PureBlogging

Once the blogging bug bites, there is no cure, and you are infected for life. You are now a blogging zombie, and not even Milla Jovovich can save you (although wouldn’t that be nice?).

Well, okay, it’s not that bad. You’re not really a zombie. I just wanted an excuse to post that picture (you’re welcome).

But once you have one blog, you start thinking about starting a second. And once you have a second, you start thinking about starting a third. And once you have a third…

You see where this is goin’.

So… should you start that new blog?

My gut instinct is to say, “Yeah! Go for it!” But hold on a minute. Let’s do a reality-check and ask some questions. You can’t lie to yourself on these:

• Do you have plenty of time to blog now, or are you stretched thin already? Because if you’re pushin’ your luck as it is and barely getting anything done, what the heck makes you think you got time for another blog?
• Is the traffic on your current blog strong enough to really launch a new blog successfully? Done right, your new blog will equal your existing one in traffic and subscribers. The idea is that the readers of your current blog would also read your new blog. Now, maybe that’s not the case and you want to keep them separate. But otherwise, if your current blog is struggling for traffic and links, starting a new one maybe ain’t such a hot idea.
• Are you monetizing your blog with Google AdSense? Because if you are, having a buncha low-traffic sites can drag your overall earnings down. If you’re gonna go for big numbers with AdSense, you hafta go really big. Like hundreds or thousands, and that means you’re encroaching upon unethical territory. Not good.
• Is your idea really all that great? Not to be harsh, but often what seems like a good idea at first… isn’t. Sometimes it’s because our enthusiasm isn’t as strong as we thought. But more often, it’s because we didn’t research the idea enough. Are there other blogs in the niche? What’s the cost-per-click on keywords in that niche? What’s the search traffic trending in the niche? Are there any real affiliate opportunities in the niche?

Tips for how to start that new blog right:

• Consider starting a team blog, that way your time commitment isn’t as great as it would be if you were the only blogger.
• Do your research on keywords, traffic trends, domain availability, etc. Don’t make a decision that flies in the face of what your research uncovers.
• Start only one new blog at a time, spend some time getting off the ground, and then let it coast. This is what I do and it’s worked pretty well. I put some serious effort into them at first, then ease off later.
• Know when to call it quits. If it ain’t workin’, it ain’t workin’. Call it good and move on to something else. Don’t take it personally. If you’re not failing enough, then you’re not succeeding enough.