Business Blog Longevity: 5 Sweet Ways of Blogging Well & Forever

If it’s so easy to set up a blog and start writing, what’s it about blogging that makes it so hard for businesses and individuals to “continue” with the blogging streak?

Why do some blogs die with a few posts on them? What differentiates popular blogs from mediocre ones, and then the dead ones?

It’s called longevity — the insane act of writing and posting every single day. Blogging well, and forever, isn’t for everyone. Yet, it’s one of the only reasons behind blogging success. History proves it. There are countless stories to testify.

Here’s how you can blog well, and for long-term:

Find your passion. Don’t start without it.

I dare you to go against the popular advice: don’t blog on a niche just because it’s popular.

Get into the whole act of blogging only if you are passionate about it. That’s the only way you can stay at it for long. Daniel H. Pink wrote a whole book — Drive — just to make a single point and bust the myth of “external reward.”

Consider this adage from the traditional science of organizational management:

“We’ll reward you for your work. You’ll get paid more if you work harder.”

Daniel argues that this model is flawed. Most of the business world believes that external rewards such as money, recognition, and other perks can motivate people.

He insists that there’s another cause for motivation: intrinsic — people just work if their heart is in it. If they love their work, they’ll do it for “no reward.” That explains the rise and triumph of the open source phenomenon, doesn’t it?

While I won’t suggest that you work forever without getting paid for your efforts, I do suggest that you start with that mindset.

Blogging and intent: Find a match

If you blog purely for money, I’m afraid you won’t make it. Instead, you’ll need to find your intent. What exactly do you intend to achieve with your blogging efforts? For practical purposes, the answer should be: to provide value.

Once you focus on providing value to your readers, money is automatic. The longevity comes in automatically. Your brain functions clearly. You become distraction-free. You can employ all those productivity hacks, and none of them would work without this basic framework.

If you have to blog, do it for a cause. The cause is never money or business results. It might sound counter-intuitive, but it’s a proven fact.

Plan ahead

Yeah, planning is boring. Planning is like taking the fun out of uncertainty that some of us thrive on.

However, the truth is, there are instances and times when spontaneity works. Most other times, we need to plan.

In fact, the act of doing nothing also requires years of planning. You may ask anyone who chooses to “do nothing” after years of hard work to reign in a residual stream of income, for instance.

To blog continuously, you can’t depend on your creative juices to flow everyday. That’s why you should open up that Google Doc, create that project, or make that to-do on Wunderlist, or whatever else you might use, and then go on a manic brainstorming mode. Do it on days when you are at your creative best. Do it when you are commuting. Do it whenever.

Once you have your ideas in place, writing is a much easier task than it is when you have to think up blog post ideas on the fly.

Curate content that’s been successful elsewhere

Don’t be boxed into thinking that the only kind of content that works has to be based on your original idea. There aren’t many original ideas in the world anyway.

Everyone copies. They just call it “inspiration.”

I’m not suggesting you copy huge swathes of copy others have written. Nor am I suggesting you rewrite or rehash content already available elsewhere.

Content curation is the creative — but easy — way to produce more content. Pick up the best advice from multiple sources, give the matter your own twist, and deliver the post in your own voice.

Not just whole blog posts or infographics, but even smaller pieces of user-generated content, such as reviews, ratings, comments and answers can prove to be vital weapons in your content curation arsenal.

You can find such information in the unlikeliest of places! For instance, if you run a nightlife blog for the city you live in. Head over to Yelp Nightlife, find reviews about pubs, clubs and music venues in your city, and compile them into a single post. Or, let’s assume you blog on web servers, hosting, site development, or other relevant niches; you could try fishing information from the reviews on Who Is Hosting This before you provide an expert opinion on which hosting provider gives you the best reliability or value for money.

Your style and personality should come through, of course.

If you blog about social media, pick up as much information as you can from popular sites such as Social Media Examiner, Mashable, and Social Media Today to create your own masterpiece. If you’re unsure how to go about it, refer to Gianluca Fiorelli’s superb social media curation guide on that exceptional digital marketing community Moz.

Curate content. It’s just as good as writing your own. It’s easier and it’s effective.

Inspiration is your fuel

Like engines run on gasoline, bloggers run on passion.

Their motivation comes from a hundred different sources but eventually the fuel can run out. Gaining inspiration is a good way to keep you going.

Follow other popular bloggers. Look at what novelists, authors, and magazine writers do. Follow the lives of great people, for all of whom passion, commitment, and dedication to the cause is a common thread.

One story, a spark of inspiration, a line of tough writing, a moving piece about a fellow blogger’s journey is all it takes to get you back to creating your posts and marketing your blog with a new level of intensity!

James Altucher writes about 7000 words every single day. Novelists like Stephen King are known to produce about 10,000 words every day. Chris Brogan has blogged and built online communities with sustained effectiveness for over 13 years. Rand Fishkin of Moz took his blog from “just another SEO blog” to an unbeatable marketing machine.

If they can sit up late nights, blog like maniacs, promote like true hustlers, and live to tell their tale, why can’t you?

How do you find your present process of blogging? Is it a chore or is it pleasure? Are you consistent or do you drop like a flake every time you have to sit down and write? I’d love to hear your stories in the comments, please.