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Blaugust is almost over and on condition that we’re within the “Staying Motivated” week, I needed to speak a bit about running a blog streaks, statistics, methods to remain motivated, and the advantages of running a blog – all from my expertise, so take the whole lot with a grain of salt. I’ve been, in spite of everything, doing this for some time and I’m loopy or one thing!

  1. Blogging Streaks
    1. Building up a Habit
    2. Handling Pressure
    3. Why do I maintain running a blog every day?
  2. Chasing Stats
    1. Metrics normally…
    2. What does “Chasing Stats” entail?
      1. Search Engine Optimization
      2. Topics
    3. Is there a superb level to analysing your stats?
  3. Staying Motivated – My Advice!
  4. Conclusion

Blogging Streaks

Blogging Streak Notification on WordPress. The text under the picture says: "You've posted 608 days in a row on Indiecator. Keep up the good work."
(my present streak, together with at the moment)

Blogging Streaks are an attention-grabbing matter as a result of they very a lot really feel rewarding… however they will additionally add strain to your running a blog habits.

In this part, I need to speak about how streaks encourage you to remain at it and the way that is each a superb and a nasty factor.

Building up a Habit

The motive why streaks are so necessary is that they encourage you to construct up a behavior.

By doing one thing typically, your physique will basically get used to it and also you’ll type of discover your individual rhythm.

Duolingo and Snapchat, as an illustration, really need you to proceed utilizing these apps, which is why they present you flames once you repeatedly use them. Duolingo could maintain you at gunpoint in the event you’re not cautious, so that you higher not drop your streak!

More importantly, in Blogging, it’s good to get a streak going. 600 Days in the past, I had a bunch of posts scheduled for Christmas and New Year’s and the next days… and all of the sudden, I had an 8-day streak or one thing, so I stored it going…

After a month, I needed to see if I can go for 3… after three, I needed to get to half a 12 months… then a 12 months… and now, I’m nonetheless doing it for practically two years with none motive to cease or to maintain going. It’s odd, innit?

It’s like every day walks via the park after dinner and earlier than you fall asleep. Getting right into a behavior is sort of good. You can cease at any time (which is what most addicts say… huh….) however you don’t actually must, proper?

By build up a behavior, it will get simpler to weblog. You can determine occasions that work greatest for writing or formatting. You can break up up your work routine into totally different sections, experiment, and simply see what you wanna do.

You don’t even must go for a every day running a blog streak… If you don’t have a lot time, why not strive weekly or bi-weekly? You may even arrange a schedule of kinds after which sprinkle in some shock off-schedule posts! Even in the event you solely submit month-to-month or each different month, that’s completely nice. Take your time! No strain.

Handling Pressure

For most individuals, running a blog is sort of a diary or a journal. It’s kind of a technique to specific themselves and depart one thing behind… others could use it to doc screenshots and gaming moments, their creations, their progress, lives, well being, and so on.

Hence, most individuals will do it as a pastime however it’s necessary to know when it is advisable to cease and when you may maintain going.

As talked about beforehand, it’s necessary to take your time and to know your limits. Limit-testing is truthfully an incredible factor. Do it. But don’t overdo it!

Daily Streaks or streaks normally in addition to habits can typically encourage a superb behavior of repeatedly doing one thing… however they will additionally add strain, so it’s necessary to ask your self:

“Am I doing this because I want to or because of a streak?”

Question what your reasoning behind stuff is. If you need to make cash, running a blog might be not the easiest way to do it. If you need to turn into well-known, it received’t occur in a single day. If you do it due to a streak and never since you take pleasure in it, query your self and ask if it’s price it.

Ideally, it must be for enjoyable, in spite of everything. Ideally, you wanna do it since you take pleasure in doing it. Once it turns into a drag or “work” or “stressful”, you’ll burn out.

To keep motivated means realizing when to take a break and when to go slower. It’s like working a marathon. At occasions, you decelerate and catch your breath whereas nonetheless strolling slowly. Other occasions, you’ll run once more however maintain your tempo and rhythm. If you begin the ultimate dash too early, you’ll burn out. Does the metaphor work?

Why do I maintain running a blog every day?

As talked about beforehand, I’ve been running a blog every day for greater than 600 days now. Isn’t that insanity?

And the reply is sure.

I do know there are different those that additionally do it and who’ve for much longer than me… however that doesn’t imply that they’re not mad as nicely.

Think about it: Only an insane individual would do that, proper?

I’m simply kidding btw. The motive why I do it’s that the day has solely so many hours and earlier than I fall asleep, I don’t need to stress over not getting the whole lot on my to-do checklist finished.

Writing a submit and scheduling it for the following day actually helps me with that. It looks like I did one thing and completed it… after which I sleep higher. It’s bizarre, innit?

Obviously, I additionally love writing. Not certain if I discussed it already however I’m at our college’s literature membership and I was of their editorial, so I write quite a lot of quick tales and get suggestions over there. It’s simply one thing I do in my free time and never something I’d pursue as a job or no matter. (After all, there are folks like Tessa which have far more expertise than me.)

Anyway, I take pleasure in expressing my ideas and whereas my quick tales are fairly cryptic, I will be somewhat frank with my weblog posts. I can speak about issues that hassle me or that I discovered odd… I can share my opinions on video games and exhibits and stuff.

This is my private weblog and I additionally do opinions, lol.

And I really like doing it… and I’m mad, clearly, so clearly the lengthy streak is due to that, haha.

Chasing Stats

In this part, I need to speak about metrics, search engine marketing stuff, why you shouldn’t chase stats, and if there’s a good level to chasing them, in spite of everything.

Before I get into it, although, listed below are a few nice posts on the identical matter:

Metrics normally…

When it involves metrics, on WordPress at the least, you’ll in all probability end up trying on the hits/views quite a bit. There can be the customer metric. If you need to go extra in-depth, there may be the “Google Analytics” device in addition to different choices… however truthfully, you’ll more than likely simply take a look at these stats.

Typically, they don’t let you know a lot although with out the inclusion of additional plugins.

On WordPress, it would clarify as nicely how folks discovered your weblog, the place they’re from and what your prime posts are for the day.

On Blogger, I bear in mind seeing units, browsers, and folks’s demographic and stuff as nicely once I was on there however I’m undecided if that’s nonetheless a factor, truthfully.

And nicely, in Google Analytics, you may try all kinds of different stuff however usually talking, I wouldn’t advocate that since…

Chasing Stats sucks. Don’t do it.

What does “Chasing Stats” entail?

Chasing Stats is the idea of writing for views and truthfully talking, it sucks and is unthankful.

Unless you’re running a blog to your residing, I wouldn’t try to adapt to all the foundations and stuff as a result of it truthfully takes away all of the character out of your writing.

Search Engine Optimization

search engine marketing (Search Engine Optimization), as an illustration, would require you to write down sentences which are shorter, posts that aren’t as prolonged, and also you’ll have to be careful for particular key phrases and search phrases. There are many layers to optimizing your weblog for Google however all of the work is for nought as soon as Google adjustments how their search engine works.

Heck, Bing really is just not even indexing any of the WordPress blogs anymore until you will have your individual area, which is odd. Imagine having optimised your writing for Bing and picture then realising that your weblog isn’t even listed there anymore.

Topics

Chasing Stats additionally entails writing about particular subjects that you just received’t like. It’s frankly draining to always report on Drama however that’s what folks need to see.

The different day I talked about Dinkum’s controversy, as an illustration, in addition to the Dolphin Barn stuff. In these circumstances, I needed to speak about it to unfold consciousness. But in concept, these posts may even acquire much more visitors than these labours of affection and your favorite posts. It sucks.

And that may be draining as hell for you and your ardour. Chasing Stats entails writing about stuff you don’t care about whereas additionally letting your self see that the subjects you do care about or the posts that you just labored quite a bit on… simply received’t get to see a lot visitors.

Is there a superb level to analysing your stats?

Honestly, kinda?

The challenge right here is that for me, my general weblog stats is usually a motivator.

When I see that I get near a particular estimate, I get hyped and I strive my hardest to achieve that! When I undershoot a bit, there’s all the time the following month! But the stats clearly will go up and down. It by no means is simply [stonks meme] if that is sensible.

But I don’t take a look at particular person submit metrics anymore as a result of I do know that opinions are there for the long term and drama posts are there for the quick run. I cherished my evaluate on Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion however it’s not precisely “doing well” in comparison with different opinions. If I needed to investigate what went improper with it, I in all probability wouldn’t discover a lot actually. Maybe I wrote about it too late?

In 2021, that evaluate acquired 30 views. Surprisingly, it acquired much more this 12 months in April and May which I don’t fairly get… I wouldn’t have been stunned if the evaluate acquired extra visitors in November the place it additionally was on Humble Choice however nope, none there.

Similarly, views are likely to go down in Summer however Blaugust messes with that.

At the identical time, loads of my opinions are doing actually good recently and I simply don’t know why.

When it involves analyzing your weblog posts’ visitors, you’ll find yourself being disenchanted as a result of there isn’t a lot of a rule to something. So, as an alternative of particular person stats, simply take a look at the large curve general possibly. That one feels good to take a look at for me. Personally, I like it.

Generally talking, the extra you write, the extra visitors you’ll get. My weblog solely actually picked up the tempo as soon as I acquired to weekly/every day posts and it acquired even higher after that. I all of the sudden had an “anchor post” as nicely within the type of my “Girl by the Sea” evaluate, in addition to my Fall Guys evaluate, my Bumble BFF evaluate, the opposite Dinkum submit, and a few of my Achievement Hunt posts… These always drive visitors to the weblog and therefore to different opinions and tags and whatnot.

So, after getting an anchor, maintain writing, you’ll discover extra.

With a number of anchors, visitors’s “gonna be booming”, I assume? But your favorite posts received’t be the preferred, as my Babylon’s Fall submit confirmed… sigh.

Staying Motivated – My Advice!

Overall, to remain motivated, you’ll have to do two issues, in my view:

  • Don’t take a look at stats.
  • Build up a behavior.

Stats suck. Period.

Building up a behavior and getting right into a rhythm, nevertheless, is fairly darn nice as a result of it’s absolutely as much as you. By Chasing stats, you’ll lose what makes you distinctive. By getting right into a behavior and experimenting together with your type, although, you’ll discover out much more about what kind of posts you need to write.

Typically, I attempt to get myself into the temper to write down by getting some espresso or tea beforehand. When I observed that I take pleasure in writing within the night extra, I switched to decaf espresso in order that I’d nonetheless have the ability to sleep afterwards, haha.

Eventually, I’d at occasions write on the balcony with a Gin and Tonic. Sometimes, I’d write with a glass of wine.

Overall, getting comfortable actually helps me with entering into writing.

Staying motivated will get simpler once you’re comfortable. If it helps you, you don’t even must put on pants!

Motivation is tough typically as a result of IRL will get tough which is why one other necessary piece of recommendation I’d like to present can be to understand that you just don’t must do something!

  • You don’t have to write down X quantity of phrases.
  • You don’t have to publish Y quantity of posts monthly.
  • You don’t have to write down about this or that matter in the event you don’t need to.
  • You don’t have to publish posts for others. Do it for your self.

On prime of that, studying feedback helps quite a bit. Knowing that folks take pleasure in your posts tremendously helps with sticking to the behavior of writing or running a blog. Hence, I attempt to depart a remark every time I can however that’s one thing that Syp and Naithin additionally get into of their posts.

Conclusion

There are many issues to contemplate however in the long run, your weblog means your guidelines.

Write when, the place and nevertheless you want. Don’t add strain to something. You’re doing this since you prefer it and never as a result of somebody informed you to, proper?

You don’t have to. You’re in a position to.

It’s not: “You must” however “You can“.

I hope a few of this has helped. The Blaugust folks have talked about it a lot however I primarily linked to Syp and Nait as a result of they’re coming from the identical angle as me although with totally different recommendation. Hope you loved that! If you will have any questions or want recommendation on something, be happy to let me know or remark beneath!

This submit was first printed on Indiecator by Dan Indiecator aka MagiWasTaken. If you want what you see right here and need to see extra, you may verify me out on Twitch and YouTube as nicely.

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