So You Think You’re No Good at Business Blogging?
Are you really no good at business blogging? Or have you fallen into a false belief?
Many business owners, sales managers, technicians and other would be writers think that they are no good at blogging. They may have tried and failed, or just “know” they can’t do it.
If this is you, maybe this will sound familiar; “I tried blogging a few times, and I didn’t like what I wrote, and we didn’t see any benefits so I stopped?”
And after this failed attempt you come to the conclusion that you are no good at it, and it’s not for you.
Well, I would like to say that in my humble opinion you are most likely completely wrong.
Here’s how I know;
While there are some people who should probably not be blogging on your company website, the chief among these are people with no real passion or interest in helping your customers and buyers.
I’m sure that doesn’t describe you though, right?
So as long as you have an interest in helping people do things and fix their problems associated with your industry, you are qualified to blog – it’s that simple.
If you want to read some reasons to write, read here.
What’s your reason(excuse?) for not blogging?
I tried it and I was rubbish at it
Firstly, how do you know it was bad? Did you get someone else’s opinion? Did they say it was bad?
Remember, business blogging, done well is a creative process and like any creation it works best if put you heart into, but if you do put your heart into it then any attack on your creative work stabs you in the heart, and it hurts. So what many people do is they protect themselves and their creative work by refusing to publish or promote it.
Secondly, if this is you’re first time, did you really expect to produce your best possible stuff right off the bat? You won’t because it takes time to learn and to grow better. Just keep going, and if you write something bad, either re-write it or forget it and move on to the next one.
To paraphrase Michael Crighton; “Blogs aren’t written – they’re rewritten. Including your own. It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially after the seventh rewrite hasn’t quite done it.”
If the original idea was good, then there is a good article in there, so keep going.
Tip; if on the first read through you really think it’s terrible do two things before your bin it;
1) show someone else and get feedback,
2) leave it for a week or so and re-read it. Then you’ll have forgotten a lot of it and it will seem like someone else’s work. So many times I’ve written a stinker, and then re-read it weeks later and thought that with a couple of edits it would be great. You are too emotionally connected with it, at least in the first few days after writing it.
Tips for writing blogs for the blog averse.
1. Don’t blog so much as write emails to friends – then publish them.
So you can’t blog as well as you’d like, but can you write clear and helpful emails to close friends about your industry? If so then write blogs exactly the same, even write an email and copy it to your blog if that helps. They will come out conversational, which is perfect, and they will be helpful by nature. It also feels less intimidating as well if you are writing for one person rather than the whole world.
See writing as a mind game, because it is.
2. Don’t Blog at all.
How can you blog without blogging? Easy, you dictate, your present and you talk. Record yourself talking on your smartphone and get it transcribed. You can find excellent transcription services on the internet or find a freelancer on www.upwork.com.
You may find you have to rewrite the whole thing and move sections around for clarity, but that’s fine, and it’s a very quick way to blog as you will be talking much faster than you can type.
You can also move this easily into podcasts and videos. If you’re happy presenting, then video yourself or work it into a a video based presentation. Put the video on YouTube and embed it in your blog. You can also transcribe chunks of it into the blog post to get SEO value from it.
3. Answer distinct questions
Find questions buyers have about your industry and answer them. You are eminently qualified to do so. Imagine questions people new to your industry would have and answer them. Try to keep the tone friendly, and educational, and try not to lecture. No one wants to read user manuals at the best of times, so make sure you keep it engaging by being conversational.
4. Get your personality in there
It’s fine to include things that you believe, thought and interests, just relate them back to the topic at hand. This adds a personal tone to the post and people can start to get to know you through your writing.
Really – anyone can blog!
I believe anyone can become a great blogger, it just requires you to try to find what works for you, and to not get dissuaded by those negative internal voices.
After all, it’s not for you to say that your creation is not good, it’s for your buyers, and even if they do then they are simply there to help guide you.
Win or learn – there is no such thing as losing.
And remember – content marketing builds empires.
For more content and blog related tips, check out our ebook – How to build killer content that your Prospects will want to devour.
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