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How to Improve Your Blog When You Have No Internet Access

Posted By Darren Rowse 13th of June 2009 General 0 Comments

internetdown.jpgHere I am – sitting in my local cafe where I’d come to spend the morning working on my blog using my mobile broadband modem…. which today decides not to work.

Arrrghhh!

I spent 15 minutes trying to connect…. 5 minutes complaining about it on Twitter…. another 10 minutes trying to get it working…. 3 minutes grumbling to the waitress….

And then I decided that I had better do something productive.

But what can you do to improve your blog when you don’t have internet access? Here’s a few ideas:

  1. Brainstorm Post Ideas – one of the things I enjoy doing in these moments is coming up with ideas for new posts. I usually do it with a little mind mapping on a notebook that I usually have with me.
  2. Design an Editorial Calendar – Once you have your list of possible ideas to write posts about – slot some of the best ones into a calendar for your next week (or month) of posting. Add to it some other tasks that you want to achieve in the coming days and weeks (promotional activities etc).
  3. Write Posts – while it can be handy to have access to the web while writing posts to help you with research writing posts while offline forces you to have more original thoughts and not rely upon things you’ve previously written or the ideas of others. I particularly find setting myself the challenge to start writing a ‘series’ of posts a good idea in times where I know I’ll be without internet for an extended period of time.
  4. Strategic Thinking and Review – spend some time doing a little strategic thinking about your blog. How has it been going? Who’s been reading it lately? What types of reactions are you getting from readers? How are your energy levels as a blogger? What opportunities are their in your niche at present? Don’t just ‘review’ and ‘reflect’ – as part of this construct a ‘to do list’ of things you need to achieve once you get back online.
  5. Write a Guest Post – guest posting on someone else’s blog in your niche is a great way to grow your profile and find new readers. So take some time out while you’re offline to write a post for someone else’s blog. Alternatively write a helpful tutorial or opinion piece for a forum in your niche so you can post it when you’re back online.
  6. Clear your Inbox – depending upon your email system you may be able to spend some time clearing up your inbox. I use Gmail and can work in offline mode get a lot done in that mode.
  7. Write a ‘Report’ for your Readers – why not take a little time to write some kind of a free report or bonus article for your readers. One great way to incentivize people to signup for your RSS feed or newsletter is to give them something for free for doing so. Choose a topic that you get a lot of questions about or that is a good beginner topic in your niche and write an extended and helpful article on the topic. Put it into a pdf so when you can get back online you can add it to your blog.
  8. Record a Podcast or Video – one of the main reasons that people resist creating video or podcasts for their blogs is a lack of time. Recording or editing these kinds of media can take time and effort. So now that you’ve got some time on your hands get going, video and audio can add new depth to your blog and add a personal touch.
  9. Come Up with Poll Topics – coming up with new polls are another thing that I find myself putting off on my blog. I’m not sure why but it’s a task that often slips my mind or that I struggle with coming up with questions for. Put aside 15 minutes and come up with as many questions for future polls as you can. Save them somewhere so you’ll have a ready supply over the coming weeks and months.
  10. Design a Competition – Competitions are a great way of creating buzz on and around your blog. They can deepen reader engagement and help find new readers for your blog – but they take time to come up with. Take some time to plan one for your blog. It need not be a big one with a massive prize, even a simple competition with a cheap prize and a low requirement for entry (like leaving a comment on a post) can work well.
  11. Write up some Interview Questions – interviewing someone in your niche is something that takes a fair bit of work – spend some time identifying someone that you’d like to interview on your blog and construct a list of questions that you’d ask them.
  12. Take a Break – perhaps the universe is trying to tell you something by conspiring to bring your internet down. Why not go with the offline thing and go for a walk, play with your kids, take your better half out for a coffee, have a sleep, read a book….. your blog will still be there when your internet is working again.

Of course the above activities can all be done whether you have internet access or not – however many of them are things we put off for ‘one day’ and never get around to.

While having your internet go down can be frustrating – the key is to snap yourself out of the frustration and to do something productive and worthwhile with the time. Don’t just sit there trying to connect for hour after hour – get something done.

What activities do you do when you don’t have access to the internet?

PS: My internet is still down but I’ve managed to be productive. I’ve written 3 posts (including this one), planned 4 more, edited a post from one of my writers on DPS, answered 30 or so emails and am now going for a walk.

PS2: Spookily, just as I was about to shutdown my computer…. the internet came back!

About Darren Rowse
Darren Rowse is the founder and editor of ProBlogger Blog Tips and Digital Photography School. Learn more about him here and connect with him on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Comments
  1. I usually take the #12 – take a break :)
    I mean, most of the time I’ll be in front of the computer anyway, so if I have no internet connection (which is rarely), I do something else

    Especially on the weekend, I try not to blog anything heavy or not posting anything

  2. Salman says: 06/13/2009 at 1:05 am

    Hi Darren
    Superb post.From all the posts I tell frankly that this is the best one that I felt.
    Great ! Great !

    Regards
    Salman
    http://www.tips4blogging.co.cc

  3. You make a very good point, so often when we’re frustrated by what we can’t get done, we hyper-focus on that one thing to the exclusion of more productive pursuits. Excellent advice, challenging us to become productive, even when we feel ourproductivity is being thwarted. Sometimes we forget what truly adaptive creatures we can be.

  4. Incredible ideas, Darren! Thank you so much for this post…

    …Now I just found out some amazing ways to spend my time productively while being offline!

    Thanks once again.

  5. Hooray for the return of your internet!

    I do a lot of offline writing and composing. I have a few composition books scattered across the various flat surfaces at home and work so that one is usually within reach for me to jot something down (or write an entire article).

    Competitions are fun. I’m running a stock market prediction contest on The Casual Observer ( http://www.observingcasually.com/stock-market-contest-june-1-update/ – sorry, closed to new entries). It has also given me some mentions in the blogs of contentants.

  6. You have listed some useful actions to take in improving a blog with no internet access. I rely on the internet sometimes too much and completely agree with No.3 on your list especially because I often check for facts about a topic or an extra resource.

    Writing without research is something that I nearly stopped doing unless it is a topic that I have experience with or subjects that I am already knowledgeable of, so working on posts offline can be a good way to get me back on track with not depending on the internet to help craft my posts.

    Also, working on a blog when you have no internet connection can also help to get some of the meaty tasks out of the way so that once you are up and running with a connection again….that time can be spent promoting your blog now that most of the hard work is completed, at least for the time being.

  7. Great ideas you have there. I really like number 1 and 4. I also use a mindmapping tool to organize all my article ideas. I still have a lot of those since i just started.

    “What opportunities are their in your niche at present?” I am going to concentrate on this. With opportunities, there is also a good chance you can be extra useful and relevant.

  8. This could also be named! What can you do to improve your blog while being monitored using your works internal network.

    Great ideals but with or without the internet I still find myself doing the majority of these things.

  9. Thanks for these great tips. Last month I faced the same problem as I was offline for 10 days and in that time, my blog was affected as I couldnt pay attention to it. i should have done something productive as you have mentioned above

  10. My internet was down for two days last week and at first I thought I was going to die, but then I did most of the things on this list. It was really refreshing actually to not be connected to the internet. I got a ton of crap done! I would recommend that we all disconnect for just a little while each week. It’s good for the brain!

  11. Darren;

    Once again, great post–I was just thinking about this same thing the other day–I am one of the few people I know who REFUSES to pay for internet at coffee shops (I’m looking at you Starbucks!), so I’m often without internet during these times.

    I’m bookmarking this post–it’s a great one to have nearby!

  12. I hate it when the site goes down just I am about to do something or anytime for that matter. Good suggestions. Live Writer can saves drafts which you can post later.

  13. I don’t know why, I love to write the article in offline mode. I go to online to find the reference and post it.
    I’m using ScribeFire to do that.

  14. This is a great post, as I do tend to bang my head against the wall when the internet goes down. Now I’ve got a handy list of things I could be doing to productively use my time instead!

    Just to be on the safe side, I think I’ll make a hard copy of this one and hang it up by my desk. ;)

  15. Nice tips. There are a lot of activities that we can do for improve our blog posting when we’re offline. Maybe the best one is to avoid feeling bad or angry for something that we can’t control. Have a nice day!

  16. Wonderful Darren! I think my times are more productive when internet is not accessible than when it is. It is easy to understand but I found it hard to change unless I committed seriously for my blogging. Internet like a door to outside world. Now I can control my time better than in the past though.

    Thanks for sharing wonderful Ideas, I am jotting them down and add more productivity to my time!

  17. I can definitely get more done when I’m not online and distracted – especially when I only have a notepad and pen. I will keep these suggestions in mind for the next time.

  18. Thank you for this post, Darren. I often feel like I’m useless without the computer, but it is a good idea to take some time away, curl up somewhere more comfortable and just THINK, or even work in on regular paper (how old-fashioned).

  19. Great post, Darren! Sometimes, however, I’d just deliberately hang-up so that I could actually get real work done. The Internet can be a real distraction if we’re not too mindful.

  20. Great article! Living in the country and being dependent on satellite for my internet connection, I often find myself offline. You’ve given me some great ideas on how to utilize that time.

  21. All are excellent suggestions. Whenever I don’t have Internet access it seems my world starts crashing down. lol

  22. Very nice post!

    I’m going out of town this weekend, and I know it will be hard for me to get internet access, so this post was really helpful for me.

    I’ll print this post out and bring it with me.

  23. About the editorial calendar, think through seasonal times for blogging. It is not unheard of to work on Christmas ideas in the heat of July!

  24. You mean all the time i was on hold .. I could’ve done some work?

    Seriously. when my internet access is down..I can barely think straight. I’m not sure what I did before I had internet.

    Great list of tips

  25. My situation is little different. I don’t own a computer and I blog from a netcafe

  26. When my internet conection is down I use to play games, watch tv or read books.

    I worry about my blogging activity only when I’m online.

  27. Those are great ideas and many can be done if you don’t have access to a computer. I sometimes have to compete with my kids for computer time, since they use it for school work too. Or, if I’m out and about around town, dropping kids off/picking them up I could use a notebook to accomplish some of these things. Sometimes I think better with old fashioned paper and ink.

    Thanks for the ideas!

  28. This happens to me on a regular basis as the ISP is very ineffective but i never been so productive .i just gave up!

  29. Thanks for a very inspiring blog-post which certainly can help increase our overall performance. So glad to see you have recaptured a creative style, and certainly enjoying the 31DBBB e-book. :-)

  30. So many of your posts give excellent advice, but I’ll have to admit that this is one of my favorites. It is so easy to get sucked into the same patterns and this post challenges us to work in new and creative ways. I’ve found that when I can’t use the computer – not even wordprocessing – and I have to turn to pen and paper, I sometimes do some of my most creative thinking. I don’t understand the science of the brain, but I’m convinced that it calls somehow on different brain cells. Thanks for reminding us that we can use valuable time to work in different ways.

    My favorite suggestion – and maybe the most important – is to walk away from the computer and do something else. It definitely frees the mind – and is good for the soul!

  31. A loss of connection could sometimes bring in that needed pause from all the online work to let us catch a breather.

    The most common thing I do when this happens is going over my drafts to finish a couple or two posts.

  32. Great post! Sometimes I wish my internet connection would go down so as to force me to do other things! I’ve written about the benefits of writing while offline on my blog. Not only do I get more work done, it’s usually of a better quality.

  33. Darren, you should come hang out at my place, Parlour @ 102 Barkly Street, St Kilda. I dumped the ‘cafe wifi’ product and put a decent ADSL connection in, so I could work! And if I’m pulling coffees that day you get free tech support as well :)

  34. I usually do the emails when my internet connection rises up in mutiny. I do use gmail on my mobile, so am always only a button away…

    I also take out time to read other people’s blog with GPRS through my mobile…like am viewing problogger through the 2inch screen now! I also take out time to reply to comments on my blogs in a more relaxed manner.

    …if getting on the internet is damn so important at the mo, then DARREN, you could CONNECT WITH YOUR MOBILE AS A MODEM! How? I’ll cover the steps tomorrow on my blog – thanks for the post idea inspiration Darren!

    My internet speed is always considerably fast using my mobile as a mobile – with my methods. Thanks to my gadget, i just left this reply…

  35. Kudos to you for staying productive. In that situation I would have gotten frustrated and disgusted and just taken a break. Bought a newspaper or magazine and enjoyed myself at the coffee shop. I would justify it by saying it was “a sign”.

  36. Internet down- work through frustration and anxiety- be able to get a lot more done than people with internet.

    Is pro-blogger made of steel?

  37. Wow, now it looks as if I’ll do the most work when i dont have an internet … nice post !!

  38. Great post, though the internet is still crucial to design stuff…

  39. I find that using Windows Live Writer allows me to create my drafts with or without Internet access – as long as the images I want to include are on my computer.

    I can create two or three drafts and then upload when back online. Your additional tips though give me food for thought. Perhaps my blogging method is a little sloppy. Hmmmm.

  40. being in offline mode helps to churn out new ideas the best…you get ideas and directions with online search but the creative flair is what, one achieves best in an offline mode..

    Nice tips…

    Amy Dyslex

  41. Yeah the last one is really fine and that what I do usually. Because if my internet is on than I do not think about anything except my work.

    Internet failure give me some time to relax and in relaxing time I always think about my long term GOAL.

  42. Interesting. Because most of the works could be done offline without an internet connection for blogging. Only while publishing, does an internet connection needed :).

    I deliberately sometimes stay offline to be productive, working on one thing at a time than chatting and tweeting in between.

    When it is forced upon, actually, it is a boon :)

  43. Sometimes it is truly a blessing in surprise.

    Having a set time to reflect on where you are and where you are going is just as useful.

  44. Good work darren, do you know thats what is happening to me now, all my blogs are down …well have to start thinking

  45. Ditto on #3 writing posts. On a similar note, I just bought a new qwerty phone which lets me write posts while on the go (commuting, etc). It’s really made me much more productive. In fact, I find that I write faster on the phone than on the computer sometimes, because there’s lesser distractions on the phone compared to the computer! (with the internet, emailing, surfing and what not)

  46. thats a cool idea and it goes with the 90/10 theory ( I saw it in an email forward) where 10% of the stuff happened in your life cannot be control (Internet is not working) but 90% of your life can be controlled by you and depends on your actions. You can waste time blaming other about the faulty internet connection and do nothing waiting for internet. Or like Darren said do something productive.

    Nice post as usual!!!

  47. Great post. I think mind mapping is important. I think taking a break once awhile can keep you going for a long term. I can totally agree with all the points. I think a poll is a good idea. Through polls there is a lot that we can learn from the readers.

  48. Great post, Darren.

    I agree with Narender that internet access can sometimes be a distraction that reduces rather than aids productivity.

    I’m rarely without internet access, so instead I’m going to reserve a couple of hours a week to hit the off button on my wireless, power off my PDA and give my blog the attention it so needs without the bleep, buzz and hum of internet communications.

    Thanks!

    @emilycagle

  49. Usually, when this thing happen, I just spend my time with my kids play with them and relax while waiting for the connection to come back.. Thanks for the Tips Darren.

  50. I rarely take my laptop with me when I am running around to appointments, but I always have a legal. I find I think differently long hand then I do into a key board, and enjoy writing posts or jotting down ideas and reviewing them later.

    This also works on long car trips, as long as i am not the one driving. : )

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