Blogging is a long game. Many aspiring bloggers don’t realize how much effort it takes to sustain a blog. Over the years, I’ve watched blogs and bloggers fade away.
Some bloggers start with a great deal of enthusiasm but burn out quickly or lose focus when they don’t see the results they dreamt they’d get.
Other people shift to different platforms—like social media, video content, or newsletters—because those seem to offer more of the engagement they desire or the promise of a quicker financial return.
Why Do So Many Blogs Disappear?
- Unrealistic Expectations
One of the biggest reasons blogs disappear is that people expect quick success. When the traffic doesn’t spike overnight, the comments don’t roll in, and the monetization isn’t as easy as promised, bloggers naturally get discouraged. Blogging is a marathon, not a sprint. Instant results are rare, and it can take months to find your groove and years to build momentum.
- Lack of Time or Consistency
Blogging takes time. You need time to write, edit, and promote your work. Life happens. Many bloggers get caught up in other life responsibilities and find themselves stretched thin. Once you miss a few posts, it’s harder to get back into a rhythm. A blog can quickly become a chore.
- Burnout
News Flash: Blogging is more than just writing. There’s the research, SEO work, social media management, and marketing. At times, blogging may feel like a second full-time job. Bloggers burn out because they feel like they can’t keep up. They throw up their hands in frustration and step away.
- Changing Priorities
Like I said earlier: Life happens. New jobs, family changes, health issues, or even just a change in interests all lead to a blogger shifting their focus. Changing priorities can make it impossible to keep going. And when your blog no longer aligns with where you are in life, it feels like a good time to move on.
- Lack of Engagement
It is disheartening when you pour your heart into a post and see very little engagement. Crickets. Chirping. Chirp. Chirp. You feel like you’re speaking into a void, languishing in the vast stillness of the blogosphere. Without feedback, bloggers wonder if anyone is reading their work. Discouragement and abandonment lurk around the corner.
- Monetization Struggles
If you started blogging in hopes of getting rich, you find it frustrating when the profits don’t come as easily as expected. Many blogs start with the dream of making money through ads, sponsorships, or products, but the reality is often different. Very. Different. When the income doesn’t match the effort, some bloggers decide it’s not worth the time investment and pack it in.
The Mindset of the Long Game
How do you stick with it when all of these challenges to stack up? I believe that the key is cultivating a long game mindset.
- Choose Passion Over Popularity
Trust me—it is easy to get caught up in numbers—traffic, likes, shares. If you’re blogging for the right reasons, your passion for the topic always comes first. Please write because it’s something you love, not just because you’re hoping to go viral.
- Choose Consistency Over Perfection
While it is tempting to wait until you have the perfect post or the perfect strategy, perfection rarely comes. As a matter of fact, striving for perfection rather than consistency can stall your progress and keep you from posting. Focus on being consistent. Write regularly, even if every post isn’t perfect. I believe you’ll find the more you write, the better you’ll get.
- Choose Adaptability Over Rigidity
One of the beautiful things about blogging is that it’s flexibility. If your interests change, your blog can easily evolve with you. Don’t be afraid to switch up your style, your focus, or even your niche. Let your blog grow as you grow. My blog has developed over time and I’ve shifted my focus to address topics that I felt like were underrepresented, if not altogether ignored.
- Choose Resilience Over Discouragement
Nothing is perfect. There will be times when you feel like giving up. That’s okay. If you’re in it for the long haul, you’ll have to push through those moments. Don’t give up. Don’t quit. Keep writing. Resilience means when things are tough or when success seems out of reach you keep showing up.
Remember why you started your blog in the first place. What was your original mission? Keeping that at the forefront will help you stay motivated when things get tough.
There will be seasons where you’re blogging every day and others where you barely have time to post. Both are okay. Life moves in seasons, and your blog can, too. Give yourself grace.
Engage With Your Community
Even if your community is small, engage with them. Respond to comments, ask for feedback, and connect with others in your niche. A supportive community will help keep you going.
Until my next post…
Grace and peace,
Rainer Bantau —The Devotional Guy™
The Stigma Stops Here.🛑
#mentalhealthmatters
The Devotional Guy™ 
I am happy that my post resonated with you and, as a result, that you might be encouraged to continue writing and blogging. I think my biggest lesson learned so far is “be yourself”. You can find all sorts of recipes and strategies for success on the internet and strewn about through the blogosphere. Some undoubtedly work and are helpful. I believe in the end it comes down to perseverance and authenticity. Best wishes on your continued blogging adventures.
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Thank you for this! I’ve been at it for 6 months, and it’s a revolving door of feeling like I’m making progress and then feeling discouraged. The one thing I have going for me, though, is that I genuinely love planning and writing articles. Amazing post.
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God bless
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I am humbled to say the least. I think time plays a significant factor in our blogging journey. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
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It’s hard for us not to measure, I think. Whatever it is, us humans need a gauge to know how we’re doing. But we can’t be writing for the numbers. Our best stuff comes from the heart and the harsh realities of living this life. Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts my friend.
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I agree with you blogging is a long term thing for it to be influential and effective and meaningful to others and also for the views. Not that it’s about the numbers, but there is a sense. It is so true. It’s hard work!
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Over time, I’ve noticed I don’t engage with as many bloggers and posts as I once did. For one thing, a change in my job means I have less free time to surf the content of other bloggers. However, I still keep in touch with a key group and read everything they write. Yes, Rainer is one of them!
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My blog changes all the time, depending on what else is going on in my life and the world.
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Amen.
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Barb is spot on!
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Ebbing and flowing brother, ebbing and flowing!
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As Barb said in her response to this post, obedience is key. We do it because we’re led to do it.
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Obedience is key. Do you think your blog has changed over the years or is your format, style, and focus still pretty much the same?
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Yep, people need grace as much as we do. It is interesting to watch the ebb and flow of blogging, blogs, and bloggers over time. I think our blogs evolve over time. We go with what life brings us and where God leads us. Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts.
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I know what you mean. When I started I follow some amazing bloggers, who have since stopped writing. And it is a shame for what they were posting was heartfelt and encouraging. But like you said, both are okay, for I really don’t know what is going on in their lives that is stopping them from writing. Giving grace is the way to go. For them and for me.
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I will continue to blog until God leads me elsewhere. The numbers don’t matter to me, obedience does.
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I know what you mean. In 2018 I felt led to write. Someone told me hardly anyone reads books and it is too much work to get published. Another suggested starting a blog. Being clueless on that process, I did some research and reached out to a blogger whose posts I enjoyed. He was gracious is his time and assistance in pointing me to WP and how to go about it. Then I was always checking to see how many views or comments I got. It turned into more of was I popular, than sharing what the Holy Spirit was sharing with me. After I got off that merry-go-round, I then just prayed before I hit the publish button that God would direct the person who needs to see this to the post. Or as Charles Stanley said, “Obey God and leave the consequences to Him.” I’ve also met some incredible people through WP who have made my life a richer one.
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You make some great points here, my brother. Being a successful blogger means different things to different people. For me, success is improving the mechanics of writing, and becoming a better story teller. Six plus years and almost 350 posts later, I still manage to put something out there once, and sometimes twice a week. Here’s the thing: my highest views for any one day are something like 186, and my most viewed posts, every year, are under 150 people who laid eyes on them. And things have only gotten worse since WP started their “pay-to-play” analytics.
I love the follows and comments and likes, but these aren’t what keep me going. Frankly, I’ve seriously considered turning all that off and just writing. However, I enjoyed the engagement.
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