Whether you’re blogging about your travel business, thinking about blogging about your travel business, or have a blog for your travel business but aren’t using it (ahem!), I want to ask you a question:

Are you assuming too much?

It seems a lot of folks are making a few too many assumptions about blogging lately.  I’d like to challenge some of those assumptions, and suggest an alternative course of action for you.

Have You Ever Said….

• Our Customers Don’t Read Blogs.  Well, did you ask them?  Did you try a blog and send it to them?  What did they say?
• I don’t have time to update a blog everyday.  Who said anything about updating a blog every day?  Update it when you’ve got something to say.  Otherwise, it’s just marketing fluff, right?
• I setup a blog and nobody reads it.  Happens to everybody.  But wait, did you actually tell someone  you had started a blog?  How else would they know to read it?  You’ve got to include it in your newsletter, brochure, and your spiel when you see your customers in person.
• I don’t have anything to say. Everyone I know who works in tourism has a story.  A story about how they got into their role, a story about why they’re so passionate about their niche/destination, a story about what happened yesterday with these two tourists from….  Stop over-engineering it.  I’m a friend, over for a cup of tea.  I am thinking about your product too.  Let’s chat.

Here’s the reality of your business and a blog: if you don’t have something that keeps your site fresh, updated and interactive, you’re already behind the pack.  You don’t have to call it a blog if you don’t want to, but try including a blog into your marketing mix.  I think you’ll be surprised at the results.

To Learn More

If you need help working on those assumptions and getting started, or just some advice on what you’ve already got, our blog coaching package has been quite popular lately.  Assumption Busting in 2011 or Bust!

Photo Credit: TheTruthAbout

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Have you ever dealt with the dreaded blogger’s dip?  It happens to all of us, at one point or another.  It’s happened to me on every blog I’ve ever written for, and I’ve seen it happen to other bloggers time and time again.

If your blog feels a bit "WTF" (like this photo), you're in a blogger's dip.

What is The Dip

I’d like to preface this conversation by saying that I mean no foul or harm to any bloggers out there.  The reason I say this is a very good friend and business collaborator started a blog early in the year, and after wishing her luck, I gave her some advice:  You’re burning red hot right now; remember, it’s a marathon not a sprint.  And no matter what – you’ll hit the dip.  You won’t see it coming.  Just relax, and take it in stride.

My friend was quite offended (to say the least) and I was only trying to help.  But I feel the need to point out this unusual phenomenon because I see it happen over, and over, and over.  The process usually goes something like that:

• New blog starts  - whoohoo, new chiny blog (cue streamers and bunting)
• Blog gathers steam
• Blogger starts to realise the pressure of maintaining a blog (cue sweat-drenched brow)
• Blogger hits THE DIP — blog content starts to suffer, and said blogger suffers emotionally because of it

The result is only one of two things: either the blogger comes out the otherside more appreciative of the work involved in making their blog work, or they don’t make it.  Their blog becomes one of the hundred thousands millions (billions?) of abandoned blogs out there.  The only thing worse than no blog at all is an abandoned blog.  What would you rather have next to your home: a vacant lot, or a house with broken windows on the verge of collapse?

How To Deal With The Dip

Here’s my less-than-twelve-steps way to deal with blogger’s dip.

1. Acknowledge that a blog is a marathon, not a sprint.  In fact, it is a marathon with no finish line.  If you can’t stomach that though, don’t start running.
2. Acknowledge the dip will occur.  You will loose focus.  You will question why the hell you have blog in the first place.  You will have days when nobody reads, nobody comments, nobody cares.  Deep breaths.
3. Remind yourself the benefit your blog is giving you.  Why do you have it?  Is it an SEO tool?  Is it to provide some interactiveness to your website?  Write this down on a piece of paper and put it up next to your desk.
4. Fix whatever problems you have. The dip often happens because you’ve not got something quite right.  Are you struggling with slotting your post into categories because the categories are wrong?  Fiddling with tags and have no idea what you’re doing?  Was the whole point of this to do SEO and yet you aren’t even researching and using keywords in the posts.  Ok, so how do we fix those problems?
5. Turn down the dial if need be.  If you were blogging three times a week, take it back to two while you reorientate and adjust.  Do NOT feel the need to apologise to your readers.  Mostly, they won’t notice.
6. Stretch, limber, loosen, relax – refind your voice.  This is another common problem that leads to the dip: trying to pigeonhold your square-shaped blog posts into round hole.  The best blogs have a clear voice – the voice of a person (or people) – so maybe you need to re-find yours.
7. Get some feedback.  Once you are slowly reorientating yourself, get some feedback from customers or other small businesses (maybe one who blogs and who who doesn’t?).  How was your stuff previously?  How is that new plan shaping up?
8. Now, get going.  Just like in a marathon, if you stop for too long, lactic acid (and inertia) will take over and you’ll never get going again.  Same here:  baby steps, nudge yourself forward.

The dip can happen anytime, and it can happen more than once.  I like to say that it’s the universe’s way of challenging a blogger to make sure their blog is awesome, and to kindly point out when the powers-that-be think you aren’t doing something quite right.

To Learn More

We have two great resources that are key tools for any successful blog, useful before, during, and after the dip.  Check ‘em out, use ‘em – and watch your blogging effectiveness soar:

• Do It Yourself Search Engine Optimization – arguably the biggest weapon a blog provides your small business
• Guide to Google Analytics – if you aren’t measuring how your blog is performing, how can you improve your performance?

We also have a blog coaching programme if you’re feeling really off track and could use a hand. We’re here to help!

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Summer is just around the corner (or, well, winter for our antipodean friends!), so is it time to start thinking about some spring cleaning on that blog of yours?  We say yes – just in time for our limited-offer Big Spring Blog Clean!

We’ve Got Just the Thing

If you need some help or guidance to help get your blog and website in tip top shape, we’ve got some resources that can help.  And during the Big Spring Blog Clean, you can get one of our two essential guides for bloggers at a big discount!  Here’s some info about the guides – feel free to click through for more information, but be sure to come back here and scroll down to the bottom for your special discount!

Big Blog Spring Clean Bonus

We’re offering up these guides at a big spring discount.  But, if you want both guides, we’ll include for free copy of our special checklist, Top 10 Blogger Website Mistakes.  Are still mistakes keeping your blog from being more effective?

Free with the purchase both the DIY SEO and the Google Analytics guide!

What’s The Catch?

Our big spring blog clean has a catch – there’s no free lunch, right?  Here’s the rules:

• You actually have to do some cleaning.  You don’t have to do everything, but don’t buy these books if they’re just going to sit on your hard drive.
• You have to tell a friend what you did. Tell your readers about the improvements, or tell a fellow blogger.  Or if you’re embarrassed, then tell us – we promise not to judge.  And heck, if you liked the books, why not recommend a fellow blogger or small business owner to pick up their own copy?  There are so many ways to share:
  • Write a blog post
  • Share a message on your Facebook Fan Page
  • Tweet a link to the guides
  • Wear a sandwich board in your local city centre (do people still do this?)

Not too hard, right?

Ok, I’m In!

Because of the big discounts we’re offering, this offer is limited until Friday May 28th at Midnight EST.  I have no idea what time that be in your time zone, so if you’re in, you best pick up your guides right now.  Just click through to the payment option of your choice:

This offer has expired.

Since this is a limited time offer, we’ll be processing your order manually – so we’ll send you an email with links to the guides once we’ve confirmed your purchased. Yes, we’re crazy for wanting to sift through all that email, but we think every blog could use a good spring clean now and then. Don’t you?

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If you stop to think about it, having a blog is kind of like being married.  If you’re not married (disclosure: I’m not), you can ask your married friends or just watch any number of the dating and relationship orientated programs on television to find out what it’s like.  So, what exactly are the similarities?

• It might be fun, but it’s also a lot of hard work.  A blog requires regular care and attention.  Leave it lifeless for a long period of time, and it might not recognise you when you come back.
• If you say something you regret, it’s hard to take it back.  You might say something that didn’t mean or you might be misunderstood.  You can recover, but it will take awhile.
• It’s a long haul thing. In other words, its a marathon, not a sprint.
• You have to give it everything you’ve got, but make sure you don’t overextend yourself.  You are important too, and so you need to give it 100% but keep it balanced.  So, if you need some time for yourself, take it.
• Sometimes you will lose your sense of purpose.  You’ll question why you’re doing it in the first place.  That’s to be expected.  Know it’s coming and be prepared to deal with those feelings fairly and rationally.
• There will be good times and bad.  Sometimes, you won’t know what to say.  Sometimes your emotions will get in the way.  It’s all part of the ebb and flow.

To Learn More

If you need marriage counseling blog coaching, we can help.  Click here to find out about our popular blog coaching package.

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One of the most common requests I get is: Can I have a blog, please?. Every time I see it I smile. Don’t get me wrong, I love blogs and think they have a lot of uses. But I also think a lot of people have a blog for the sake of having one. Are you blogging with a strategy?

If your blog was a highway or motorway, where would it be headed?

Pros and Cons of a Blog

A blog is a blessing and a curse I think.  It sets some expectations of both you and your readers (i.e. customers) that you must fulfill.  Here’s some pros and cons for you to consider.

What’s your Strategy?

Consider the following thoughts in deciding whether or not you should have a blog, and if you do, if you’re writing a blog to produce results.

• Who is the perfect customer for this material. Are you writing for somebody or everybody? Hate to tell you, but everybody isn’t interested. But somebody special might be.
• How often will you update? Decide and stick to it. Mark your calendar or diary if you have to.
• What topics will you cover? (In most blogging software, these are called categories). Stick to them whenever possible.
• Who will be doing the writing? Do you have time to do it, will your tour guides or staff (if you have them) pick this up, or will you pay a writer to help?
• What are the goals of the blog: to attract attention, to generate discussion, or to promote and sell? I hope it’s a combination of all three.
• It’s not all about you: invite others in for perspective with interviews and guest articles.

Having a blog, just like an other social media or community campaign, is a commitment. Small businesses seem to realise this for other outlets like launching a forum, but the commitment is lost on the idea of a blog.

The Lesson Learned:  Start a blog for a reason.  For the right reasons.   Consider those reasons every time you write an article or post.

Learn More

If you want to take advantage of all the good things about a blog while avoiding many of the pitfalls, have a look at our Make Your Blog More Popular one-on-one coaching package. Whether you have a blog that needs a fresh perspective or want to get your new blog off on the right foot, this package will help your blog support your business goals.

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