What’s Keeping You from Starting a Blog?

Do you want to start a blog for your business, but have been reluctant to get one going? You’re not alone. I recently posted a Facebook question that asked, “What is your biggest fear about starting a blog for your business?” These were the top three answers:

1. I take too long – (procrastination)
2. I don’t know what to write about
3. I don’t have the time

Let’s tackle these excuses one at a time, so I can convince you that a blog will be worth your effort.

#1 – Procrastination.

There are a couple of ways to beat the “I take too long” excuse.  Take a deep breath, and as one of my friends and life coach Jenn Lee says, “Be Bold.”  And get organized.  Make a list of 10-20 topics to write about. Once or twice a week, sit down at your computer, and set a timer for one hour to write. At the end of the hour, save your work and come back to it another time. If you finished the article, great! If not, that’s ok too. You’ll finish it the next time. Remember, it usually takes a while for a habit to become routine. And that’s what blog writing will be – a new habit.

There’s an even easier way to beat the procrastination excuse. Hire a professional copywriter! Preferably, one that is trained in search engine optimization to make sure your blog gets noticed by Google and your target audience.

#2 – Not knowing what to write.

I hear this excuse a lot whenever I talk about blogging for business. But it’s not as hard as you might think to come up with topics. Set up a Google alert for keywords related to your business. Look for news items that would be of interest to your audience. Read other blogs in your industry for ideas. Put your own spin on an article you like. If you’re still stumped, check out this list of 42 blog ideas.

#3 – I don’t have the time.

This excuse is similar to the procrastination one. And it’s certainly one I can empathize with, especially if you’re a small business owner. There are only so many hours in the day, and you wear so many hats already!  If you’re trying to market your business on Facebook or Twitter, the thought of starting a blog may be overwhelming. But, it will be worth it. Companies with a blog attract 55% more visitors to their website than those without, according to Hubspot.  And if you are using Facebook or Twitter or LinkedIn, you can share your blog articles with your fans and followers.

My advice is to follow the steps I mentioned above. Spend one hour a week on a blog. Write as many articles as you can, and save them as drafts until you’re ready to publish. Take advantage of apps that will automatically post your blog on social networking sites, such as Facebook’s Networked Blogs app.

Or, hire an SEO copywriter, like myself, to do the work for you. That way you get the benefit of having a blog, without having to spend the time and energy writing it yourself!  If this sounds like the solution for you, email me today for a quote.