Let’s face it. Your blog sucks. You just aren’t cut out to be a blogger. No one cares about what you have to say. That’s okay. You’re probably more like the majority of bloggers than you think! Most blogs never amount to much. Most bloggers won’t go pro. Some don’t care. They just blog for fun. Others will get frustrated when they realize blogging isn’t easy money, and they’ll quit.
It’s that last group we’re interested in today. If you blog for business (to get sponsors, earn ad revenue, sell your own products, reach your customers, etc.), maybe it’s time to stop. Not everyone should blog, and not every business needs one.
Here are five signs it might be time to abort your blog:
1. You’ve been blogging for months, and you’re still excited that your family reads it.
Look. If your blog consists of sharing little family updates and posting photos of the kids, then maybe your family’s your target audience. But if you’re serious about blogging for business, no one gives a rat’s ass if your mommy loves your blog.
Who is your target audience exactly? Prospective customers? Existing customers? Colleagues in your industry? If your target audience isn’t reading your blog, something has to change. Either you seriously suck at marketing it, or your blog just isn’t giving them what they need. It’s probably time to hang up the blogging towel.
2. You sink in time and / or money and get nothing in return.
Returns are important in any kind of business. That doesn’t mean you have to earn a direct financial return from your blog though. There are other types of returns — exposure in the industry, authority status in your niche, leads, being seen as a thought leader, etc. But if your blog offers nothing of real value to your business, then why do you even bother? Don’t.
3. You can’t think of anything new to say.
Having a bit of blogger’s block is no big deal. We all eventually have a day where we think “what the hell is there even left to talk about?” There’s always something. You can review a site or product. You could interview someone in your niche or industry. You could write a how-to piece. You could post commentary in response to industry news. You could have a cross-blog discussion with another blogger. You get the idea.
The problem is when blogger’s block is no longer an occasional problem but instead a regular state of mind. When there are topics available, but you truly can’t think of anything at all you want to talk about, it might be a sign to quit because the passion is no longer there. When it’s gone, your readers will more than likely notice.
4. Your blog has become a war zone.
You don’t have to go around kissing ass every time you post to your blog. You don’t have to play nicey-nice with everyone else in your niche. It would be highly unusual if you never said anything controversial that pissed some people off.
That said, if your blog is igniting tempers constantly and it’s not your intention to do that, then maybe it’s time to give it a rest. You aren’t reaching your blogging goals. Take some time off to evaluate things. Can you rethink your strategy and give it another try? If not, call it quits before the constant stress of blog bickering takes its toll on you.
5. You’d rather watch paint dry than write.
Blogging usually means writing. Some people just aren’t natural writers. Some of those folks can learn. Other can’t. It’s not for everyone. If you find blogging to be excruciatingly boring or difficult to the point where you’d rather be doing just about anything else, then quit.
Remember, no matter what you use your blog for — income, company promotion, etc. — you can reach the same end results with other tactics. No one has to blog. If you don’t feel like it’s working out for you, don’t try to force something that probably isn’t meant to be.
Only you can decide whether or not it’s time to abort your blog. If you do decide to kill it, you can do it in several different ways. Here’s what I suggest:
Step 1: Announce the close of the blog in a post.
Step 2: Add a link to the top of the blog directing people to your main business site.
Step 3: Leave the existing content live as an archive to keep bringing in search engine traffic (which you’ll direct to your main site through the link you added in step 2).
Are you contemplating quitting your blog? Why? Have you killed off blogs in the past? What was it that pushed you over the edge and made you close the blog rather than just taking a break? Share your blog-ending stories with us in the comments.