Once I got the idea for this post, I almost felt a little silly writing it. If you feel like you should switch directions with your blog, you just should, right? But I think once you get rolling, or even are just used to blogging a certain way, like anything, you might hesitate to make a change. And in a world where there’s 100 (low estimate) posts uttering the words “blog consistency” alone, it can really feel like a decision such as changing topics, dropping a part of your brand, adding something new, etc., can make or break you! But I definitely think there are times it’s necessary.
When I think back to how I would describe my blog to others long ago and how I do now, there’s a big difference. I used to say DIY blogger, for lack of a better word (it’s a lot trendier than “crafty”, I think!), but there became a point when I hadn’t done a craft tutorial or anything remotely similar in months. I then went through this process of narrowing my categories and editing my blog’s design a bit to paint a bigger picture of what my blog was about, and finally felt a lot better.
The truth is that there’s always at least one person behind a blog, and that person is always changing.
So it makes total sense you might want to switch things up. Some things that might get in your way: 1) You have a following and don’t want to disappoint/lose it, 2) You don’t have a following and fear your inconsistency is to blame, 3) What you’re into now is offbeat or less trendy than what you’ve been blogging, so it will be difficult or impossible to pique your readers’ interest, let alone gain more. The very valid list goes on! Plus, #1 is takes REAL bravery. When I read Emily Henderson’s announcement of changes on her blog, I was so sad that so many people basically told her not to change. Clearly they don’t know how blogging or biz works, and even though she asked for their opinions, I’m sure it was still disappointing to lose support. Anyways, change is a big deal, so you might not want to change your blog if you haven’t really thought it over. But more on that in a sec – back to why you might want to. Or dare I say need to?
1. You’re not enjoying yourself or you feel burned out. You either have to be very passionate about the idea of growing something (ie, blogs + social media), or the content itself (preferably both) to be successful. If you’re not liking the content you’re putting out, how can you expect others to? Burnout is also a real threat, and I don’t mean just the “can it be Friday please?” kind. I mean months of trudging through something.
2. You find that when you do write on different topics, people listen. Like I said, I had thought I was all DIY and crafts. But when I wrote a few articles on freelancing and on conscious living, I found out people were actually pretty interested in what I had to say. It turned out that I didn’t have to stick to the same ‘ol.
3. You don’t feel like networking your blog in real life. Ever since I’ve started creating content on topics that I’m really excited about, like the ones I do for The Blog Market, I’ve started to notice just how eager I am to share my work. I’m not the promote-y type, but I do feel a lot better sending people to my blog when I feel it really reflects me.
4. It’s tough to brainstorm original blog ideas. Although I get that “is anything original?” feeling, a lot of times it comes down to what resonates with YOU. For example, I’ve done a lot of freelance projects where my creative energy was spent on topics I felt I had done either too much of or just wouldn’t have picked. It made it hard to think out of the box and come up with innovative ideas. I got there, don’t get me wrong, but when I actually brainstorm on topics I’m really into? Like creativity in blogging or on my other blog, ethical shopping and handmade businesses? There’s never a shortage of ideas. Even on uninspiring days I can usually think of something.
Okay, back to NOT changing. If you’re getting restless, there are a lot of things you can do to spice up your blog/website without a complete rebrand or new editorial direction! You can take a blogging break, spend time finding a blogging community rather than just pumping out content, or spend time doing rather than writing. I always find a day out exploring a new neighborhood, a weekend trip, or just spending a day doing creative hobbies I love helps. If after all that you’re still thinking you need a major change, maybe it IS time to go for it! We support you :)
Emily says
Love this! I am new to blogging, but if I ever feel like I don’t want to share my blog with other people or I’m not excited about what I write, that’s when I’ll switch gears.
-Emily http://www.coatandcoffee.com
Ashley says
Thank you for this article, it is very helpful because I am trying to rebrand my blog right now and get it to another level, where I am currently.
Ashley says
Very informative
Caroline says
Thank you so much for this article, it’s exactly what I need right now!
I’m a DIY blogger from Germany and recently started publishing articles on blog development and branding. This new topic hit my blog statistics and I received a positive feedback I’ve never received before… Now I’m kind of desperate because I don’t know if I really should switch the complete directions.
Do you have experience or any tips related to my problem? Would be so happy about a little advice!
xx from Berlin
Caroline
Angela says
It’s very tough because those blog development type posts are very in right now, since who doesn’t want to learn about growing their blog? But it’s easy to want to switch just because something is working well, I think you have to find a good balance of what works for readers and what works for you! Good luck :)
Andrea Othela says
Really enjoyed this post! When making my blog posts, I am noticing that I would like to branch out more in the interior design and fashion aspect of things! Really looking forward to learning different things and seeing how it goes with my blog. Thank you for the info!
Angela says
That sounds right up my alley!
sofie says
your blog really inspires me.
I really afraid about loosing a reader…this post make me feel better now.
^_^