The anatomy of a blog. What happens when it runs out of steam?

WELL, in my case...step forward a new editor. And Becky's based in the US. Her first post has brought a lump to my throat, and almost a tear to my eye. (Er, I should point out that this is because she has written so movingly, not because I am so attached to my blog!)

As this blog was the result of a genuine passion, I was bowled over. The blog had been pretty much ignored since January.

So, now we have a job on our hands. We are making a go of it, attracting readers back, having reached the heady heights of thousands of readers, only for them to fall away, due to said neglect.

I thought a rundown of where we are may be helpful to anyone who is considering starting a blog as part of their writing career. I'd say it was a pretty typical experience.

I'd also welcome any advice as to how you think we should progress.

History

YGYHF was set up in September 2006 and an introductory post explained that its aim was to make more information, specifically that written by me already for various publications, available on the internet so that multiple birth parents and carers could access it.

Some thought was given to promoting the blog but as I am the director of a growing company (features and PR agency) most time spent on the blog was naturally spent on writing.

But I still wanted people to know about it and at that time had been working as a blogger for a number of sites, learning more about blogging techniques, so began to attempt to build up a readership. But efforts to do this were still obviously hampered by time.

I had all sorts of ideas of what could work. I particularly enjoyed posting YouTube videos and quite serious features on ‘major’ topics such as childcare, depression and fertility treatment etc. I wanted to create content that would draw readers in and get them talking – starting debates and (ambitiously!) wanted readers to feel part of a community.

As time went on, I continued to post regularly and sourced daily news stories and features about multiple births. While content did include some stories from the US and the rest of the world, YGYHF definitely retained a UK focus.

The journalist and blogger, Craig McGinty, set up the Typepad template and helped on the technical side, designing the ‘header’ and setting up the URL. But his role was much more than this and he became a friend. He also helped me with my book.

Number of posts

I always aimed for between one and five posts a day, on week days only. These were between 100 and 300 words, but sometimes longer. They included links to work published elsewhere.

Categories

I aimed to have categories encompassing twins and higher multiples as well as babies and older children. I think that these may have become too unwieldy now and would like to find a simpler way of doing it.

Content/tone of posts

I have always wanted the blog to be more about news and features which report on or reflect other people’s experiences rather than mine. But I did have a “my own experience” category and got such lovely comments when I wrote about me or my family that it seemed daft not to continue, but I had in mind that there should never be any more than one post a week about me or my family and I would say that I stuck to this pretty well.

I really wanted the blog to become a news service for stories about twins, triplets and more, and a place for features and analysis specifically connected with twins or more that can’t be found in many other places.

I was also delighted when other people asked if they could contribute and have had a handful of guest bloggers.

But

I have posted about stuff that has nothing to do with multiple births and I have posted about parenting stuff that would be relevant to all parents rather than just those of multiple birth children. I consider this a weakness of the blog - but a hard habit to break!

The required pace and quantity of posts wasn’t reached or was only reached intermittently, due to work and family pressures.

Pictures

I include:

• Pictures of my family
• Pictures I have commissioned through work
• Pictures from other families who have granted permission to use them
• PR images from products/shows etc
• Pictures from ‘stock’ picture sites.

As a professional journalist/agency director, I can’t use the work of photographers who would reasonably expect a credit/payment without their permission. This is an ethical position that I can’t shift from and I am a member of the trade union for UK journalists. On a more pragmatic level, it’s also a wise move as more cases are emerging where photographers are searching for their images online and requesting payment. (Similarly, if the blog started to make money, then contributors would be first in line for payment.)

Feedback about the blog

I was bowled over by the positive feedback I got and the kind words from people who got in touch - from all over the world. Yay, get me! I loved it when people commented or took the time to email me or link from their own sites, especially to personal stories. At one time YGYHF did reach the heady heights of the top 100,000 technorati blogs – hovering around the 98,000 mark! But it soon slipped out of course!

Publicity about the blog

I contacted or was contacted by various UK news media when they were writing about twins and appeared on regional TV and radio, after researchers tracked me down via the blog. A post on how children’s presence in hotels and restaurants can unleash such hostility from some adults was featured on the Alpha Mummy Blog (from The Times)

Income from the blog

I joined a scheme called Tradedoubler where you can request to carry banner ads from certain charities and organisations. I removed it as it didn’t bring in any money and was advised it was a waste of time. I signed up for Google Ads and Craig McGinty helped me set them up. Any payment went ‘on hold’ for some reason I can’t remember and this needs to be sorted out as a priority. I also signed up for Amazon Associates and have included a (very basic) bookshop.

This is all very disappointing so far and there is huge potential for the blog to be monetised properly. As an experienced newspaper editor and company owner, I remain convinced there are opportunities for paid advertising, but that the key to making that happen is to get the content back on track to build the readership back up, then contact potential advertisers telling them about opportunities.

But

I have been able to make money from the blog.

I have been authorised to sell stories to newspapers and magazines from mothers of multiple birth families who have contacted me, either directly through the blog, or who have had more trust in me as a journalist through seeing what I have written on the blog. Their stories have been commissioned by editors for so-called ‘real life’ slots in newspapers/magazines and this highly competitive area of UK journalism pays very high.

The blog has also helped me gain other commissions from the UK media, and I have used this experience to write about ‘How to get stories through a blog’ in the trade title The Press Gazette – which kindly featured a screen grab of YGYHF. I also wrote a piece connected with twins on the Guardian’s arts blog – and this was much easier to pitch thanks to my blogging experience.

My research for stories was also helped by sourcing case studies through the blog and in some respects, it became a place where 'old pitches came to die' as I could write about themes which had been deemed too specialist or unsuitable for the mainstream media.

Readership

In 2007, the number of returning visitors hit more than 5,000. Since January 2008, this number has gone into ‘freefall’ as it has been pretty much neglected.

Members of forums at www.twinlets.co.uk, www.twinsclub.co.uk and www.tamba.org.uk have been supportive of the blog at some times but I have also felt somewhat nervous about plugging it too heavily on there as it can be frowned upon. When there is a lovely video though, I have been known to sneak on and let people know about it.

Last autumn, I set up a Facebook group for the blog and it immediately attracted 80+ members, but they have started to fall away.

Style:

The site is written in UK English, the first word is capped up and although this lapsed since January, only one paragraph should come ‘before the cut’. Every post aims to have at least one link to a previous post.

Each post should encourage feedback as much as possible. Each post (except links to news stories) should have a picture – and these should be on the right hand side and 200 pixels – but if it’s a lovely pic of a family then possibly bigger.

There should also be links to related posts at the end of each post, but this has proved too time consuming.

Each post should link out as much as possible to other bloggers, rather than old media news sites but not to wikipedia as it’s too often wildly inaccurate.

Strengths and weaknesses:

Strengths

Quality of the writing

Well I would say that but as a senior journalist, I have a ‘zero tolerance’ attitude to crap spelling and grammar.

Quality of the information

Feedback has been brilliant to posts about important issues facing families. I am delighted that this information has been a genuine help to people.

Humour

People have said that they have laughed out loud at some of the posts and this has also really encouraged me.

Established target readership

Despite significantly declining reader numbers since the new year, there is great potential to build this back up. Even if these people may actually be too busy to read much...

Google position

While YGYHF isn’t particularly visible if you type in “twins” or even ‘pregnant with twins’ – there are specific topics – dressing the same or post natal depression where it appears really high up – in the top one or two position.

Weaknesses

Recent erratic posting
Recent posting on nothing to do with multiples!
Google position – for some major topics – see above!
Some ideas not followed through
Time constraints
Design/cluttered appearance
Style of writing on some posts is stupid, needs to be more consistent.

So where now?

As I see it, priorities are:

Up to five posts a day – to:

Help make more prominent on Google
Attract readers back and get new ones

Regular features on fixed days:

Reviews
YouTube
Polls
Selected posts from the archives
Talking points
Focus on other blogs
Guest bloggers
etc

More interactivity

Becky has wonderful ideas on this.

Re-design: The sidebars need ‘de-cluttering’ I am especially keen for the search facility to be more attractive/prominent and for people to be told as soon as they visit the site that there are hundreds of posts that could be of interest to them.

More global approach

No more of this reserved Brit nonsense – encompass many more stories from the US and beyond.

Better use of social bookmarking/networking sites:

Digg, Babble, de.li.cious, Twitter even – need to get to grips with ‘em.

More concentrated promotion

Linking out to parent bloggers as much as possible

Commenting on major blogs

Putting together strategy for monetising blog, with targets, including:

• Better bookshop
• Google advertising
• Approaching specific potential advertisers
• Tip jar?
• Consider expanding shop to incorporate other goods – but still through Amazon?

This all sounds like a lot of work (it is) but I have every confidence that we can pull it off. I just don't have time now to do this all myself so will be eternally grateful to Becky.

* If you know a family of multiple birth children who may find YGYHF useful, then please do point them in our direction!

Comments

[SingleParentDad]

And there in lies the blueprint for us all to follow. Good luck with it, has anyone sent J-Lo the link yet?

[Linda]

I wish! Still trying to find the time to write about the laydee from the Block or whatever the correct terminology for megastars with twins is.

Thanks Ian, by the way.

[Kasey]

I loved it, thanks. I started a blog a couple of days ago (without prior experience) so reading about your experiences have helped immensely.
Am also glad YGYHF is still going ahead - it's a very valuable blog and you should be very proud of it - someone told me the other day only 1 out of every 10 blogs are successful, that most fall by the waysid after a couple of days, weeks etc and that most blogs have less than 100 subscribers/ active readers. To have thousands really goes to show how wonderful your blog is!

Kasey x

[Emma]

Brilliant advice as always Linda :) I am currently building my blog up to be something I can be proud of and your advice is inspiring. x

[Linda]

Hey thanks Emma, let us know how it goes.

And thanks to Kasey too of course, who is this Glamour Girl then? :)

[Diane Shipley]

Wow, what a great guide, Linda! Excellent. FWT has become an indispensible resource.

[Ash]

fantastic tips and advice as always!

[Becky]

I'm all over Jenny from the Block. I'm having my people call her people ... ;-)

Actually, I'm gathering bits of info here and there.

Do you have Dragon Tales over there?

[The Wordsmith]

As always, top advice from Linda, this time on keeping a blog going. I too have occasional spells where I wonder what the hell I'm going to blog about (this week being one of them). Commenting on other blogs is definitely a good ploy - I've added readers by doing this, especially when I've been randomly surfing other blogs.

[SingleParentDad]

Beckey, as an expert on toddler TV, I'm convinced we don't have Dragon Tales over here. We do have a kids show called Max & Ruby, perhaps they don't get that free-to-air in the block.

[SingleParentDad]

An expert in TV but and idiot when it comes to spelling names. Apologies Becky.

[Linda]

thanks everyone, I forgot ygyhf was also featured in the Telegraph and I did a load of guest posts in Twins, Triplets & More Week. Every little helps.

[Antonia]

That's a fabulous analysis Linda. I think so many blogs are written without planning that it's really helpful to see this sort of business analyysis applied to one
Antonia

[Thesis Writing]

Great info, i appreciate this

[Linda]

thanks again everyone.

[thesis writing]

Extremely long but very useful and informative article. How i wish i can do all of that in a short period of time. But for sure doing those will produce results. I will try to spread your words through my blog and link it back to you. Thanks a lot for those tips.