“Never consider the possibility of failure; as long as you persist, you will be successful.” - Brian Tracy

I have to admit, it’s been a while since I’ve fully attended to my blog. I rested, wrote, read, worked, played, argued, slept, ate, drank, played some more, ate, worked, researched, wrote, studied, climbed, stumbled, walked, typed, googled, designed, apologized, organized, and mused since the last time I posted regularly on this blog. It’s been a hiatus, a sabbatical, but without purpose or direction.

So why all the work earlier this year to build such a great blog, with awesome readers, if only to leave it a few months into its inception?

I’m working on bringing this blog back from the ashes. The proverbial phoenix rising from the ash. At the high point, this blog brought in close to 500 visitors a day. Now it’s at an all time low. What better way to test my determination than to belly up to the table and begin working?

Steps to Bring a Blog Back to Life

Step One - Question Your Purpose

The first step always has to be a personal question. Does the blog still meet some internal goal? Do you have time to do the writing? Does it still feel rewarding? Does it still interest you? If you answer these questions, like I have, then you can probably determine if you want to bring the blog back or give it up. If you want to sell, then you can likely find interested parties at forums like DigitalPoint.com and SitePoint.com.

Step Two - Update Software

I use WordPress. I have posted since 2.5, but I never updated my installed version. I was too lazy to go through the process. Frankly, I was a little afraid it would be a disaster. I’ve already completed this step on the blog, since I think it’s crucial to be safe and secure. It also helped me get a recent backup of the database.

Step Three - Reacquaint Yourself with Social Networks

I have a lot of this to do still. I used to Twitter all the time. I haven’t been active on there at all recently. It sounds like a good place to turn on the lights and see what I can uncover. Entrecard is another useful place to start. I can drop, drop and drop some more. That should help in the long run.

Step Four - Write Content

A post like this is good, but it’s not the only one I need to write. I’ve said before I wanted to pay more attention to my blog. With anything, it takes time and effort to earn back reputation points from previous readers. If your blog has been dormant for a long time, consider doing a post series, reanalyzing your site’s content direction, and even spinning the viral marketing wheel in your favor. A good place to start would be to welcome back readers in comments, be active in your niche, and bolster your reputation with quality writing. Just keep with it.

Step Five - Stay Active

Mistakes will be made. It happens. It happens to me, to you, to our mothers, fathers, grandparents, and elected officials. It happens everywhere. Just suck it up and move forward. If you lose a few readers, then fine. If you stay with it, then you’ll see the reward soon enough. A few months and the internet will have changed yet again. Other bloggers will fizzle out and new ones will pick up the torch. If you write content, post comments, and interact with other bloggers then you have a good chance of staying in the saddle.