That's right, blogging sucks. As much as I'm a fan of it and advise every small business, entrepreneur, and organization to do it, I know it can be a real pain. Even I get down about it sometimes. Geez, are you kidding? Another damn deadline?
Yep, somedays blogging just sucks.
But for every excuse you or I can muster, there's a way to dodge that bullet and rectify the situation. Let's look at 5 reasons people tell me that blogging sucks and figure out how to side step the suckage.
I don't like to (or can't) write
My wife likes to cook. I thought I did until I found out that cooking is more than making chili (my signature dish.) So, apparently I don't like cooking. And I feel inadequate when she's working late and I want to make her life easier by having food on the table when she gets home.
Writing, like cooking, just isn't in everyone's wheelhouse. And that's okay.
You don't need to get a degree in writing in order to blog. You don't need to fret over your words and try to get everything just right so that your high school English teacher would approve. You just need to get your thoughts out, coherently, and share them. If you can tell someone what you're thinking, you can create a nice, casual blog post about it.
Quick Tip
Don't try to be formal. Be yourself. Write your blog posts as though you were writing to a sibling or close friend.
I don't have time
Creating good content for your website is certainly important. But you don't have to produce an epic like War and Peace every time you sit down to write. A number of my blogging friends like to crank out 1000 word essays. And sometimes I join them. But a lot of times readers won't bother with the effort required to read that much. A nice target is 300 words. That's little more than an email to a friend (see the Quick Tip on #1.)
If your profession is artistic in nature (eg, hair stylist, chefs/restaurants, florist, etc,) you might get away with fewer words and more pictures. A hair stylist could post a "Style of the Week" with little to no text at all and still be providing great content. Of course, a few words for SEO purposes would be very beneficial.
Also, select a schedule that you can keep up with. You don't need to blog every day. This is, afterall, 15 Minute Mondays! Blog once a week or even once a month. Spend more time promoting your website than you spend putting content onto it.
Quick Tip
Keep it short and simple. Limit your posts to a workable schedule and limit your post length to something both you and your readers will enjoy.
I don't know what to write about / my industry is boring
Every business has something interesting to say. Often a lot more than you might think at first.
The first step is to brainstorm topics. Write down everything you can think of that would be interesting. Get your coworkers or employees involved, too. Then ask your friends and family if they have ever wondered anything about your business. Soon you'll have a list of ideas for blog posts that could last months or years.
Then look for ways to tie your topics to current events. In the Spring of 2013, while working with a group of massage therapists on their websites, we were brainstorming current events to tie to their businesses. High on the list was Kate Middleton's pregnancy and soon we had a handful of topics involving the benefits of both prenatal and postpartum massage. The content they developed was fun, relevant, and came after a long conversation about massage therapy being boring.
Quick Tip
It may be boring to you, but other people will want to know about your business or industry. Start with questions that people ask you and branch out from there.
It's already been done before (repeatedly)
It's true. There is nothing new under the sun. What is new, at least to your readers, is your fresh perspective on the topic. Googling most topics will reveal hundreds, if not thousands, of related articles and blog posts. What differentiates you (and most of them) is a unique spin on the subject which will engage your audience.
Quick Tip
Go back to the Quick Tip for #1 again and create your blog posts as though they were personal messages to friends or family. Use your sense of humor and personal approach to delivering your message.
Another one? Already?!
This article is part of the Business Blogging 101 series.
As soon as you finish a blog post, it's time for another one. I feel for you. It's the same way here at Casa de Thomason. Every so often I manage to get a post or two ahead and then I coast until I'm right up on my self-imposed publishing deadline again.
Even though I slip sometimes, I do have a system that makes it easier on me. I started with my brainstormed list (see #3) which resulted in nearly a year's worth of topics (based upon my once a week publishing schedule.) Then I put them in a workable order.
As soon as I finish a blog post, I know what my next one will be (although sometimes timely topics like Facebook or Twitter changes sneak and and bump the other topics back a week.) I write that topic on a Post-it Note and stick it to my monitor. During the week I'll spend a few minutes here and there jotting down ideas and maybe even outlining the post. Then I try to get it written by Thursday so I can proofread it before it goes live on Monday morning. Then I start over.
At first it was a chore. But now it's a habit. It's always in the back of my mind.
Quick Tip
Create a publishing schedule and then break down the time between posts into a content development schedule. Research, outline, write, proofread, publish. It'll get easier once your blogging switches from chore to habit.
Photo Credit: "Disapprove" by hobvias sundoneighm is licensed under CC BY 2.0