Content | Deleting Your Old or Embarrassing Content

I would bet all the chocolate in my stash that when you first started blogging you wrote about anything that seemed people would want to read and added a whole lot of photos and graphics that violated every copyright infringement law that is currently in place. I will also be that you didn't know any better and that you hadn't put in the research needed to make sure you A | weren't violating anything and B | actually had no idea what your "blogging voice" actually was.

I would also wager my chocolate stash and my wine stash that you still have all those posts sitting on your blog, embarrassing you and the professional blogger that you have since become. You're not really sure what to do with those posts; can they be salvaged? Can you delete them? What the heck do you do with them now that you have found your voice and you're doing rather well as a blogger (if you do say so yourself ha!)

Well my lovelies, Elley is here to save the day. I have some fantastic solutions to the old and embarrassing content dilemma you currently find yourself in as well as what you actually can do with those old posts. Ready to see them? Clickity clack, Jack!

Ok so, you need some legit options to clean up your blog and purge yourself of all that content you wrote a million years ago as a new blogger, right? Well, here are my favorite three:

1 | Edit, Update & Republish:

Your idea may have been poorly executed but some of those posts may have some really great content. You pulled the post back to drafts or just deleted all those stolen pictures (you did delete the stolen pictures right?) and now it sits, taking up space and staring at you as it mocks you for your failed attempt as a blogger. But I am betting that despite the fact that it screams "newbie", you can easily edit that old post, give it some new shine with your own (legal) images and save it for a rainy day when your blog post idea silo is running low on brain grains. 

What To Do:

Go into that post and copy it over to your drafting program of choice, read it, reread it and then read it a third time. Next, make a list of what is good about the post, rip out anything not legally your own and then read it again, sentence by sentence, adding structure, sources and notes for what photos you can use. 

When you're finished, you'll have a like new post ready to go whenever you need it. 

Bonus: When rereading these old posts, see if they even still fit your niche. If you have your 5 main categories set up then keep them in mind when you are going over these posts. Ask yourself: Do they fir in any of my categories? Am I saying something really close to my heart that I feel needs to be shared? If the answer is yes, you have a winner. If it's a no, then move on to option 2...

2 | Edit, Update & Shop:

This idea works well for posts that have good bone structure, that you can turn into something that people will want to read but that don't really fir your blog or your niche anymore. Guest Posting is a fantastic way to get yourself seen and heard without posting on your own blog. It can be anything from that one craft you made a year ago that you love but is the only craft on your blog, to  recipe or a book review. Guest Posting can do wonders for both you and your host blog and those old posts that you love but can't seem to make fit on your blog may be the perfect post for a friends blog.

What To Do:

Get that post ready to go and go talk to your blogger friends. Think about who is in your niche or consider reaching out to fellow bloggers in groups you belong to. Discuss your post at length, maybe even let them read it. If you have edited it and cleaned it up properly you'll likely find a winner to share this post on, getting eyes on your blog and not having to sacrifice a perfectly good post. 

Bonus: If you have a lot of posts like this you can shop to different blogs and land yourself in a network. Also consider taking posts that were maybe part of a series and adding it to your newsletter instead of guest posting. Roundup posts that don't suit your niche any longer can also be turned into a series on social media that maybe can be shared in bite sized pieces to gain exposure. If that doesn't work then it is definitely time to go forward with option 3...

2 | Save Tidbits as Notes and Delete:

The simple truth is that not every post idea is a good one. However, sometimes you had a line or two that may have been real gems. More or less what you need to do with some of these old posts is just bite the bullet and delete them entirely. Just remember that when you do this you are likely going to have broken links all over the place so be sure that you are using a good broken link checker after cleaning out those posts.

What To Do:

Go through the post and make sure that there is nothing of use. Consider noting the topic if it is something you would like to revisit but can't salvage anything from the post itself. After you have made sure it's what I call a "disposable post", just delete it from your blog and move on. 

Bonus: If you are deleting a lot of content that is old and worthless, consider when you wrote them and why. Make some notes and add them to your blog goals for the coming year so you can avoid this happening again in the future.

Start the Discussion:

How many old and embarrassing posts are taking up space on your blog?
How many of them can be turned into productive posts?
What's your preferred method of cleaning out old post content?

Happy Blogging!