It happens to the best of us, we’re blogging along and we make a huge mistake. Or we try to make changes and screw something up. Maybe we’ve left it alone for too long and want to resurrect it. Any way you look at it, there’s a huge thorny blog problem.

Change can be a good thing, like when you want to go to a paid theme with all the perks or you want to update to the latest WordPress. So you do it and bam!, you broke your blog. Or at least you and your readers can’t see it anymore. I could tell you that you should have backed up your blog before you messed with it, but you know that now. So get some help. The first place I start is with my hosting company. They back up everything on a consistent basis so they can actually bring your blog back up from the last time they saved it. It might be what your blog looked like 3 days ago so anything you’ve posted since then won’t be on it. That may or may not be a problem. Otherwise, get help from your resident techy expert.

Here’s another problem that can happen with change – you want to change your blog’s direction to match your new direction. Maybe your blog has been all about writing content and now you want to teach how to do video. You’ve got to make a choice. If the difference is not too great you can keep posting to your blog and explain to your readers what’s coming up. Some readers will go right along with you and some will protest and drop off. If the difference is pretty massive, then strongly consider starting a new blog on your new passion.

A very common thorny blog problem is when you’ve decided to start blogging again after a long hiatus. There are two schools of thought here. Either start blogging again and totally overlook the fact that it’s been forever since you blogged, or give an explanation about your absence. I think smaller gaps can be ignored, but larger gaps might need an explanation. It’s okay to admit you got beaten by shiny object syndrome or whatever; it makes you human. Word of caution – if you come clean about your lapse, don’t continue to keep lapsing.

Promoting an inferior product(s) or a slimy marketer is a serious problem. It can happen if you don’t do your homework and thoroughly check out the marketer and/or the product. It might also happen if you’re desperate for an income and your back is against the wall. Obviously you’re digging your own grave going this route and you can’t stop it soon enough. I’ve seen marketers come clean, tell their story, and give a heart-felt apology. Does this work? I think it depends on what you do next and if your word is good again.

Promoting products or showing ads when you haven’t previously can be an issue, especially if your blog is long established. Start small, very small with the ads or promotion, and keep the same great content coming. There will always be people who complain that you sold out. As long as you’re still giving valuable information on your blog, ignore them.

As you can see, every thorny blog problem has a solution. It might not be exactly what you wanted, but there’s always a work around. It’s not always possible to predict which direction you’re going to want to take your blog but the changes may be worth the bumpy ride.