We all have sick days. Getting sick is just a part of life. However as a blogger you know that you can’t just abandon your blog until you feel better. You have to keep your blog updated or you will lose all those readers that you have worked so hard and long to get. Blogging when you are sick is easier said than done. Often times you feel so bad that even the thought of writing a post makes you swoon. That is why I have come up with some easy ways to keep your blog updated with the minimum amount of effort. These tips are not for everyday use, but they can help you out in a pinch:
1. Have a backup – The first thing I always encourage bloggers to do is to have a backup. This backup is some post that you write when you are feeling on top of your game. You know, those days where you can crank out posts as fast as your fingers can fly. These back up posts should be evergreen content. That means they should cover general topics that will not change over time. You should also work on recycling these posts with fresher ones as time goes on. That way when you do not feel up to writing you have something on hand you can post. Having an emergency backup is always a smart idea.
2. Use guest posts – If you do not have a backup blog post ready to go then you can do something else. A guest post is an opportunity for your fellow bloggers to share their thoughts and feeling with your readers. Guest posts are typically free because each of you is getting something out of it. You as the host blogger get free content that you did not have to write. The guest poster gets a link to their site and access to your readers. You both win. This is a great way to get content if you already have friends in the blogging word that you feel comfortable asking for help. Believe it or not, bloggers are typically a friendly group that is willing to lend a hand when you are feeling under the weather.
3. Use multimedia – If you do not have connections in the blogging world or do not wish to use guest posts than another option is to create a multimedia blog post. This can mean anything from images to slideshows to videos and infographics. You can create your own work, or if you are feeling too bad for that you can import work from another source. Just make sure you are clear that it is not your creation. It is a good idea to include some background with the multimedia such as why it made an impact on you and why readers should invest their time looking at it. If you feel up to talking but not writing then making your own video might be a great way to get a blog post up. Most laptops nowadays have built in microphones and web cameras so that you can record yourself and upload it easily.
4. Keep it short –When you are feeling sick the last thing you want to do is write a novel or essay. Instead keep you blog posts short. Around five hundred words is the typical length of a standard post. This is large enough to be informative and for the search engines to like without being too big for you to write and too long for readers to be interested in. Writing short blog posts helps you to keep your blog updated with a minimum amount of effort but still keep the traffic you have worked hard for.
5. Make a list –List posts are great for many reasons. For one they are easy to write, especially when you are sick. A list post is a great sick writing project because once you have the points laid out you can take frequent breaks and still make a post that works together as a whole. List posts are naturally choppy and having that list in front of you helps you to stay on topic through the whole post. List posts are also popular with readers and search engines. One of the most common search terms in nearly every niche is “Top Ten” or “Ten Best”. Readers love list posts because the number gives them some indication of how long the post will be before theystart reading it and also because they can scan down a list and read only the points that matter to them.
6. Link over –If you are really not up to writing anything you can always use someone else’s work. I do not advocate plagiarism, but you can ask a blogger if you can link a portion of their blog post on your site. This gives you content and them exposure so most bloggers will go for it. You can even introduce the link with a little blurb telling your readers why it matters.
7. Reuse an old post –Another avenue you can go down is to reuse one of your old posts. As long as you let readers know that you are reposting it, this is an acceptable practice and helps give new importance to a well written piece that has been forgotten over time. You can even add a sentence or two about why you feel it is important to reread at this juncture. You can even add a sentence or two about why you feel it is important to reread at this juncture. Also, you can employ tools like Word Maker to play around with words until you get fresh terms to add to your content. Let’s say you published the blog a few years ago. Chances are that your writing skills are better today than it was then. Reusing an old post can be a terrific way to showcase your present creative writing abilities by making the post more descriptive, captivating, and engaging.
8. Share your difficulties –Blog readers are human too. They get sick and have bad days. If you share your troubles with them they are often sympathetic and can offer you help in new ways. If you are not comfortable sharing details then a simple post explaining that you are sick and plan to be back in x amount of days can go a long way towards keeping your readers informed and making sure they know that you did not abandon your blog.
9. Just write –I have found that when I am not feeling well the hardest step is often the first one. Sometimes I just have to force myself to write and it does not turn out as bad as I thought it would. I know you do not feel like you are doing your best work when you are sick but by just writing you are producing something and that is a good thing. Just start writing and see what you can accomplish.
10. Edit later –Last but not least, do not worry about editing as you go along. Many times when I am under the weather my spelling and grammar get to be a mess. Everything is underlines and words come out garbles. This is okay. The point is to get your thoughts down on paper without interruption. You can come back when you are finished and edit out the bloopers. If you stop to edit every mistake then you will lose track of what you were saying and never get anything accomplished. I know it seems to be a waste of time to edit after, but I tell you it has saved me much more time than you would think.
There are many more ways that you can be a productive blogger even when you are not feeling well. Do not let illness get your blog off track. Try one or more of these tips to keep your blog updated and ready for you to come back to when you are well again.
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