Even if you’ve started to transition away from an ad-supported business model, the Q1 slump is a phenomenon that’s worth your attention.

As I mentioned before, ad revenue tends to plummet in the first part of the year. Most businesses are reassessing their budgets in the first quarter, and most of them habitually cut back on spending until those budgets are cleared. It’s especially noticeable coming after November and December, when ad budgets are ablaze with holiday-shopping promotion. It’s a steep drop that puts me into an annual panic.

But the Q1 slump goes deeper than ad revenue. Your traffic is probably slumping right now, too. The holiday season — and all the stress that comes with it — is over, and your readers are in recovery mode. The harsh winter weather hasn’t helped much. And, let’s face it, if you’re like a lot of us, you’ve probably had a hard time getting your own creative engine started in the last few weeks.

Let’s talk about getting through the slump…

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