10 reasons why blogging sucks

I recently listed 10 reasons why blogging is great. In true Top Ten Blog Tips style, I'd like to show the other side of the coin - why blogging sucks.

1. Feeling obligated to post. I've said this time and time again - you don't need to post daily! But it is a very good idea to build up an archive of high quality posts in your first few months of blogging. I think that once you have 50-100 posts, it's OK to slow down a bit. However, blogging really sucks if you feel like you have to post more often than you want to. Some blogs encourage members to post daily, and there are even sites that will give out small payments to those who do. I think this is crazy - it makes people blog for the sake of it. I do think you need to write a post every now and again, and not leave your blog dormant for months at a time - but blogging daily just isn't necessary. Break the cycle - blog when you want to, and when you have something to say. You may start to enjoy it more.

2. Writing for others. Why do you blog? Is it for yourself, or for other people? Well, I'm sorry, but you have to put yourself first. Otherwise, you'll just be pumping out a bunch of lifeless, mechanical posts where you try to keep everyone happy. Instead of doing that, write about things that matter to you, and tell people what you think about those subjects. Don't be afraid to have an opinion. I don't go out of my way to offend people, but if someone is strongly opposed to my opinions, they can always write about how they feel on their own blog. If they don't blog but they do have strong views, maybe they should start a blog. I wouldn't say you need to have outrageous views on everything to get noticed as a blogger, but I would say that you need to be able to say something to give your posts some personality. If all you do is write for others, you may find that it's very hard to please anyone and everyone - if not impossible. Find your target audience - don't wait for them to find you.

3. Chasing comments. I'd much rather have 3 detailed comments than 100 "me too" comments. Don't get me wrong - I'm more than happy to approve any comment that isn't spam, and I don't expect all posts to need a great deal of discussion. But it's always nice when a reader feels compelled to write a comment that adds something to the discussion, or at the very least, shows that they read the post properly. Writing posts just to get comments might seem like fun, but sometimes it's not important to get loads of comments. What if nobody has anything to say about the post, but they decide to pass the link around to others who might enjoy the post? In my opinion, that's just as good as getting a comment - if not slightly better. Basically, don't worry too much if you get comments on your posts - in the grand scheme of things, most readers don't comment.

4. Spamming your friends. If you've just set up a new blog, think about when and how to promote it. Don't just post the link on Facebook and instruct people to "pass it on". Unless you already have a huge network of people who are genuinely interested in all that you have to say, it's far better to limit your promotion to people who might actually have an interest in your blog. Or, you could try buying some low cost, high value advertising and give your blog a kickstart. However, I think it's best to wait until your blog has a few posts - don't promote an empty blog with little more than an "under construction" or "welcome" post. If you decide not to continue with your blog beyond the first few posts, it's going to look quite silly if you just invested time in promoting it all over the place.

5. Link exchanges. I'm all for linking to a few blogs you enjoy and want to share with your readers. Link exchanges, however, are not a great idea. Someone comes along and asks to swap links with you. Fine, you think, and add their link. Gradually, more and more people ask until you realise your sidebar is full of 100 links to sites you rarely look at. Many of them haven't been updated for months. I link to a few blogs where I enjoy the content and I want to have the link in my sidebar. I never engage in link exchanges. I hate feeling like I can't say no to a request, or that I'll be a blogging scumbag for turning someone down. I'm sorry, but if we all linked to anyone and everyone, the web would be a sea of links and these would get in the way of what's important: your content!

6. Running out of ideas. This one is really frustrating. You've spent time building up your blog, working on your topics, and sticking to your niche. Now, wait a minute, what are you going to write next? As time goes by, it can become harder and harder to think of new posts. Do you revisit old posts? Try a new angle? Invite guest writers? Or just stop posting? I do have some tips explaining how to overcome blogger's block (as the name suggests, this refers to "writer's block" for bloggers). These are worth checking out. But even with a slew of ways to come up with new post ideas and keep your blog alive, there will be days when it's hard to think of anything to post. Take it from me - it's a lot better to just keep at it when you do think of topics, and don't delete your blog if you run out of ideas. The longer your posts have been online, the more likely they are to get picked up by search engines - this is where the bulk of your traffic will come from once your site has been around for a long time. Or at least, it's the type of traffic you should be aiming to attract more than any other. Getting a bit off-topic here, so let's move along...

7. Guest posts. Is it fair to write off guest posts so quickly? Don't they help to bring new ideas to your blog, and get your name out on other blogs? Well, they can, but I've always found guest posts to be something of a lottery. If the writer is too good, they might overshadow the author of the blog. If the writer isn't great, the post doesn't reflect well on the blog, the blog author, or the writer of the guest post. If there are too many guest posts, it looks like the owner of the blog has given up and is just cashing in on other people's content. There is a balance, but few blogs seem to get it right. Don't overdo guest posts - make them the exception rather than the rule. The bulk of the content needs to come from you. Unless it's a group blog.

8. Blogging for money. This in itself isn't a big issue. I think it's fine to make money from your blog, but don't be so blatant about it. Don't make every other post a paid post. Don't drop paid links in otherwise innocent posts. It just looks cheap. And really, does the whole blog have to be full of ads about teeth whitening or weight loss? Figure out why you want to blog - if it's to make money without writing any real content, fine, but don't go around saying you have a personal blog when it's full of paid links.

9. Everything becomes a story. Sometimes, I'm having a conversation and I stop and think, "this would make a great blog post". That may well be the case, but once you've been thinking this for years, it can become rather tiresome. It's important to know when and how to switch off. Do you really want to interview your friends when you could be chatting for no real reason other than to socialise with them? Not everything or everyone revolves around your blog. Sure, promote it in the right places, but your blog isn't the only reason why people want to talk with you. Speaking of which, if your Twitter profile contains little else besides links to your latest blog posts, it doesn't make for an interesting read. But anyway...

10. Loneliness. This is where the photo for today's post came from. In 10 reasons why blogging is great, I explained that you can meet new people through blogging. While this is true, I haven't met a lot of bloggers in person. And while I am enjoying being a London blogger, blogging was very lonely when I lived in Australia. I'm lucky to have friends, family and colleagues who I see on a regular basis in the UK. If I didn't, I'd be very lonely indeed - blogging hasn't really helped to make me feel any less lonely. Sure, I have friends online, but sometimes I just need to get off the computer and interact with people by talking out loud instead of typing all day long.

What do you think? Do you sometimes get tired of blogging? What do you do to keep it interesting?