Originally published in 2012, this article has been updated as the Biannual Blogathon Bash enters a new chapter. The two original comments remain below as part of our community history.
Do you have a list of things you keep meaning to fix, write, update or figure out on your blog?
Then you probably understand exactly why the Biannual Blogathon Bash exists.
The Blogathon is a twice-yearly community work event built around a simple idea: set aside time, choose what your blog actually needs, work alongside other bloggers and leave with meaningful progress.
The tools and platforms have changed enormously since this post first appeared. The need for focused time and a helpful blogging community has not.
10 Signs You Need to Join the Blogathon
- Your website has things you have been meaning to fix for months-or years.
Maybe the navigation is confusing, the About page no longer represents you, old links are broken, your categories are a mess or the homepage needs attention. A Blogathon gives those "someday" jobs an actual place on the calendar.
- Life keeps getting in the way of your blogging.
Blogging has to coexist with jobs, family, caregiving, homes, health, animals, travel and everything else that makes up a real life. The Blogathon is dedicated work time-not an expectation that you should work on your blog every waking hour.
- Your blogging to-do list is ridiculous.
You have content to update, posts to finish, images to replace, emails to write, technical tasks to investigate and ideas scattered everywhere. Bring the list. We will help you turn it into priorities instead of trying to finish 87 things at once.
- You know you should be doing something for traffic or SEO, but you are not sure what.
You do not need to arrive knowing the terminology. Building Better Blogs is being rebuilt around practical explanations and actionable help. "I don't understand this yet" is a perfectly acceptable starting point.
- You have a blogging question and do not know who to ask.
One of the best parts of a community work event is discovering that someone else has probably struggled with the same thing. Ask. Share what you know. Learn from people at different stages and in different niches.
- You miss having other bloggers to talk to.
Blogging can be surprisingly solitary. The Blogathon is not only about crossing tasks off a list. It is a chance to work around people who understand why fixing a broken link, finally sending a newsletter or getting an old article updated can feel like a real victory.
- You would love a blogging retreat, but travel, cost or life makes that unrealistic.
The Blogathon was built around the idea that community and focused work should not require a plane ticket, hotel room or conference budget. Participate from home and work with what you have.
- You are always creating new things while old work sits unfinished.
Maybe you need to finish drafts, update proven posts, build internal links, repair an email sequence or finally turn existing content into something useful again. A Blogathon does not have to mean publishing more. Sometimes the best progress is finishing what you already started.
- You want permission to make your blog a priority for a little while.
There is nothing wrong with setting aside protected time for work that matters to you. Choose a realistic block, tell the people around you what you are doing when appropriate, and use the time intentionally.
- You like challenges, progress, community-and maybe prizes too.
Challenges and prizes have always been part of the Blogathon's history. They can make the event fun, but they are not the point. The real win is leaving with a better blog, a shorter to-do list and a clearer idea of what comes next.
You Do Not Need a Perfect Blog to Participate
Please do not look at a Blogathon announcement and think, "I need to get caught up before I can join."
No.
The unfinished parts are why you join.
You do not need a certain number of pageviews, years of experience, social followers or income. You do not need to use the same platform as everyone else. You do not even need the same goal.
One person may spend the event cleaning up a brand-new site. Another may update ten-year-old articles that still get search traffic. Someone else may work entirely on email, products, affiliate content or a technical problem.
What Could You Work On?
Start a Blogathon list now. Possible projects include:
- fix your navigation
- rewrite an outdated About page
- update an article that already gets traffic
- repair broken links
- improve internal linking
- finish drafts
- organize categories and tags
- work on email signup and welcome messages
- review analytics
- improve an affiliate article or sales page
- create a product or resource
- schedule useful promotion
- learn one blogging skill you have been avoiding
Choose projects based on what your blog needs-not what everyone else is doing.
The Blogathon Is Coming With Us
Building Better Blogs is going through a major rebuild. We are updating useful educational articles, preserving important pieces of blogging and community history, creating new resources and rebuilding around one central promise: build a blog that supports your life-not a life consumed by your blog.
The Biannual Blogathon Bash is part of that future.
The next event is currently being planned, and current information will live on the new Join the Biannual Blogathon Bash page once it is live.
For now, start your list of things you keep meaning to do. When the community gets together again, you will already know where to begin.
Nicole says
sounds like a fun event!
Ashley says
#7 is so me! (and #10 of course, hehe)