Thursday, October 16, 2014

8 Ways to Keep Your Blog Content Fresh

I have written before about struggling to find time for blogging. That, however, is only part of the story. I have also been dealing with a bit of the good ol' writer's block. When I do have time to write, I struggle to find a topic that gets my wheels turning. Why? Well, there are a couple reasons.

First, I define myself as primarily a mommy blogger, but do you know how many mommy blogs there are on the internet these days? It was hard to find definitive numbers, but some resources estimate that there are as many as 4 million mommy bloggers. When you add in the smaller but still formidable number of dad bloggers and the other parenting websites, the figures are staggering. What does this have to do with writer's block? The thing is that most parents are dealing with the same issues. Potty training, teething, temper tantrums, sibling rivalry, and the list goes on and on. If it's an issue parents are facing, I guarantee I can probably find at least two 200 2,000 blog posts that have already been written about it. I mean, do you really need or want to read another blog post about picky eaters or breastfeeding vs. bottle feeding? Probably not, UNLESS, the post I write about it is somehow unique and engages you in a way that the other 2 million posts on the same topic didn't.

The second issue for me, personally, is that my children are getting older. I'm not shipping them off to college just yet, but we are well past the days of diapers and figuring out how to survive after kids give up their naps. I've been there, done that and say a giant "THANK GOODNESS!" that it's over. However, I'm a little short on blog material now. My three girls spend their days at school and their evenings doing homework. Sure we have "issues" like the busy schedules, sibling rivalry, picky eating, and lack of cleaning - all of which I have written about multiple times already. There is also an issue of privacy for my kids. I know my girls would rather I not reveal it, but I could spin you some serious yarn about puberty and tween girl hormones and having "the talk." I choose not to put that out here, though, because my girls deserve a little privacy and respect. I know that my small group of loyal readers includes friends, family members, and fellow church members. For all I know, their teachers and friends could be reading these words, too. I would never want to cause my daughters anguish or embarrassment by sharing personal things when I know they would not be comfortable with it.

So, what's a mom blogger to do? Well, this mom blogger heads to the computer to do some research so she, the blogger who is struggling to keep her blog content fresh, can share with you 8 tips for keeping your blog content fresh. (Some people might call that ironic. I call it being resourceful and turning lemons into lemonade!)


  1. Keep up with current events. Are there current events the evoke strong feelings for you? Do you have a strong stance regarding upcoming elections or leaked celebrity photos? Are you scared of the ebola "outbreak" or do you think people are overreacting? What are the topics that are weighing most heavily on the minds of your readers right now? Pick one and write about it.
  2. Join some blog linkups! There are many linkups out there that give you a topic to get you started. Then, you can take it from there. My favorites are Finish the Sentence FridayTuesday Ten, and The One Word Linkup.  There is also Five Minute Friday and Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop just to name a few.
  3. Institute some themes. Posting about the same theme on a regular basis might seem counterintuitive to keeping content "fresh," but it keeps you posting and keeps you thinking about new ways to approach the topic. Check out my list of ideas!
  4. Invite someone to guest post. You may be all out of ideas, but maybe some of your blogging buddies aren't! Ask them to guest post on your blog. Not only does it give you a break, but it might bring both of you some new readers.
  5. Re-visit previous posts. Once, I wrote a post about my youngest daughter's attachment to her blankie. I promised readers an update at the end of the summer and I never gave them one. (Well, not until three years later when I shared about in in a guest post on Raising Humans.) Maybe you have done something similar? Maybe you have a new perspective on an old topic? Maybe you just have a post or two from way back when you first started blogging that didn't get many views. Now might be a great time to rewrite it or change it up a bit and make it new again.
  6. Know your readers and ask them questions. When you are really stumped, why not utilize social media and ask your readers what THEY want to read? They might have some questions or topics in mind that you never thought of. You could also try an Ask Away Friday post!
  7. Find your voice. This seems to be the greatest commandment of blogging, but it can be hard to do. It's important, though, because it allows you to take a topic that has been done to death and do it again - in YOUR voice. Can you say it differently with humor or by adding your own experiences? It may be a topic that has been written about a million times (i.e. potty training), but if you haven't written about it yet, think about how you can make it new by inserting your own point of view and your own style.
  8. Take a Break. Sometimes, this one is our last resort, but it shouldn't be. As bloggers, we like to think that the blogosphere would self implode if we didn't post anything for an entire week or (gasp!) even longer. The truth is, it won't.  When your body is tired, you rest it. When your mind is tired, you should rest it, too. If you are struggling with writing (or with life), there is absolutely nothing wrong with taking a step back, a little vacation, from it. You might find that it's just what you need to refresh, refocus, and come back better than ever!
What do you do when you are in a writing rut? Do you have any tips to add to the list?

37 comments:

Janine Huldie said...

I literally just wrote about this very topic on SITS Girls last week and definitely agree with you, especially on taking a break, because sometimes we just need to do this just to refuel and recharge.

Michelle Grewe said...

I have not run out of topic ideas yet because I'm trying to turn my blog into more of a magazine style where I talk about other things like fashion, beauty, economics, politics, crafts, and everything a mom does, but from the perspective of a mom. Sure there's a lot of articles about fashion, but most of them are contrived of shirts that you can't pick up stuff from the floor in, shoes you can't chase your kids in, and pants that would probably tear as you try to buckle a kid in the carseat or remove a kid stuck from behind the sofa. In addition, i have a second blog where I write about blogging, as I learn blogging, because the numbers you show of bloggers told me a long time ago that mom bloggers is a market in of itself. Lastly, there's creative writing. Fiction. I see myself slowly veering away from the essay non-fiction and diving into fiction in later years. I've already seen a lot of mom bloggers blogging short stories that are completely fictional, or a series of fiction they could probably later turn into a novel. There's even a lot of poetry online too, and I totally recommend writing an occasional poem because nothing makes you pay attention more to the words you use, your nouns and your verbs, and choosing just the right words, than poetry. It really is a good exercise to improve on your overall writing.

Kelly Mckenzie said...

I love your list! And the clever way you handled this topic (I'm the one who came up with it - sorry!) I too struggle with issues of privacy for my kids and as I mentioned before on Kristi's post I now only post photos of my two (19 and 20) from behind and no longer mention their names. I also can't think about the zillions of other mommy and daddy bloggers out there or I get seriously overwhelmed and my brain goes dry. When that happens I just refocus and write a post to a friend. That helps a lot. I just imagine that she is reading it. Only her. Works for me most of the time. I hope it continues to!

Kenya G. Johnson said...

I struggle now with what stories to share - tonight's was a nail biter - I definitely won't post any further conversations on that matter because they'll be much more mature and serious. So I definitely understand your discretion. As for the tips those are great. I personally try to stay away from current events. For me reading blogs is a way to "get away" from media and I'm not crazy about those types of blogs. I've also found that the current events comment community isn't very nice.

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Oh, I missed that one! I'll have to go read it!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

I have not gotten in to fiction writing at all - just not my thing I suppose. I still struggle wight he focus of my blog because it has changed a lot since I started. Back then, it was meant to be a memory book for my three daughters - nothing more. As it has evolved, it has also become something I do for my readers and for myself which has changed the focus of my posts to some degree.

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

That's a great way to look at it! I read the topic and thought "If our kids don't want us to write about it then . . . ????" Ha! Definitely made me think out side of the box and I'm sure some people will see my title and think "How in the heck does this relate?"

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

I agree, Kenya. I never write about current events myself because I can't handle the nastiness that comes with it. However, for those who can take it, it's a great way to get some new content. I loved your post and the way you made it humorous kept it lighter.

The Dose of Reality said...

Love this post Lisa! It can be really hard sometimes to think of an original idea...or to even have the time if you have an original idea to actually write it! So relate to this one!-Ashley

Stephanie Sprenger said...

These are great ideas, Lisa- I love it! On that note, you probably shouldn't read my post today... because it's totally a "puberty talk" post. ;)

My Inner Chick said...

"Find Your VOICE"))) Yeah, that's a HUGE one!!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Yes! There is so much already out there. Glad it was helpful!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Ha! I liked your post! I think to some degree it depends on the kid. There is my oldest who is willing to listen tot he information, but not willing to discuss. And then there is my middle son who - well, you'll have to read the comment I left on your post! :-)

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

That is a huge one but can be so hard to define!

MamaRabia said...

I"ve honestly thought about a break, but I haven't taken one. Maybe I really should. Regardless I keep "faking it" until the feeling goes away. I feel like I'm in a much better groove than I was a few months ago. I think my main issues is that I forget to get out there and live life!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

I agree! I was just thinking the other day that I seem to think any "free" time I actually do have should be filled with blogging stuff. "Oh, that'll be my chance to write this or read some posts." I forget that just relaxing is o.k. too.

Allie Smith said...

Great post, I love this. And I agree - the numbers are staggering! 4 million mommy bloggers?! Daunting. And I love blog hops, they've really helped me.

Kristi - Finding Ninee said...

This summer, I went an entire week without posting and you know what? It was fine. I freaked out about it a little bit but I really just didn't have the desire to make the time (which so often for me comes at midnight). Also, I like that we both thought about the privacy issue for this post. It's something I've been thinking a lot about recently.

Alison said...

Great tips, Lisa! I should probably take your advice, seeing as I'm already struggling to get one post up a week.

Anna Fitfunner said...

Hi Lisa: I understand your concerns. I try to keep my comments about my family to some very general observations, other than being honest about some of my older son's challenges. Outside of FTSF, however, I blog on a fairly narrow topic -- children's health and nutrition, with an emphasis on using gaming to help build better kids' health habits. So far (knock wood!) I haven't run out of ideas in that area. But I think that your list can be very helpful for bloggers in general!!!

Experienced Bad Mom said...

My kids are school-age, too, and I'm definitely walking that fine line between sharing about them and trying to give them privacy. Let me tell you I love your pin-worthy image! I'm taking Pinning Perfect right now and your image is spot-on for pinning! I also appreciate your suggestion to ask your readers. I hadn't thought about that. Sure I can look at stats to see what my most popular posts are, but I don't think those necessarily could be the favorites of my "regulars".

April @ 100lbcountdown said...

I can't talk directly about my family because even though they'll willingly admit that's what they do, they are heartbroken and hurt when I let other people know. I try to share about my struggles with my children because it helps with my parenting, finding solutions and making changes.

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Thanks, Allie! Blog hops are fun and have helped me to "meet" so many blog friends!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

My oldest would give me tons of blog fodder right now if I would "use" it - she is a tween hormonal swirl of moods swings and attitude. She would be mortified, though, if she know I put that all "out there" for everyone to read. If it was people that she would never ever meet, then maybe. But, I know a lot of friends and family who read my blog and I just can't/won't do that to her. It is a tricky topic, though.

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Um, you kind of have an excuse for not posting - 2 of them! No, actually 4 of them!! 😊 I think blogging is like anything else - there are times we "feel it" and times when it just doesn't flow so easily. When we are in those tough times, we have to give ourselves a little break no matter what the reason.

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Thanks, Anna! My topics have broadened the longer I have blogged partly because my audience has changed and partly because I have had to reach for more topics. Hopefully, I won't ever run out of topics completely!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Glad you like the image! I made it using Canva. I have learned that having pinnacle images is extremely important for blog traffic and canvas has some good inexpensive ones to choose from. Glad you like the post, too. As the kids gets older it seems the topics I can write about get fewer.

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

I try to focus on myself, too, and not share too much about my family.

Seana Turner said...

I just invited a guest post this week... its nice to have a break now and then, and it also brings a fresh perspective to the blog. I find that some of my greatest inspirations come when I'm NOT thinking about blogging... like when I walk. Things pop into my mind at the weirdest times:)

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

I agree! Sometimes, I get my bet ideas when I am nowhere near my keyboard!

Tamara Bowman said...

These are wonderful, Lisa. I have some old posts that people have never seen because I wasn't community blogging yet and I'd love to share them.
And current events are a big one. I remember I wrote about 9-11 once and Cassidy's aunt, who's a published writer, said it showed my range that I could write about global events as well as Scarlet and Des and the like. It's big.
And linkups help me! I used to do three HUGE posts a week. Now I do Ask Away Friday posts and it frees me up a lot.

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Thanks, Tamara! Glad you liked it!

Dana said...

Great ideas, Lisa. I feel like I don't always have something to write about either - I can't write about my kids too much because they don't want me to. I'm working on using some old content and updating it - I think I'm a better writer now than I was then, and it would be fresh to most of my readers.

Chris Carter said...

I love this so much Lisa- and I TOTALLY get it!! Your advice is perfect. Thank you for this...

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

I'm definitely a better writer now. I have really been struggling lately to find something to write about. Hopefully, I can take my own advice!

Charlene said...

Another fantastic post! Thank you! I am definitely going to take these on board! It makes me more excited about being a blogger and blogging when I come across posts like this - it inspires me to keep going!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Well, that inspires me! :-) Glad you found this one useful, too!

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