Mar 12 2009
Admitting Defeat and Downsizing to One Blog
I am not a blogger. I love writing on this blog but, at the moment, I think one is about all I can handle. It amazes me how people out there are able to publish several blogs with quality content and, while I wish I was one of those people, I’m not.
I currently have Nerdy Nomad focused mainly on earning online and web development stuff and have another blog, Wanderstruck, that is purely travel updates for family, friends and stalkers. I think two blogs is one too many so I’m thinking seriously about scrapping Wanderstruck. It sort of sucks because I love writing about my travels but when I don’t feel like writing, that blog looms over my head and seems to nag at me to keep it going, even if I don’t feel like I have something interesting to say. I hate having a blog that never gets updated but I hate it even more when I feel pressured into writing for the sake of writing so I think I’m going to close down the operation.
Because I still want to document my travel tales, I am thinking about taking Nerdy Nomad in that direction a bit more. It won’t mean that all of my internet geek stuff will be replaced with travel posts, but it will mean there will be some interspersed in there along with photos from my travels. I won’t write something on every place I go like I have been trying (and failing) to do over on Wanderstruck, but instead I’ll write travel stuff when I feel like I’ve done something interesting enough to warrant a post.
What do you guys think about this? Are most of you here for mobile working/internet/web development stuff or would you find a handful of travel posts each month along with photos to be an interesting addition?
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Its the ‘nomad’ as well as the ‘nerdy’ that interests me.
I’m living vicariously through you a little, I’m ashamed to admit, so upping the info on travel a little wouldn’t hurt.
Probably don’t want to overdo it, but that doesn’t sound like it will be a problem
Kirsty - I think you have a great idea. I have enjoyed reading your posts here since the beginning as I am aspiring to get to the point where you are right now.
I think putting in some interesting travel posts would add some more color and make the Nerdy Nomad blog even more interesting to read. Variety is the spice of life.
Hi Kristy,
I think I agree with Lea. I’m here because of both the ‘nomad’ and ‘nerdy’… I find hope that folks like you are out there living your life the way you want, and writing about it. At the end of the day, you gotta do what you gotta do, it’s your life right?
cheers,
-Skip
I like the combined idea better than the separate idea anyways. I am looking for posts on the whole experience - the good, the bad, and the ugly
As others have said, no one is here because travel is not interesting to them.
I think the combination would be an excellent idea! Go for it…
Kirsty - I agree with the previous comments, I would be interested in seeing both. But as I took a look at Wanderstruck I noticed that your posts, especially of late, seem to be long and planned. Maybe a different approach will help to solve your problem. If you were to keep your posts shorter and more impromptu, just a couple of paragraphs of what you are up to or big challenges of the week, your Family and Friends might appreciate them more and it would be less of a chore to get them out.
I agree. Add some travel posts here. (and I don’t think that’s admitting defeating, just accepting your limits
)
I think combining the two would be a great idea! Personally I’m here to listen on both sides. I love reading about individuals traveling the world (Love the LIP blog as well), especially dealing with the nitty gritty aspects of it. I also dream of building up my own little business to get on the road myself one day, so hearing about building niche sites and marketing them etc is of interest as well.
Just my 2 cents :p
Me also am interested in both. There are many “make money online” blogs and even more travel blogs, but very few “funding my travel by running websites” blogs. It’s my daydream and ambition to do exactly that and that’s why I read.
My blog was a mixture and it seemed to work quite well….I know what you mean about keeping them going, I struggled at times with just one, let alone two!
Why not import your posts from Wanderstruck too, there would suddenly be a lot more content on this site, I think a lot of people read this blog because you are travelling too. So more updates of that sort won’t take anything away from it.
Wow that’s a lot of responses! Thanks heaps for the feedback. It looks like a travel blog combo thing is the way to go.
I agree with you Shayne, maybe the long posts are too labour intensive. I did those because I’m not a big fan of reading about people’s daily exploits on their travels. Just becaues you’re abroad, it doesn’t make reading about bus trips and breakfast foods that much more interesting, in my opinion. So I tried for longer, more well thought out posts but I think they’re more of a pain than anything.
I’m looking forward to getting some travel stories on here soon!
Kirsty, don’t worry too much about defeat. There is nothing like this in life, only experiences. Also you have a life to live, otherwise the writing parts turns out into stress (and who needs that).
Myself I only post now once a week or if I think I really have some interesting topic. Just posting for the sake of posting doesn’t help anyone, not you (as you might become frustrated) and not your readers.
Keep up the good work!
Cheers
Chris
(nomad4ever)
I’m happy to read whatever you write, where ever you write it!
I think the plan will be to add my Wanderstruck posts into NN for the dates they were posted, just under a general ‘travel’ category I think. I love the Wanderstruck domain so don’t want to leave it empty. I had been thinking about updating Travoholic and have pulled together a lot of information but instead of messing with that site, I think I’ll put the new info I have into Wanderstruck eventually. Gives me another project to work on, as if I need one!
Thanks for the feedback everyone!
Kirsty, I think your plan to begin posting your travel experiences here is a great idea. That’s why started reading this blog in the first place. I love the combo of making money online and traveling simultaneously, because that’s my life too. Although, I’ll admit I’ve been stuck back here in the US much longer than expected.
Anyway, my real point is that I think it might be a mistake to move the Wanderstruck posts to NN. They would just end up being dupe content here and I think you should consider making Wanderstruck a multi-blogger site. Essentially have a bunch of on topic guest bloggers who could include links back to their sites in exchange for well written posts. Of course you run your own ads as well. You could publicize the fact that you are accepting guest posts on this blog as a way of publicizing it. Your previous posts there would serve as a solid base in taking Wanderstruck in a new direction.
There are lots of travel bloggers who need to increase their traffic and back links are the number 1 way to get SE traffic. I would argue that a post on your blog with a link back would provide a lot more link juice to a travel blogger than an article in Ezine Articles or other directories.
Obviously it may take a while to gain momentum, but as you know this business takes patience. I think it would be a mistake to rip down Wanderstruck and start clean. I think it’s best to change things slowly over time and figure out the new direction of a site. Otherwise you are just destroying the goodwill you have built up in the SEs for this site. Over time you can institute more changes for it once you get a feel of how it’s growing n a new direction. That’s what I’d do anyway. I never destroy the value of an old site.