We’ve all heard stories about blogs that are runaway successes and earn millions for their owners. It’s the pipe dream, but when you first started out, the chances are that you didn’t even consider this as a reality. Back then, you were probably just happy if ten people read your musings, as long as someone was enjoying what you had to say.
The thing is, even if you don’t have your sights set on overnight success, a niche angle and a strong voice could soon see 10 readers turning into twenty, and then more until you’ve got a successful blog on your hands without even knowing it. This is the best possible thing that could happen, but it does pose one small issue – how do you manage a blog that’s swiftly outgrowing you?
The more popular a blog gets, the harder it is to maintain and manage as a single entity. Here, we’re going to look at a few sure signs that your blog is quickly outgrowing you, and what exactly you can do about them.
Sign 1 – You’re struggling to reply to comments
Comments have always been one of the best things about writing a blog and, in the early days, the chances are that you received just one or two on each post. Those low numbers are easy enough to respond to but, as attention begins to increase, those comments will inevitably increase alongside it. If you’re struggling to keep up, it’s the first sure indicator that you’re no longer in a position to do this alone.
As discussed in this article on www.attractreaders.com, replying to every comment is fundamental for ensuring the connections and loyalty that stand to fuel your blog. Not to mention that this is where blogging satisfaction truly lies! If you’re having to compromise on that, you’re not only at risk of losing your readership, but you’re also at risk of forgetting why you loved doing this in the first place. For obvious reasons, you can’t exactly get help with this task in itself (readers want to talk to you, after all!) but that doesn’t mean you can’t employ help with accounting tasks or admin, freeing more time to make sure that you’re getting back to everyone.
Sign 2 – You’ve got more brand offers than you can manage
Brand offers are a huge part of how bloggers make their money, and small-time bloggers typically enjoy a trickle of offers that they can easily manage. However, if your blog continues to grow, this can be an escalating commitment, with more and more offers landing in your inbox that, alone, you may feel entirely unable to make time for.
Obviously, bloggers don’t need to accept every brand offer that comes their way, and picking brands that you feel best represent your image is best. That said, if you’re missing out on opportunities because you’re struggling to juggle things, you could soon find yourself in the bad books of brands that could’ve really helped to boost your blogging income. Over time, this inaction could see brand deals drying up altogether. To avoid that, it’s essential to recognize when offers are getting out of control and to seek a reliable agent who can help you to manage things better. As well as being able to pick out the brand deals that are the best fit, an agent can plan your workload, ensuring that you can fit more brand deals into your days, and increasing your income as a result.
Sign 3 – Social media has become a full-time pursuit
As with any modern business, blogging is no longer a standalone pursuit. Rather, the more social networks that bloggers utilize, the better chance they have of reaching a wide readership. In the early days, this is a relatively simple thing to get your head, but as your readership on all sides grows, it’s not unusual to find that engaging on social media or even just replying to personal messages each day, becomes a full-time pursuit.
This can be a lot to manage, and it’s a problem considering that general social media use doesn’t directly provide income. To free your time, and to better utilize the money-making opportunities on these platforms, it’s often best to work with companies like rsmconnect.com who can manage social media for you. This strategic approach is invaluable for powering your campaigns across all platforms, while ultimately freeing you to focus on the task at hand which, in case you’ve forgotten, is the actual blogging!
Sign 4 – Side-lines are detracting from your posting schedule
Blogging sidelines, including merchandise, subscription services, etc., are a natural blogger progression that utilize your existing readership and ensure they, and you, gain maximum value from their visits. Initially, most bloggers find these things easy enough to manage by simply ordering small amounts of stock and sending things out themselves on a per-order basis. But, if merchandise is interfering with how you run your blog, it’s another sure sign that your blog is too big for you right now.
While merchandise may make you more money, your blog posts themselves should always remain your key focus, as these are your USP and the real reason that people feel compelled to buy your shop items in the first place. If you find yourself compromising on posts, it’s therefore essential to employ help, either through a part-time employee that can take care of the shop aspect of your business or through a third-party merchandiser who can process orders and send things off for you. Then, you can carry on creating the content that drives sales, and really stands to fuel your success moving forward.
Like a child moving away from its mom, it’s natural to avoid admitting when your blog has outgrown you, but the important thing to remember is that you’ll never make a real go of this business if you continue to stunt its growth. Instead, accept the change, and grow right alongside your blog by employing help as and when you need it.
