Should you abandon your blog? It's a question most bloggers have asked themselves at some point, and it might be on your mind too. It can be difficult to decide when to stop blogging or identify when it makes sense to stick it out. Here is my guide to making that decision for yourself.
By asking yourself the question, should you give up your blog? does not mean that you have failed in your blogging efforts. Quite the contrary, in fact.
I strongly believe in the importance of first acknowledging the effort you have already put into your blog – and the fact that you are carefully evaluating whether or not it makes sense to quit your blog or continue investing your valuable time. , energy and financial resources in your site, is the sign of a great maturity in the way you visualize your blog.
Should you give up your blog? When to stop blogging (and when to stick with it)
Ultimately, there are many very natural, normal, and justified reasons why you might be considering giving up your blog…
- Maybe you have started your blog with high hopes of earn money from your content , but it's been months (or years) and you're only making a few dollars a month, at best
- Maybe you have choose a blogging niche which initially sounded good, but now you're bored.
- Or maybe you had no problem integrating everything at first, but today you have a hard time staying productive.
Whatever happens, you are considering making the difficult decision to give up your blog.
You may be worried about leaving your blog too soon or doing it for the wrong reasons. Or maybe you feel like "quitting is for losers" even though it's getting harder and harder to show up and write for your blog each week.
So, to help you answer this critical question for your own set of circumstances, let's look at some realistic reasons to give up blogging…and some of the good reasons to consider continuing.
4 good reasons to abandon your blog
If you're thinking about giving up your blog, see if any of these (very justifiable) reasons resonate with you.
Keep in mind, though, that (in my experience) it's often more tempting to quit blogging before to have seen some momentum with your website. So be honest by asking yourself if you really invested a significant amount of time and sustained effort into growing your blog from the start. Now let's dive into it.
1. Your niche won't make money (and that's a main goal)
If you aim to make money online as one of the main reasons you started your blog in the first place, you may find that your niche just isn't suited for that purpose.
Some blogging niches lend themselves perfectly to making money in a relatively simple way. For example, if you're writing about something niche like personal finance, health, small business, travel, or tons of others blog niche topics , you'll have plenty of options for monetizing your blog — given enough time, effort, and experimentation.
But other niches just don't work as well for massive profits…even if you like them. Maybe you're a huge fan of the cult sci-fi show X-Files, and you run a blog devoted to all things X-Files…but aside from a small affiliate commission on merchandise of the show, there's probably not much you can do to make money from in this slot.
Note : If you enjoy blogging in your niche, it's completely acceptable (encouraged) to keep it as a hobby. Don't think you have to make money from your blog if it's not a major goal for you. Just be realistic about what you can afford to spend on things like hosting, themes, and plugins to run your site.
2. You are bored of your niche
Maybe you've carefully chosen a niche that will eventually allow for monetization…but after a few months of blogging, you just can't write more about it. You are exhausted.
This is an easy trap that ambitious bloggers can fall into. While it may seem logical to choose a niche with clear money-making potential like "credit cards" or "tech reviews", it will be very difficult to Create a blog successful if you're just not deeply interested in the topic you've signed up to cover. Especially in the face of fierce (and very interested) competition along the way.
Sometimes blogging boredom also sets in because you've outgrown your niche.
Maybe you started a blog about nutrition and weight loss when you were working hard to lose 20 kilograms last year… but now that you've lost weight, you don't care much about it. In that case, I'd say it's actually very natural and healthy to consider quitting this blog or at the very least critically looking at ways to pivot content to an area that energizes you more. today .
3. Your blog feels like a chore
This feeling can be difficult to pin down, as there is not always an obvious cause. Maybe you win de money with your blog. Maybe you like the subject you are writing about. But the blogging “work” itself looks like another thing on your to-do list.
This can be the case when blogging is your side business. If you're tired of long days at your full-time job or family responsibilities or just the continued impact of inflation, then working on your blog might feel like too much. for the time being . Don't continue blogging if it makes you unhappy. Instead, maybe you need to start a different type of business or channel your creativity into a new type of outlet.
4. Your blog is likely to get you in (bad) trouble
Although this is a less likely situation than the reasons above, it is worth mentioning.
If your blog is likely to cause serious problems in your life, that's probably a good reason to stop blogging.
Maybe your blog is part of a side hustle that could get you fired from your day job. Or maybe your "satirical" celebrity blog could land you in legal hot water for defamation. Or maybe you have family members or friends who would be deeply hurt by the way you portrayed them in your articles.
Regardless of the exact situation, if you see big problems looming as a result of the content you post, it might be time to quit your blog (while you're still ahead) and start something new. and less controversial for your purposes.
4 good reasons to stay true to your blog
Often, moving forward and persevering in a challenging new endeavor is worth it…even when you're not sure what to do next (we'll get to that soon).
Here are some great reasons to keep blogging and focus your efforts on exploring new ways to hold on a little longer.
1. You're making progress (but not as fast as you'd like)
Too many bloggers give up because they don't see yet the progress they want. But every successful blogger will also tell you that it took time to attract readers and earn a stable income (myself included). Take a look at your blog's key metrics today, compared to six months or a year ago.
- Are you making more money?
- Do you have more traffic?
- More newsletter subscribers?
If you do of progress and that you still feel energized by your content, it is worth sticking to your blog.
Check out the tips we follow (below) to turn things around and move your blog further, faster.
2. You always love the blog topics you cover
If you've chosen your niche well, you'll hopefully still enjoy writing about the main topics your blog covers. Maybe (hopefully) it's something you'd be happy to lecture on and discuss all day.
Even if your blog isn't making a lot of money or attracting a lot of readers yet, it's still worth sticking with your blog if you enjoy writing.
If you want your blog to be a business, make sure you spend at least some time working on the tasks that will help it grow.
3. You would like continue to blogging (but you need a break)
Some bloggers end up quitting not because they don't like their blog, but simply because they feel burnt out.
It's good to take a break from blogging.
- If you have reached a saturation period at work
- If you are going through a big change in your life, such as a new addition to the family or a move
- If you just need to catch up on some sleep or focus on other creative pursuits
It's not a reasonable goal to expect you to be successful in blogging overnight, which means it will take weeks, months, or even years of showing up regularly to carve out a place for yourself. important in your niche.
The kind of sustained effort required to Promote your blog and attracting more readers doesn't come naturally to everyone. Take a break when your mind tells you it's needed and come back to your blog with a renewed perspective.
4. Your blog helps your career
Your blog might not attract millions of readers or bring in thousands of dollars every month…but it could still be very valuable to your career and therefore worth keeping.
- Maybe your blog gives you vital experience in using tech tools like WordPress.
- This might be a great place to showcase your best writing work that might warrant a promotion at work.
- Your blog may get your name out there and help you land high-paying freelance jobs.
If you enjoy blogging and it helps you, even indirectly, it's worth sticking with.
So, have you already made your decision?
Whether you've decided to quit blogging…or are committed to sticking with it, here's what to do.
How to (gracefully) quit your blog
Many bloggers never really (thoughtfully) give up. They just stopped blogging one day.
Weeks and months pass and finally, when their companyWeb hosting invites them to renew their domain, they decide just then to let him go. And poof! All their work disappears from the Internet, overnight.
It doesn't help you, and it doesn't help anyone else either. Even if you think no one is reading your blog, the reality is that some people are likely finding your posts through search engines, social media platforms, forums, and other blogs that may also link to your content. By abandoning your blog, you also abandon others.
Also, if you decide to create another blog in the future, it will be more difficult to get it off the ground. You won't have a passionate, loyal following on your first blog anymore – they'll have moved on. Here's how to deliberately (and gracefully) quit blogging so the door always stays ajar.
Publish a final farewell post on your blog
Even if you haven't blogged for several months or years, I highly recommend that you write one last farewell post for your blog.
Explain that you won't be updating the blog anymore, but that you hope people will still enjoy reading the existing posts you've written, especially if you know you've had readers who have benefited from the content you've shared with them. .
Link to some of your best articles from this article, especially any content that generates affiliate revenue or product sales that you want to keep. Your blog can still earn you money, even if you're not actively writing new content.
Let people know where to find your new blog (if applicable)
Are you starting a new blog? Let your old readers know.
Even if it's a completely different niche, some of your readers will probably be interested in the new topic, and others might just check out your blog just because they like what you write and like you as a than anyone.
Creating a link to your new website from the old one also helps SEO of your new site (search engine optimization). This helps your new site rank better in Google and other search engines, so if you can afford to your blog budget keeping your old site is a smart move.
Update your old contact and about pages
Chances are you'll want to make changes to your contact page and about page information after leaving your old blog. Use these pages to let readers know that the blog is no longer being updated, if you plan to keep your blog online for the immediate future.
You can completely remove your contact information or leave it displayed if you are open to advertising requests and connection requests. With your About page, you may need to link to your new blog (if you're starting a new one) or any other project you're working on.
Close your mailing list
If you have a mailing list, send readers a final email letting them know your blog is closing. Tell them how to join you on your new site or how to sign up for your new mailing list if this applies to your future projects.
After that last email, don't be tempted to reuse your old mailing list for your new blog or project, unless it's a topic. very similar. Otherwise, you may get lots of complaints from people who think you are spamming them.
Consider selling your blog
Selling a blog can be a great way to bring in some last bit of cash, which could help fund your next project. For example, maybe you want to use the proceeds from the sale of your old blog to invest in a premium WordPress theme or managed WordPress hosting to accelerate the growth opportunities you will have with a future blog.
Selling your blog is also a great way to move on without dropping all your hard work. Someone with real enthusiasm for your topic could take over your blog and keep it going for years.
How to Transform Your Blog (If You Stick to It)
What if you decided to continue blogging, but knew something had to change? The good news is that a reversal is almost always possible.
Here are five ways to start making a difference with your blog, rather than deciding to stop blogging altogether.
If you are exhausted… take a break
Although it's generally a good idea to post regularly, you can take a break from your blogging if you need to.
Nobody will point a gun at your head to publish a new article every Tuesday ( or ! ). Let readers know you won't be posting for a few weeks, and post an article with links to your best existing content (and products) for them to check out in the meantime.
Not only does this give you a chance to rest, but it also encourages readers to dig deeper into your website. I hope you will return invigorated and rejuvenated, to readers delighted to see you blogging again.
If you blog too much…change your posting schedule
Maybe you blog several times a week, and it's just too much to bear right now. You might feel like you're on a content treadmill, constantly rushing to post articles.
Try reducing your posting frequency to match your constraints today.
If you post every day of the week, cut it down to 2 or 3 days a week. If you post twice a week, try once a week instead. You will probably find that you can also write stronger, more detailed articles. You may find that your readers also prefer a lower posting frequency.
If you're pressed for time… hire help
Are you struggling to keep track of everything your business needs?
If you're making money blogging, you're not just writing articles. You're also likely to do things like send emails, create graphics, respond to comments, post on social media, work on partnerships, coordinate with sponsors, and more.
Consider these different ways to bring an extra set of hands to help with your blogging tasks:
- You can hire a freelance writer to produce articles for you
- You can hire a virtual assistant to answer emails for you
- Hire a graphic designer to create all your blog images and social media graphics
Although you can any do it yourself when you're just starting out, there will come a time when you can't grow your blogging business without some help.
If You're Not Seeing Results… Be Strategic (and Experiment)
You may have written dozens (or even hundreds) of blog posts, but you're just not getting the results you hoped for. Perhaps you already have a lot of traffic to your blog, but relatively little actual revenue from those posts. Or maybe you're not even getting much traffic yet and want to know how to gain the new readers your content needs.
This may mean choosing a few key articles and investing time in optimizing your content for search engines.
This could mean combing through your most popular articles and making sure each includes at least a link or two, to a product or service you offer. It might even mean hiring a coach or joining a business-focused Facebook group to get advice from someone who's been through what you're going through.
If you are bored… change direction
One of the greatest things about blogging is that you can easily pivot and go in a new direction at any time . Many bloggers start writing about one thing and gradually (or sometimes suddenly) change their focus, myself included.
Although you probably don't want to do a full 180º turn, you can certainly jump from one topic to another that is somewhat related. For example, you might start by writing about gardening, but later focus on sustainable living, home farming, or even retirement hobbies.
You haven't wasted your time if you exit your blog
There is no shame in deciding to stop blogging. In fact, many successful bloggers have given up on a blog (or even several blogs) before embarking on a topic they truly loved.
Remember that even if you decide to stop blogging, the time you spend on your blog is not wasted.
- You can still keep your blog online : The content you have written will continue to help people. If you have products to sell, affiliate links, or advertising on your site, you can continue to generate revenue without posting new content.
- You have learned a lot of things that will help you in your next project : Even if you decide to take your old blog completely offline, you will still have all the knowledge you have acquired. For example, you may have learned how to set up a WordPress site or how to structure a blog post.
- You learned skills that could help you in your career : Knowing how to write well is a crucial skill for many jobs. Having a good grasp of WordPress, and potentially other software like CRM tools or keyword research tools, can also be great for your resume.
- You connected with new people who might be able to help you in the future : Maybe you've met other up-and-coming bloggers, or you've posted on a bigger site, or you've joined a few Facebook groups. These connections could be very helpful in getting your next project off the ground.
Perhaps you should spend a few minutes writing down the main lessons you learned from your blogging experience, as well as any specific skills or contacts you acquired that you don't want to forget.
Final thoughts: Should you quit your blog or should you keep it?
Ultimately, it's up to you whether you want to give up your blog or continue writing for it. No one else can (or should) make this decision for you.
The good news? If you take my advice and just decide to suspend your blogging efforts (or taking a break) when you feel a bit exhausted…then coming back when it suits you with fresh eyes and a willingness to experiment, then your blog will always be where you left it.
The reality is that it can take a long time to see blogging success. If you want to achieve your goals, you'll have to persevere, whether it's redouble your efforts with your current blog, change things up, or leave it in order to start working on something entirely new.
Even after weighing the pros and cons, you may still be unsure whether or not quitting your blog is the right decision…
Why not take a break from your blog?
Post an article explaining that you'll be away for a few weeks (or months) and link to some of your best content for readers to enjoy in the meantime.
Hopefully some time away from your blog will give you the perspective you need to take the best decision.
