A lot of you have probably experienced this (and certainly a lot of startups businesses) with your past blogs (or current blog):
- You start a new blog and think it’s the bomb.
- You’ve got some great motivation behind it because you’ve discovered it’s an untapped niche that you have expertise in.
- You build it, they come, and it’s all gravy train.
- Your interest peaks, you lose motivation either because you’ve satisfied with the result, you’ve solved the “problem” or you’re interested in another problem to solve or blog about. Or, you’re simply tired and done with this “season” of life.
- You decide to “close down shop” but unsure of how best to do it.
So, what to do, right? You typically have 4 options:
- Do nothing. Let it die. And let your visitors and users feel extremely disappointed.
- Make some cash if you can sell it. Many of your visitors will leave because they came to you for a relationship, not just content. You were the blog, not just the posts.
- Hire someone else to manage it. This can work, but could be just as devastating to your visitors as #2.
- Take your entrepreneurial mindset and build it bigger, stronger, and better than ever. In other words, you don’t quit.
I’d say we need a lot more of #4. Relationship-building takes a ton of time, and most people bail before they’ve even begun to understand the social dynamics and time required to become a “success.”
Especially in our case, as people who are all about relationships, I think this is an opportunity to not be like the world, where tons of people quit (and many for the right reasons, mind you) but to persevere.
You may even surprise yourself.
[Image from Kmevans]
Ancoti says
Sounds like you are quoting Galaxy Quest: Never give up, never surrender.
Not a bad motto in this case.
Mark|hereiblog says
I'm working on #4. It's tough sometimes, but the off line encouragement I get is…well….encouraging! B) Helps me keep going.
human3rror says
😉 do it!
Daniel_Berman says
Thanks for the encouragement! I think my personal blog needs some serious reworking, but I think the bigger challenge is finding my personal niche. I find myself falling into the life stream bit so easily, but then I am afraid it doesn't make sense to anybody but me…..Especially as I thrive on diving through a wealth of information very very quickly….
human3rror says
seriously. there is so much info out there… more and more and more daily.
i don't want to become more “noise”… i want to create value.
christina says
i'm always relating to your posts here. it's like…wow i'm not alone. cool beans.
human3rror says
thanks christina!
Jim says
stop reading our minds!
Graham Brenna says
I… Graham Brenna… do solemnly swear… to not quit.
human3rror says
sweet.