1. Forget your goal – Why did you first start writing your blog?  I started mine as an outlet for my thoughts and experiences on creating/running a business.  Beyond that main goal, I think its good practice for gathering your thoughts and looking back on where your views were at a certain time.
2. Stop reading blogs - I stayed quite insulated in my niche after we pivoted towards Groupon in May.  I gave up RSS a couple years ago, but this past year I just didn’t read many blogs on a consistent basis (sans industry Twitter feed links).  I stay up with a few (very few), but mostly specific posts were sent to me asking my thoughts on something.   Reading other blogs makes it easier to write and being away from content makes it harder to create your own.
3. Get discouraged by the numbers – Maybe your site has very few comments or re-tweets (like mine)… so what.  If you know the answer to #1, you’ll realize numbers may only be a part of your success formula.  For me, the numbers aren’t the key, but it’s easy to get discouraged when they drop.  And they will continue to spiral down if you don’t keep up the posts.
4. Fear your writing isn’t good enough -  I know I’m no Jason Falls (the best writer I know) or Rob May (the original super blogger) and I don’t need to be in their league to accomplish what I want from this site.  The truth is I can’t crank out great content like others, but I can give my perspective and use my own style.  We each have our own writing voice… find yours and sing out loud.
5. Spend too much time window shopping -  There are some very popular blogs with ugly designs and with little “added” functionality.  Content makes those (and our) sites interesting… not your fancy retweet/like/share/post/bleep button.  FYI… I looked at literally hundreds of cool themes for my blog.   Good design won’t make your content create itself.
6. Stay on a content free island -  Much like #1, if you aren’t around those who create content it’s not top of mind you also need to create your own.  I spend time with startup folks regularly because it’s what I’m living and relevant to me.  If you want your blog to be a part of your life it’s easier when you’re around those who have it top of mind.  Note: around doesn’t have to be physically… just checking in with email or IM can do the trick.
7. Write about what’s popular -  I’ve found blogging to be a burden and not something I enjoy to do frequently.  Some of my old posts reflect that as I wrote the same thing you can read 40,000 other places… Twitter, Facebook and the rise of the new web.  If you aren’t passionate about your topic and can’t add value to an old one, spare yourself the time and don’t write the post.  Instead make a comment, link it up on Facebook or retweet someone else’s content.  When you do have something to say it will come much easier.
8. Focus on the micro – I shifted most of my social efforts to Facebook last year and my Twitter stats show I’m going away from there too (less than 50 tweets in Q4).  Posting to those mediums is NOT content creation in my opinion.  Even if you’re super creative, you can’t say too much in 140 characters (hence the MICROblogging name).  If you want to really create content, I believe most social sites don’t give you the means to do so.  Here’s to being a little more macro focused.
9. Create analysis paralysis – I did some super cool stuff in 2010 and had some great conversations with people about many topics.  I’m sure you did too.  Just a recap of what you did, what you said/heard is a great way to kick start your content groove.  One of the reasons I personally don’t write often is I try to compose something big.  I write, edit, re-edit, then save as a draft because it’s taking too long.  Don’t forget you can score a few runs by hitting a few singles.
10. Run the sprints – If you haven’t ran in a long time, I wouldn’t suggest a 5k race.  In the past I’ve written a flurry of posts for a few days/weeks in a row only to not post again for 90 days.  Decide what consistency is needed to reach your goal and you won’t hurt yourself getting there.
11. Bonus… Don’t just do it – I get very frustrated with people who say they’re going to start a business or have an idea and make no progress.  For every resolution, we must make the effort.  Last year, I just didn’t do it.  Plain and simple.  We could all stand to stop the excuses and just hit publish every so often.

I’m sure you have your own reasons why you don’t stick with blogging, but I’ve tried to outline what’s been stopping me.  Hopefully you can relate to a few.  Will I suddenly start posting each week here?  Probably not.  Instead, I’ll likely re-think my goal, determine my consistency and THEN I’ll add a new theme!  Don’t talk about it… be about it.

(Note to my Facebook friends… if you’re reading this as a FB note, it’s because I linked this archaic web site called my blog found at ToddEarwood.com a few years ago to FB.  I used to write stuff over there and just might add some more of these this year.  Don’t stress, I’ll continue to primarily post pictures of my nephew and random things I see, make fun of your Farm Mafia and click “like” on your funny statements.)

Jeff also posted about InviteShare.com. A nice service if you have spare invites or want to get “in the crowd”, but I still appreciate the generosity of a fellow blogger’s hookup. I have a few Pownce invites left. If you are interested, post a comment below.

Flickr Photo credit: Eric Willis aka “Superic”

Last week, I found Yuvi’s post #1 and #2 (he’s a 16-year old from Chennai, India) that has analyzed… no, he did more than analyze, he dissected over three year’s worth of data from engadget.com. By measuring everything from post frequency, comments, incoming links per post, words per post and virtually all other variables, he’s allowing people to infer reasons for Engadget’s success. He’s also charging $2-5 to ask custom questions so he can get a better host(smart move).

Maybe you know your blog traffic or don’t have a clue, but I suggest you take a peek at Yuvi’s methods. He’s done a great job and may shed new light on what you should be measuring to make your blog successful.

So set down your tray and and I’ll explain the five metrics on where you are in the blogosphere lunchroom.

Notes passed in the classroom – In school, all the cool kids get notes passed to them and for bloggers, these are our comments. A blog is meant to be an interactive tool, IMO. Seth Godin maintains a nice table seat despite not allowing comments (he used to). Whereas, Noah Kagan… well, let’s just say he loves them. You’ll always have those regular commenters (we love you!), but it’s not the end of the world if you only get a few. I quickly learned with the city blog we launched for Louisville, most people want to be voyeurs first and interactive second.

Interacting in the Halls – When the bell rings and you have to walk to chemistry class, how many people do you stop to chat with? Better yet, how many stop YOU? With blogs, these are the people who grab your RSS feed and make up your monthly traffic. Feedburner has built a business for tracking blog traffic and rss feeds (among others). I think this is your ticket to upgrading your table position.

Signatures in your yearbook - Did you write something thoughtful in your classmates’ books or did you make fun of them? Both ways can get a response and to grow blog traffic, you gotta show link love. It’s the online way to pat them on the back (agree) or give them a little shove (disagree). Show the love or stir the pot because both ways work.

Weekend invitations – Getting invited to the weekend party was always a big deal. Online these invitations come in the form of social networking. Whether you’re selective (Jory Des Jardins) or you’re adding everyone (Ron Bates), the way you network online can affect your blog traffic. I’ve chosen to be an open networker on LinkedIn and MyBlogLog, but keep my MySpace account more selective. Much like linking to others, both strategic or open networkers can drive blog traffic and help you maneuver to a better lunch spot.

Prom Royalty – Who was chosen as your prom queen/king? I can’t remember who won at my school, but getting that one-time vote was important to some. In the blogsphere, our votes are taken daily at aggregation sites like Reddit and Digg. Don’t be afraid to nominate yourself and be sure to help others if you want to wear the “crown” one day.

Currently, I slink over, head pointed down to my seat enjoying a lactose beverage. I’m building my plan to inch my way towards a better table. And although the cool table kids stand in the same line with me everyday, I swear they get served more fries.

Since blogs are considered a live representation of the game, any blog that has action photos or game reports, including play-by-play, scores or any in-game updates, is specifically prohibited. In essence, no blog entries are permitted between the first pitch and the final out of each game.

The strange part is Brian was given press credentials as a blogger. He’d also been live blogging from the previous post-season series in Missouri. My local paper is owned by Gannett, so this isn’t a small company the NCAA is messing with. According to Brian’s blog, the paper’s attorney is already researching if the NCAA is somehow denying the paper the right to report.

I’m not a journalist and the majority of the public would still say that professional bloggers aren’t either. Regardless, this creates a scary precedent on what the NCAA may do in the future. I know other bloggers who have live blogged games (including yours truly), so why stop them now?

On a positive note, the University of Louisville Cardinals are now going to their first College World Series! Cheer them on if you make the trip, but don’t try blogging it live.

Photo credit: Slate.com