Every now and again, someone contacts me to ask if I am interested in featuring guest bloggers on www.terrilabonte.com. I always agonize over these requests. Sometimes, I am guilty of procrastinating because I don’t know how to respond. The thing is, I recognize that there might be value in having guest bloggers at www.terrilabonte.com. I even recognize that at least some of these volunteers may be able to offer more valuable content than I provide. The problem is that the blog is so personal that I have not been able to release that kind of control over it.
Still, as I enter my fourth year of writing the Terri LaBonte blog, I wonder if it is time to reassess my position. Here are some benefits of accepting guest post submissions:
- If I included guest bloggers, I would not have to worry so much about making sure I had a new article every week. Not that I worry too much about that. Being who I am, I almost always have a month or more of posts ready to go at any given time.
- Most of the people who have contacted me have specific fields of expertise. Unlike me, they are experts at something. Maybe you all would appreciate hearing from someone who actually knows what he or she is talking about instead of simply relying on the inner workings of my mind for entertainment.
- If I had guest bloggers, I could probably increase my readership with cross promotion. If they have a core group of readers of their own who follow them to my blog, perhaps those folks will stick around and read my content.
There is one more serious aspect to consider in deciding whether to accept guest bloggers. I might be boring myself out of existence.
When I first started writing the blog, a dear friend of mine asked what I would do if I did not attract the number of readers that my research suggested would indicate “success.” I told him that Terri LaBonte would keep writing as long as she had something to say. I can’t believe she has been talking for three years. You would think that I surely would have run out of things to say by now. Perhaps I have and just don’t realize it.
I need your help to recognize the truth and face it square in the eye. I am asking for genuine feedback. Please tell me if you think I am getting stale or repetitive. Please be honest, but not brutal. Is it time for the blog to go to bloggy heaven? Or is it just time for the occasional new voice to infuse the content with fresh ideas? Should www.terrilabonte.com become a chorus instead of a solo act? Or are you content knowing that I am still the one spinning yarns and telling tales?
Thank you!
Okay, time for your thoughts. Please share your perspective on whether the blog should continue as it is, continue with occasional guest bloggers, or simply fade away. You can provide your feedback by leaving a comment. In the alternative, you can email me at terriretirement@gmail.com.
Have a thoughtful day!
Terri/Dorry 😊