Blogging: It Does Not Have to be Daunting

• February 17, 2020

As with any form of writing, some people keep themselves from blogging by allowing themselves to get overwhelmed with the details. Is this you? You enjoy reading blogs, but the idea of writing one may throw you.

You want to write a blog? You need to write a blog for your company? What’s stopping you? This is not a rhetorical question. I want you to ask yourself what stands in the way.

Here are some of the answers I’ve heard.

• “It’s a big commitment.”
• “You have to do it every week—at least.”
• “I don’t know what to write about. How does anyone think of all those article subjects?”
• “No one will read it on my company site.”

They’re all objections, and if you’re convinced of their truth, you’ve proven your point. You shouldn’t start a blog.

Some of us, though, come up with those kinds of answers to talk ourselves out of projects. If you’re on the fence about this and would like to explore the idea of writing a blog, let’s look at the objections above, one by one.

“It’s a Big Commitment.”

Try removing the word, “big.” It looks smaller, doesn’t it?

It’s a commitment, but keep the following in mind:

• It’s not like getting married or having a baby.
• You only must come up with 300 words. Of course, some blog posts can be longer, but 300 words is the minimum.
• No one is going to die if you don’t post for one week. You also can write a couple of blogs at a time when you are on a roll, and schedule them to appear when you want them to show.

“You have to do it every week—at least.”

It’s a good idea, if you can do it, to post every week. I’ve blogged either 1 or 2 times a week for 10 years. I’ve written thousands of blogs for legal nurse consultants, attorneys, and patients. Don’t get intimidated by that number: you start where I started – with the first blog.

Seth Godin, blogger par excellence, posts every day. I think that is not a realistic or desirable goal for most business owners. I’d rather see you marketing and generating income and reserving an hour a week for blogging.

And yes, you can do it for an hour a week if you are organized and keep track of your ideas for blogs. Focus on blogging regularly, and increase the frequency to whatever is comfortable for you. A lot of your comfort, though, will depend on whether you can change your mind about the next answer on the list.

“I don’t know what to write about. How does anyone think of all those blogging subjects?”

Alternate wording of this objection: “I never could (know what to write about).” You’re right about that if you think, “One year of blog posts every week is 52 subjects. I can’t think of 52 subjects.” Break it down into manageable pieces. Don’t think about a year; think about one month. That’s four articles. You can do four articles.

To make sure that you can (and to even put you in the running for 52), allow yourself preparation time. See what other people in your niche write about in their blog posts. Free-associate, brainstorm. And never copy their blogs. That is plagiarism and could get you in BIG trouble.

Brainstorm topics. Write down every idea you can come up with. Do not censor. Write, write, and then write some more. Use the power of your fellow company employees to brainstorm topics.

This file is your gold mine. Every time you get an idea for your blog: when you’re shopping, waiting at the dentist’s office, write it down. Use the back of a shopping list or any available piece of paper or a note on your phone. Or send an email to yourself with the idea. Make sure it’s legible, though—no “sttnhm pof, artiiop!!!”

You are surrounded by topics and team members who can contribute their ideas.

“No one will read it on my site.”

Not at first. You will need to promote and publicize your blog. Search engine optimization is crucial. Your goal now is to think about what you want to write and then use that for blogging.

Once your blog is ready, you will share it on your website, LinkedIn, your business page on Facebook, and to your list of clients and prospects. You’ll get comments, which will encourage you to keep writing.

This blog is extracted from Pat Iyer’s book, 52 writing Tips: Fast and Easy Ways to Polish Your Writing. Find it on Pat’s website, WritingToGetBusiness.com. Pat is one of the original 100 C Suite Network Contributors.