Why Do Good Blogs Go Bad?

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Have you ever poured your heart and soul into a blog only for it to sink without trace amidst the plethora of competing posts that flood your timeline? It’s disheartening isn’t it? You stare at your pride and joy and try to process how 99% of your followers haven’t the slightest interest in this latest literary gem. Then the voice in your head pipes up – ‘Well if they won’t read a 500 word blog then what makes you think they will want to read that 120,000 word book you have been droning on about for the last six months?’

It’s little surprise then that many bloggers raise the white flag and go AWOL. Fellow writers who you corresponded with every day suddenly vanish without explanation and you think ‘I wonder what happened to so and so?’ Blogging can be a brutal business. Don’t expect to become an internet success overnight. Building a base of followers is time consuming, tiring work. That’s right, I used the ‘w’ word. Work? Isn’t this supposed to be fun, a release and relief from the daily grind where we can freely express ourselves in a manner we are reluctant to do in the real world?

This battle rages every day in my head. When I lived on Twitter and Instagram I was obsessed with likes, retweets and followers. I wasn’t one of the beautiful people who were guaranteed 2000 likes simply for posting a selfie of themselves pouting at the camera before a night on the tiles. I didn’t have the looks but I did possess a certain sarcastic wit and, dare I say it, charm that ensured people read my offerings. It worked and the followers er….followed.

When I dipped my toe into the WordPress waters last year I adopted a different philosophy. Fionnuala and I spoke long and hard about the purpose of the blog and agreed it was created in order to be a beacon of hope to others floundering with their faith and a raft of other problems that assail our daily lives and buzz around our skulls like irksome wasps, waiting to sting us in the eye if we dare question their presence. We wanted to offer hope where there was none and light the way ahead for weary walkers on the road less traveled.

That is still why I write. Yes it is pleasing and reassuring to have people post compliments about the blog. Yes it is encouraging to watch the follower base rise steadily day after day. But that is the icing on the cake, the cherry on top. The meat and potatoes is the central message I have alluded to above which I attempt to hammer home every time I write. There is hope amidst the brokenness. There is a way out of the mire. No pit is too deep and no problem too insurmountable. Believe and become the person you were created to be.

My message remains the same every morning. There are some brilliant bloggers out there. People who don’t realise how good they are. They inspire me on a daily basis to pick up my metaphorical pen and keep plugging away at our craft. Not all posts will hit the nail on the head or catch the mood of your readers. Some will sink without trace while others will bob back to the surface again and reassure you that maybe you aren’t the worst wordsmith since time immemorial.

Don’t give up. Keep persevering and writing. If you show up every day then the positives will eventually outweigh the negatives. If you want to become an overnight internet sensation or ‘Instafamous’ then stick to other social media platforms. WordPress won’t make you a millionaire overnight but it will immerse you in an environment with like minded individuals who care about their craft. Interact with them, get to know them. They are your peers, your audience, your critical but compassionate eye.

They are the reason I show up here every day. I practice my writing every day on the blog and then transfer what I have honed and developed into the world I am creating in my novel. The blog is my training ground. Every day I swing wildly with my eyes clenched shut and hope for the best. Most times I miss and strike out. But once in a while there is that sweetest of connections and I watch in awe as the ball sails out of the park.

I just hope the coach is watching on those occasions.

What makes a good blog?

What are your experiences of the highs and lows of blogging?

What bloggers do you want to encourage today?

Published by Fractured Faith Blog

We are Stephen and Fionnuala and this is our story. We live in Northern Ireland, have been married for 17 years and have three kids - Adam, Hannah and Rebecca. We hope that our story will inspire and encourage others. We have walked a rocky road yet here we are today, together and stronger than ever. We are far from perfect and our faith has been battered and bruised. But an untested faith is a pointless faith. Just as a fractured faith is better than none at all. We hope you enjoy the blog.

79 thoughts on “Why Do Good Blogs Go Bad?”

  4. As a weekly blogger who gets excited when my views get into double figures, I can understand why people give up. But I blog because I enjoy the creative challenge, rather than in the hope that thousands will read. Would I like more people to see my work? Of course, but itโ€™s not going to stop me doing something I truly enjoy. Thanks for the post.

    Liked by 3 people

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  5. Difficult. I think one reason a blog might seem to disappear is that the blogger has a major thing to deal with in real life e.g received bad news, bereavement, financial struggles, etc, etc. They might not have the time or energy to consider blogging.
    As for your book, I think it’s an excellent idea. Just keep on with the writing and see where it takes you.

    Liked by 1 person

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  6. Ahh yes you see youโ€™re rather clever because this reconfirms everything said yesterday. โ€œKeep on going and donโ€™t worry so.โ€ I think I should stick little post-it notes around the house with these words on them. We definitely need to have this drummed into all of us when weโ€™re feeling at a low ebb. By the way, weโ€™d love to see a picture of you pouting into the camera Kim Kardashian style! ๐Ÿ˜

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  7. Pingback: Why Do Good Blogs Go Bad? – Sharing God's Story

  9. Yes, I just hit 3 years of weekly posts and occasionally wonder why I do this or if I am running out of things to say.

    I will admit that I enjoy the views and follows, but I have decided that I love the process of creating something new each week even more.

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  10. Thank you so much for this encouragement. The concern for followers is a human one. Yet, I appreciate your words about keeping one’s purpose in the very front of our noses. I write as God leads and send it into the public eye of the internet. Some days, crickets. Others, fountains and streams and fireworks. Have a blessed day.

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  11. I admire your resolve. I can barely publish a post every couple of weeks, and I can’t imagine finding enough to write about every day. Or the time…
    In my defence, our reading group (all beginners, all retired) is planning to self-publish an anthology of our monthly ‘homework’, and I’ve been busy formatting and proofreading. It’s a learning curve – I’ve had to research so many different aspects – some I thought I already knew – but it will all come in useful when I pluck up courage to publish my own short stories. But, you’re right, blogging helps. I’ve not been doing it long, and aim it mostly at helping the group, but other readers have dropped by and been kind. So far, nobody’s said ‘What a load of rubbish’. It is confidence-building and helps me feel… connected. As if my daft plans might be possible.

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  13. Yes very true. Blogging has been my outlet to reset my passion to write. Words impact the heart. It does take a lot of work, but I never want to lose the purpose and passion for why I started it. I wish to inspire not only my blogger followers, but those outside of this community. This was very encouraging!

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  14. A great post. And you’re right – blogging/writing is work. It’s commitment, dedication . . . desire, passion. Blogging should come from the heart, as yours does. Never stop. ๐Ÿ™‚

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  15. I appreciate today’s post. I refrained from entering the ‘blogosphere’ for a long time. I imagined, and rightly so, that there are so many talented writers out there and no one would be interested in my experiences. I initially began my blog as a way to share my experience, strength, and hope with others through social media. As it grew I decided to blog and attempt to be positive and honest in my writing. It was a way to hone my craft as well. I’m incredibly grateful for your posts as well as the many folks I’ve come to know through their writing.

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  16. I have actually had this WordPress account since 2008. I created it on a whim then and only wrote occasionally.
    I didn’t get serious about it until late last year. And I’m glad I did because I’ve met some really cool people! I’ve been so encouraged by so many people and their words.
    Thank you for sharing your words with us, Stephen!

    Liked by 3 people

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  17. For me, that rising and ebbing of views, likes and comments can be disconcerting. At those times I need to reassess my purpose and intent which is always to express my faith and share my good fortune living with a Higher Power. Of course I want others to like and comment, but that cannot be the goal of what I write. I believe you have the same principle in what you share.

    Liked by 1 person

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  20. Blogs, like all writing, is so subjective. For me, I donโ€™t like to worry about stats. If youโ€™re putting out your best work and only one person connects to it, Thatโ€™s something. One real connection in a sea of 1000 blind likes is something.
    Keep inspiring with your wonderful blog. Write and they will come, for 500 words or 120g

    Liked by 1 person

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  21. Best advice someone once gave me at a writer’s conference was this: if you only had one follower would you still write? And if the answer is yes, then write for the one! You never know how your words can impact another soul.

    Liked by 2 people

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  22. I really enjoyed this post! It is extremely relatable and so truthful! I constantly tell new bloggers there is the effort in getting to know the community and there is the effort in being persistent as a blogger and writer in general. In short, the brutal truth is that no one owes us anything. We must give and step out into the world.

    I am going to highlight this post in my community spotlight on Peeking Beneath at the end of the month ๐Ÿ™‚

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  23. Every day when I check my email I see you have published another blogpost. I click through to it and see that it’s not just a pic with a caption or a brief quote copied from somewhere else; it’s actually a properly thought-through piece of writing. And one question comes to me every time. How do you do it? Please tell me. Specifically, how do you fit this around family life? Do you have a job? Full time? And marathon training on top of that? And writing a novel? With 168 hours per week, somethin’s gotta give! What gives? What do you not do – sleep? Are you one person or a set of clones? Tell me, please. And put the humility aside – you have some secret and I want to know it.

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  24. I will let you know ๐Ÿ˜Š. I have just done one. I have just noticed your posts arent coming up in my reader so off to fathom that out ?!

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  25. I know just what you mean – posts that have really come from my heart don’t seem to reach others as they have spoken to me, and I many times don’t get very many likes on those. I have learned to not let myself worry about that, though. If that specific post helps me, who cares if it gets zero likes? Lol, at least I really try to convince myself of that. I am getting better at not caring โ˜บ

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  27. As with all writing, blogging takes time and practice, and, as you said, work! To me, being disciplined enough to post consistently is a win in itself. Bravo to those who keep plugging away.

    Liked by 1 person

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  33. “The meat and potatoes is the central message I have alluded to above which I attempt to hammer home every time I write. There is hope amidst the brokenness. There is a way out of the mire.”

    May more people find your table and feed their souls. Thanks for keeping at it.

    Liked by 1 person

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  34. Because blog isnโ€™t life tho…itโ€™s a hobby (mostly) or a business (for some ppl). Itโ€™s ok to relax, otherwise Ull get a feeling of โ€œrush-stress-workโ€ ๐Ÿ™‚
    If I take my own example- im just lazy ๐Ÿ˜‚ I can spend days doing nothing. Literally. Just lying on my sofa like Oblomov, reading, watching movies & eating. It feels good ๐Ÿ™‚
    + in general all works in โ€œwavesโ€: we chill – we work hard

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Yeah I agree with much of what you say. Iโ€™m hoping through I can use this blog to promote my writing so that I can maybe make a career out of it. Itโ€™s a dream but itโ€™s my dream. Iโ€™d love a day lying on the sofa. Youโ€™ve just described my perfect day ๐Ÿ˜Š

      Liked by 2 people

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      1. Well, a lot of ppl on WP use the blog for promoting of their own books/writing:) so I donโ€™t see any problems. And u r writing cool interesting posts – I mean u r really blogging – not just promoting:) so I think it will be success โœŒ๏ธ๐Ÿ˜Ž๐ŸŒž๐Ÿ•บ๐Ÿ•บ

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  35. Pingback: Community Spotlight | July ’18 – Peeking Beneath

  36. Great post! You are quite right that building a readership takes time and energy and proactiveness. I feel like I’ve worked my butt off for my loyal base, but at least it really exists finally! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Liked by 1 person

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