I am a serial blogger. I have multiple blogs based on my varied interests. And I often speak and write about this topic as well. In this guest post, Jennifer Brown Banks (@PENPROSPER1) provides her take on handling multiple blog sites without going crazy.
If you’re like most writers, you have various talents, passions, and leanings. Creativity in one area tends to flow over into different areas—and can lead to multiple writing projects, including blogs.
Perhaps, in addition to writing, you enjoy gardening, photography, jewelry making, or arts and crafts. Often these “multiple loves” lead to launching separate blogs as avenues of expression, exploration, and sharing.
Why Start More Than One Blog
Some might tell you not to start multiple blogs while others claim it’s a good idea.
Here are a few advantages to having multiple blogs:
- Multiple blogs provide you with the opportunity to target different readerships and cultivate various groups of followers, thereby increasing your overall fan base.
- Multiple blogs provide you with the ability to show different sides of your personality and expand your expertise areas.
- Multiple blogs provide you with the potential to create multiple income streams.
Quality Trumps Quantity
On the other hand, there is one large disadvantage to having multiple blogs. Keeping up with one blog is tough enough; juggling several sites can be an invitation for insanity, especially if this endeavor is not approached properly and strategically. Proceed with caution. More is not always better.
With this in mind, here are six timely tips to “work smarter, not harder” as you optimize your blogging efforts and produce quality results.
6 Tips For Maintaining Multiple Blogs With Less Stress
1. Start with a plan.
What are your goals? Is it to make money? Showcase your talents? Connect with like-minded people? Increase awareness of an important social cause? Are your blogs side or passion projects or to generate profit? Your goals dictate your game plan. Assess and respond accordingly. The clearer you are about why you want these blogs, the fewer detours you’ll experience on the path to success.
2. Remember the K.I.S.S. principle.
Don’t over complicate things. Although studies show that lengthy posts of 2,000 words and above receive more social media shares, shorter posts still can resonate well with your audience, get your point across, and keep you from feeling overwhelmed and frazzled. Check your Google Analytics for important clues for identifying and replicating the results for your most popular posts.
3. Vary the frequency.
I currently maintain and manage four personal sites. Because I have various goals, I update them on different schedules. For instance, my most popular (award-winning) blog on writing is updated about twice a week; the others are updated once a month or whenever new announcements develop. You might do the same—particularly for blogs that are not income generating. Ultimately, let the needs of your target audience and the nature of the information you share serve as your guide.
4. Consider a paradigm shift.
Did you know that a blog post can consist of a shared recipe? Or a video? Or links to other sites? Or a prompt with an image? Or motivational quotes? Tap into the array of content formats and modes available for different niches and needs. 62 Blog Posts to Overcome Blogger’s Block by Marcie Hill is an excellent resource. You also might find this post helpful, “How to Write a Blog Post Even When You Have Bloggers Block.”
5. Accept guest bloggers on your sites.
Guest bloggers can help you “manage the madness,” broaden your fan base and enhance your site by providing variety and expanded expertise. To attract and recruit quality bloggers, simply place a tab on your site that reads: “Write for us” along with writer’s guidelines and preferences.
6. Periodically use content from article directories.
These are legitimate and legal to reprint as long as you don’t alter the information or steal credit for someone else’s work. Click on this link to see an example of such a site I have used once or twice before without consequence.
Maintaining multiple blogs can be a burden or a blessing depending on how well you manage your time and resources. Follow these principles and practices to maintain your sanity and your sites.
Do you have multiple blogs? How do you manage the sites and your sanity?
About the Author
Jennifer Brown Banks is a veteran freelance writer, relationship columnist, ghost writer, award-winning blogger and author. Her work has appeared in various online and print publications including:.ProBlogger, Men With Pens, Write to Done, Tiny Buddha, Women on Writing and the Well-Fed Writer E-zine.
Banks is the managing editor of Coffeehouseforwriters.com, where she also teaches creative writing classes. When she’s not at the keyboard, she loves cooking, reading, “Jeopardy,” music, and shopping.
Find out more about Jennifer here: Penandprosper.blogspot.com/
Photo courtesy of moise_theodor / Pixabay.com
Appreciate this advice, Jennifer. I’ve considered starting another blog on another topic, but haven’t taken the time to consider all it would involve. This is a help in that process.
Glad you found this useful, Karen. Thanks for your time and input here.
I appreciate you sharing my book in your article, Jennifer. I manage multiple sites with different topics. This was necessary because of the topics and purposes or each one.
You’re welcome, Marcie. It’s a valuable resource.