If you’re starting to show the signs of blogger burnout or are working your way to exhaustion, it may be time to look after your health and get some help on your blog. There are also other good reasons why you might consider getting an extra pair of hands:
Whatever your reasons, deciding to hire another blogger is not an easy decision. Many of us see our blogs as our babies – and we wouldn’t hand our babies over to a stranger, would we? So there are a couple of choices: either limit the functions that you hand over, or find someone who loves your blog as much as you do.
Let’s look at the first option: handing over some of the blog management. There are lots of things we do on blogs that don’t necessarily need our personal input. These include:
All of these can be handled by a virtual assistant. You’ll need to find someone who’s clued up about your blogging platform, and to assign that person a role that allows your VA to handle only the tasks you want to assign. WordPress has some roles built in which are a useful start.
Then there’s the biggie – getting someone else to write content for your blog. The first time I thought about doing this, some time last year, I did so with trepidation. I mentioned on Twitter that I was looking for someone and one of my blog’s readers stepped in to offer to write. I’d known her for a while and was happy that she’d take on a bigger role. Nine months on, she’s ready to do her own thing, and I’m hiring a couple more bloggers. This time I’ve added Facebook to the list of places to advertise the opportunity, as well as my blog, of course.
I find it best to make a short list of what you are offering and what you expect. Many blogs offer a nominal payment and exposure to a key audience in exchange for posts at regular intervals and replies to comments. If you don’t know the blogger’s work, a quick trip through Google should address that, but it’s still important to see if that person’s style is right for your blog. Try getting a sample post and list of ideas to see if you are on the same wavelength. If you’re happy, sign an agreement and get the user set up.
If your readers respond well, you know you’ve made a good choice and can take the time you need to recharge, while leaving your blog in good hands.
(By the way, I don’t suggest abandoning your blog altogether, as you have a relationship with your readers, but they will all understand if you have to scale back your involvement for the sake of your sanity. When I hired a writer last year, I reduced my posting frequency on the blog, but was able to generate more original content for my newsletter and Facebook page.)
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Hi Sharon,
This is surely a case of content vs. byline. I love your blog posts, whether you wrote 'em or not. I suppose you did a good job making sure your style and content focus was preserved
Since I am not a professional blogger, my opinion will not help freelancers. I'll just mention it, anyway: if you are burning out and you don't want to hire another blogger, just stop blogging.
I stopped for almost a year, mostly because I was concentrating on another project. But, for me, the love of writing will always bring me back. Now, I just post two or three times per quarter (!!!) which is why this advice is not for the working blogger
Cheers,
Mitch
Actually, Mitch, everyone who writes on my blog gets credit for their posts, but I'm glad to know you've seen continuity of content – it shows I made a good pick.
Knowing you can stop blogging is very liberating. I've got a couple of blogs where I post intermittently – unsurprisingly, no one knows about them.
Oh, I know they get credit. I should have been more clear in stating that the content takes precedence over that fact that it is your blog.
I guess your blog is more like a magazine, in that respect.
Cheers,
Mitch
I like that comparison.
This was novel. I wished I could read every post, but i have to go back to work now. But I'll return.