Susan Suarez

Many bloggers experience time-to-time some discouragement that may make them want to stop blogging. Either because it requires more time than expected, they have nothing more to say, there is too much pressure to maintain a blog or they’ve received some negative comments.

But probably one of the most detrimental to a bloggers spirit are negative comments because even in the blogosphere, negative comments can still be hurtful enough to break a writers spirit.  Comments could potentially stay around forever for others to read…only worsening the the pit in a bloggers stomach. Of course, those comments could be deleted, but many feel confused as the correct course of action.

Dealing With Negative Comments

As the administrator of your site, you have the authority to edit or delete hurtful or negative comments if you wish. If the comment brings your spirit down, it probably doesn’t belong on your blog.

But as a protective measure, it’s good to think about having a Comment Policy to guide both you and your readers on what is or isn’t permissible on your blog.

From what I’ve read from Lorelle VanFossen, John Pozadzides of One Man’s Blog has been pushing bloggers to consider enforcing rules on their blog, through a “Terms Of Use” or “Comments Policy” so that everyone is on the same “page” and understands commenting rules, if any are in place. If you are having problems with comments, this might be the route to go…

Discouragements?

Some weeks are better than others. It’s the not-so-great-days that can lead to despair, which are usually because of the following:

1. Unhappy with Blog Stats
2. Negative Comments
3. Low Comments
4. Low Subscribers
5. Not Enough Time To Blog

Many bloggers are addicted to checking stats.  They’ll check Google Analytics, MyBlogLog, Google Adsense Report, Stat Counter, Comments Section and RSS Subscribers Counts continuously over the course of a day. The funny thing is that time spent checking these sources is time away from working and if you find low numbers they probably won’t inspire you to work harder. Blog stats are important but you can’t control the real-time reports. The more time spent towards writing content, the more your stats may improve. Funny how that works out.

As far as low comments, I’ve seen many big sites that have a PR of 7 or 8 with little or no comments at times. It all depends on the topic and if it warrants a response. If you want more comments, maybe re-wording your posts could generate comments. Leave some room for conversation if that is your goal.

Negative posts can bring negative energy to your blog. I’m not kidding. The negative comment that coldly welcomes you each morning will be to blame for your lack of enthusiasm for future posts and most likely, spread to other potential readers/commenter’s unconsciously.

Be kind to others as you would like to be treated – this applies to the real world and to blogging. Keep things nice or at the very least, borderline neutral.  Make the comment constructive instead of hurtful.

If time limitations are holding you back, it is with good reason. To many newbies, find blogging surprisingly to take a lot of time, as it requires: research, time to write post, proofread, the ok to publish and time to monitor comments. If you haven’t prepared backup content, being sick or having unexpected surprise pop up can leave you in a scrabble to finish an article. The blog is then written with less enthusiasm and unfortunately can and will be seen by readers and may scare you about your stats. You end up feeling drained… Either find reasons why you can’t blog and fix them or decide to stop blogging.

So…How Do I Keep Energized About Blogging?

Sometimes it’s nice to take a step away from your blog and rethink your initial purpose for creating it. Sure, you may have known it a few months back but now in the thick of keeping up with the daily posts, stats and marketing you can easily get lost.

1. Remember Your Blogs Purpose

It’s very easy to get lost and forget your goals or purpose for creating a blog. Or maybe you don’t have one? Every team or company needs a focus on short term goals to attain bigger goals. That type of thinking should be applied to your personal work ethic.

Sit down and write down your blog’s purpose. Writing it on a post-it note is even better for you to stick onto a wall or your computer monitor to remind you daily. Stick to that focused purpose as it will help you determine the best topics to place on your site. If you find that a topic is off-subject, don’t include it on your site. The daily reminder will help you stay on course and help you get back if you stray.

2. Network

There are numerous ways to connect with bloggers like yourself within your niche. Interact and learn about what they are doing. Ask questions, comment frequently and get to know each other better to generate energy on the blog.

3. Take A Break!

Step away from the computer to either do some exercise, spend time with the family, take a walk or even better take a vacation. A breath of fresh air can be injected into a blog if you stop obsessing over the computer. It’s amazing how a few stretches can do the body good AND the mind.

Quite frequently, I take breaks to either do a few situps or take a walk, to help me feel re-inspired. Try listening to some music, go shopping or learn how to cook a new recipe.

If you decide to take a vacation, why not take a week vacation once and awhile? With future blog posting, you have the option to walk away for a little while.

4. Do Something Different

It can be exciting but also scary to have a guest blogger, if that means less control over your blog. Although, it can be a good risk to take as it may be fun for your readers and create more energy on the site. You’ll always have the final say and control over the blog.

There are many blog contests or challenges to participate in, including carnivals or writing assignments. Why not try a few? They can get your creative juices flowing, by trying something different and bringing even more readers to your site.  Which, could just kick up your spirit to keep on tapping away at the keyboard!