How to Train for the Blogging Marathon

Posted June 22, 2009 | Laura Christianson

Part 1 of 4

Blogging is not a sprint; it’s a marathon.stopwatch-256328_8783

Problem is, most people mentally approach blogging as if it’s a sprint. They view a blog as a temporary outlet to spout their opinions on a topic. After a few days, they run out of intriguing things to say. So they stop blogging, promising themselves (and their readers) that they’ll be back.

But the vast majority never comes back. In fact, 97 percent of all blogs are abandoned after the first post.

If you’re serious about starting a blog, you need to possess the marathon mentality. You’ve gotta be willing to set reasonable, attainable goals and to train with temerity.

That means clarifying why you want to blog, who your target audience is, and what you plan to accomplish.

That means saying “no” to other things so you can make room for blogging in your daily schedule.

Before you slip on your running shoes, analyze your calendar for a week. List what you do during your leisure time.

  • Do you watch TV?
  • Go out for coffee?
  • Read?
  • Sprawl on the couch and munch chips?
  • How much time per day do you spend doing these activities (or non-activities)?

Are you willing to substitute blogging for other leisure-time activities?

If your leisure time is limited (and whose isn’t?), you’ll want to develop a strategic blogging plan. During this series of four articles, you’ll learn how to develop that plan.

Are you with me?

OK… here goes.

Step 1:

  • List your blogging goals for the coming year.

Yes, I said year. If you’re serious about starting a blog, you should experiment with it for a year, because building your brand through blogging takes time.

Here’s a starter homework assignment. List:

  • topics you want to cover
  • the number of page views you hope to achieve
  • the amount of money you plan to earn (if you are selling products or services via your blog)
  • the type of media exposure you hope to garner

Next, we’ll talk more about setting blogging goals.

Related post:

Return to Posts

4 responses to “How to Train for the Blogging Marathon”

  1. […] of the best ways to run the blogging marathon (see Part 1 of this series), is to adhere to a training schedule. Call it what you want: editorial calendar, blogging […]

  2. […] of the best ways to run the blogging marathon (see Part 1 of this series), is to adhere to a training schedule. Call it what you want: editorial calendar, blogging […]

  3. […] ← How to Train for the Blogging Marathon How to Deal With Blogger’s Burnout […]

  4. […] ← How to Train for the Blogging Marathon How to Deal With Blogger’s Burnout […]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *