For most people, blogging is a solitary activity, a way to get away from the bosses, the managers and the superiors and really have a vent. Some people, however, realize that they might be better off teaming with someone and they end up co-running a blog where everyone has their own responsibilities and where everyone does what they are best at. The important thing is to remember that this can sometimes lead to conflicts and today, I wanted to talk about how to avoid this.
Define Roles
The first and the most important thing to do is to come up with a division of roles where everyone will be comfortable and where no one will feel left out. This also means that you will be playing people’s different strong suites.
For example, one of co-owners may be great at visual things and they might be left to guide how the blog will look, what theme will be used and so on. Someone might be more detail-oriented and the perfect person to give every post a last see-through. Someone else might be super prolific and their contributions might be somewhat more frequent than those of others and this is something that should be discussed.
Sometimes people who co-run blogs simply do not want the same level of involvement across the board and some people prefer to stay in the background but still have the right to make important decisions.
The important thing to remember is that everyone is an adult and that these things can be easily sorted out through conversation and debate.
Recognize Differences
Like we mentioned, different bloggers operate differently, but if this is not recognized, really recognized, it can lead to serious problems. For example, one of you may feel angry that they have to come up with 4 posts every week while someone else is happy when they put something out every two weeks.
Some people simply work that way and it is important to recognize these differences. If such a setup does not work for someone, then this should have been solved in the role-defining meeting. Of course, no one says that things established during the initial definition of roles cannot be adjusted or totally changed.
There will also be differences in the way two (or more) people write and express their thoughts. Sometimes, it is difficult for people to acknowledge that other people don’t do things the same way they do and it can cause friction.
Remember that your different voices are a strength of your blog and not its weakness.
Keep Things Organized
One of the most difficult things to do when co-running a blog with someone is to keep everything running smooth. Sure, in the blog’s early days all hands will be on deck and people will be happy to contribute and pull their weight.
After a while, however, the spirits get low at times and people start mailing in their contributions and their enthusiasm. These are those sensitive periods that spell death for many a blog and the best way to keep this from happening is to stay on top of things.
You need a clear plan for updating your blog and for publishing new content. You need a clear division of labor, to use the term from the economics and you need ways of making sure mistakes and oversights do not happen too often. Some blogs use project management tools that help them organize updates and everyone working on the blog. If you think this might help you (and it might, really), do a thorough project management software comparison and find the best solution for your needs.
Staying on top of things will require quite a bit of communication and dedication, but it is worth it.
There is nothing quite like a fantastic collaborative blog where you get to hear from a number of voices.