless Eastern European countries gone in a flash. Needless to say, I was gutted.
Our story does have a happy ending, though – luckily for me, some fans were rabid enough to archive everything they could get their hands on, and one of them sent me a copy. I keep it for preservation and so that I can look back at some of the dates and towns I may have forgotten. Some of it brings back some great memories.
(And yes, I do know I could have checked the Wayback Machine…and I did, it was just a much more tedious process than having someone send me a ready made archive.)
Once everything is archived, you can begin winding down your blog and shutting down hosting. Don’t forget to cancel any paid plugins. Hopefully, this won’t be your last foray into blogging…we need more people like you.
Life After Blogging: Rediscovering Your Passions
Just because you stopped blogging, doesn’t mean you’ve stopped living. Having something in life that you feel passionate about is essential to your well being. Creative outlets like writing, music, or art give us something no daily routine can provide, and I, for one, am thankful that I have an outlet for these things.
Get outside, ride a bike, paint, dance, scream, pick up the tuba – just do something to give your mind a rest from the stresses of everyday life.
You deserve it.
And when you’re ready to come back to blogging, be sure and stop here and let us know what you’re up to.
Remember, quitting your blog doesn’t mean you’ve failed – it’s a brave decision to prioritize your well being and explore new horizons. Whether you choose to push through the challenges, pivot your blog, or embark on a new adventure, trust that you’re making the right choice for yourself. Your time blogging has equipped you with valuable skills and experiences that will serve you well in whatever path you choose. So, take a deep breath, embrace the change, and get ready for the excitement that waits for you outside your blog.