Oh wow, another week’s passed, and I’m once again writing my weekly post at the last possible minute. If I’m honest, this workflow hasn’t been the best for my blog growth.
What I’ve worked hard these past few years is now dwindling, and I find myself not having a choice but to just deal with it.
But if you know me, you’ll know that nothing’s ever a loss. A writer’s life is always win-win because there’s always a story you can flesh out of the bad experiences.
So the good part of all this is that I get to share my gradual downfall with you. All you’ll need to do is to apply the opposite and you’ll be golden.
See? Win-win.
1. Not networking anymore
This is the biggest one. The main reason for the higher-than-average engagement on my blog is me reading other people’s blogs and leaving comments. That’s it. I’ve never really invested in ads, SEO, or even Pinterest. It’s all networking, baby.
But with my current limitation on time, I’ve also found myself unable to network. And that’s why I think my readership has tanked.
As much as I’d like to think it’s the stellar content that draws people in, I have to say that there’s more to the algorithm game, and pouring my heart and soul to my writing only makes up for 20% of audience attraction.
So if you’re looking to grow your blog, don’t forget to network.
2. Not thinking about writing as much
Having less time for the blog doesn’t just mean a loss of writing time. It also means less thinking on a whole.
I used to pontificate blog ideas on my morning runs. Now all I think about is how to solve that work problem that’s been pending from the previous day.
Which kinda sucks because when I actually do have time to write, I’ll be sitting at the blank page not knowing how to start.
There’s much to be said about the act of just thinking. Writing isn’t always about writing.
Having the uninterrupted time to stare out a window and think about a topic really does help you put a fuller story together. And without this composting time, I’ve found my posts to lack their regular pop.
So if you’re looking to create more content, remember that mindless thinking can be as important as writing itself.
3. Not spending enough time on WordPress
There is a certain magic to facing the blank page. Sit in front of it long enough and you’re bound to come up with something.
It’s the same with jiu-jitsu. I’ve noticed that the students who spend more time in the gym—regardless of if they train or just watch the class—tend to improve faster.
Similarly, I didn’t particularly have many more ideas when I had more time to spend on WordPress. The creativity was just a natural product of spending more time reading other blogs and playing around with the editor.
So if you’re looking to grow your blog, the best thing to do sometimes would be to open up WordPress and just… hang out.
It doesn’t matter if you do it on the Reader, the Editor, or the Stats page. Creativity’s magical like that.
4. Not sweating the small stuff
It’s weird how work has turned down the volume knob in my life. Like, I used to be so bothered by the loud cars that zoom past my house every day. That hatred has now dissipated thanks to the unending to-do list I have to complete each day.
I forgot which artist said this: Work is a great way to escape life. I used to scoff at that remark. Now I’m starting to understand how profound that saying is.
Even my usual low-grade anxiety has stopped bothering me for a while.
I can’t say which is better, since having to dash from one thing to another isn’t exactly a fun way to live either. But I must say that it’s nice not having to worry about the frivolities of life, like my neighbour deciding to renovate again.
The downside? This indifference includes my blogging tasks as well. I kinda forget to draft stories and answer comments.
So if you want to stay creative, make sure you set some time for yourself to just do nothing.
5. Not bringing in new traffic
I’ve been relying on my regulars—you, basically—since the turn of 2023. And while I’m grateful for the conversations we share, I know that you can’t always visit the blog.
The thing is, my previous commitment of commenting on 20 blogs a day still brought in fresh faces, so even if you were to drop by the blog once a year, the conversations would’ve kept going.
But now that I’ve stopped networking, I don’t get as many new visitors. Which means that engagement will eventually take a hit. And when that drops, so too will the traffic.
It’s like my ex-salon-manager always said: “People attract people.” And it’s been so long since I’ve facilitated that.
So if you’re looking to grow your blog, you need to believe in this internet woo-woo. Regular activity always beats stagnancy.
Oh, and by the way, I thought I’d just drop a kudos to Razz and Roze for finding their groove through the art of commenting and creating their own momentum.
Life is a series of ups and downs
I guess the most important message I want to leave you with today is that you’re never one thing.
And even if you are, nothing ever lasts.
So as you watch the seasons of your life change, know that there’ll never be a constant in life.
I could one day lose all momentum and end up with a defunct blog. Or I could come back even stronger and lead this blog to the goat-sacrificing greatness it was meant for.
Either way, nothing stays the same. And that’s the only constant we have in life.
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Stuart Danker 
I’d love to hear your thoughts!