How to gently embrace the new normal with your blog
[Doubt – Uncertainty – Truth]
With so much turmoil around us, where does that leave our blog? And our motivation to write? If your blog is a reflection of you and what you do, should you force yourself to carry on as usual? Change your message? What if you have writers block!
Even if we did manage to come through the last 2 years without having had to sacrifice our livelihoods or our health, the “new” normal is just relentless. Quite unlike anything any of us have ever experienced before!
Some people call this the big “reset”
A reset can feel exciting or frightening depending on your mindset and your personal circumstances, e.g. the work you do, your financial situation, your relationships and how strong or vulnerable you feel generally.
But if social media is anything to go by, there is much confusion. It’s full of doom and gloom on one hand and curated views of the happy side of life on the other. Plus lots of automated links to outdated blog posts from way back. As if nothing has happened.
What are your own needs as a reader?
It goes without saying that we don’t want continuous negativity. We do want to be inspired to help us embrace the new normal.
For a minute, just think of yourself and your own needs as a reader. What are you looking for online now? Light relief from the relentless negativity? A human and authentic view from people you look up to? Tips to help you to overcome your own difficulties? A mix of all that?
What about your reader?
Now think… are you like your blog reader? Put yourself in their shoes. Do you understand their worries and concerns so you can help them as best as you can? They may be in a different place to you. And if they are, your favourite topics or approach may not touch them.
Going gently helps to embrace the new normal
Uncertainty tends to make us feel uncomfortable but so much is uncertain anyway during this challenging time. There is no fixed set of rules telling you how to feel nor what to say in your blog.
Processing thoughts and feelings takes time. Few older bloggers are happy to pour their heart out online even if blogging can be quite therapeutic.
If you are unsure about blogging in the new normal, you could accept this new pause and focus on other things. You could doodle, draw, bake, write in your journal or even try our writing exercise.
Do whatever you want to do. Even nothing if that helps you. Sometimes, when we stop looking, the answers appear.
Explore alternative ways to express your views
When you want to write despite feeling unsure about your message why not experiment with different messages on social media? Writing is much simpler here and far less time consuming than blogging. (Which can gobble up hours of your time once you include all the editing, optimizing and promoting you need to do.)
It is one of the reasons why I enjoy micro-blogging on Instagram . I usually write about all the little things in my life and my readers really like that.
Micro-blogging is a good way to inspire and help your readers. I’ve seen it work on Facebook as well. On Twitter longer messages (written as threads) have also become quite popular.
Social media is a great place to experiment, connect with your reader and see how others are managing their current challenges.
Of course you could also publish mini posts on your own blog. That way your content stays on your own platform. (You just need 300 words so your post gets seen by search engines.)
I wouldn’t worry about doing things “properly” right now. The idea is to find easier ways to express what’s going on for you and to help you embrace the new normal.
Now is the time to speak freely
Back when I first started helping women to promote themselves confidently nobody believed how important it is to be true to yourself especially online. In whatever you do! But soon, heart-centred entrepreneurs like Marie Forleo would show the way building huge online communities by being completely authentic.
Gradually women would start to share their stories and speak more freely about the often life changing events that shape our journey. Even the bigger brands would become more open and personal.
So it pains me to see bloggers, especially business writers, still hiding behind the persona they assume readers will like and trust. Now is so not the time to do that. It feels heartless and careless at the same time.
If there is one thing uncertainty achieves, it is making people connect and support each other more.
Opening up and speaking your truth is more important than ever. To speak freely in your own unique voice is, quite frankly, the most powerful tool you have, both in your blog and elsewhere.
So I hope you will take this opportunity to think about what matters in your writing. Whether you decide to go with the flow for now, try something new, or speak more freely, please go gently as you embrace your new normal.
All images my own — Copyright 2020-2022 Ute Wieczorek-King
