I’ve been a blogger since 2007 and in the time since have written hundreds of blog posts and taught dozens of classes and workshops on blogging. We know blogging is powerful. It’s THE BEST way to elevate your image and expand your influnce (as long as you use it strategically and post consistently). So the big question is,
should YOU blog in 2016?
Let’s start with reason why you should NOT blog.
1. You hate writing.
Why blog if you don’t enjoy writing??
If you hate writing, there are so many other ways to get your message in front of people other than blogging. Do those.
- speaking
- teaching workshops
- local networking groups
- online or newspaper articles
- YouTube
- podcasts
- email newsletters
2. You love using social media but find that writing consistently is a drag.
I tell my clients that you MUST blog consistently.
But consistently can mean once a month! Here’s the real key: can you establish your own version of consistent and be happy with it?
If you’ll be torturing yourself with thoughts of, “I’ve abandoned my blog!” or “I need to start blogging more!” that distract you from your work, don’t bother blogging. See above for alternatives.
3. You want to make money at blogging.
I don’t know how to make money blogging so don’t ask me.
I treat my blog as a parking lot for my thoughts, ideas, expertise, activities and contact information. Do I make money from the speaking gigs I book, coaching clients I land and services I sell?? YES. But that’s not “making money from blogging,” that’s me using my blog as my primary marketing method for everything I do, just like a website.
I don’t personally know any people who make money blogging but I know a lot of people who make MORE money BECAUSE they blog. And they don’t blog for the money, by the way. They’re passionate about what they’re talking about and they blog to promote that.
Think of a blog as a marketing tool, not as a money-maker.
4. You’re an over-thinking perfectionist.
Let me be clear. I am an over-thinking perfectionist.
I find mistakes in old posts on a weekly basis. I have learned to embrace “progress over perfection” and blog authentically. It takes time.
But if you’re the type who won’t hit publish until the post is perfect (and the thing you’re talking about is perfect, and the graphic is perfect, and the social media platform where you’re going to promote it is perfect, and your home page is perfect, and your profile picture is perfect, and your email newsletter is perfect, etc. etc….you know who you are) then I don’t recommend blogging for you.
Write an ebook and have it professionally edited instead!
Blogging is, in my opinion, meant to be REAL, honest and inspiring…not perfect.
5. You’re unwilling to invest your time and money into it.
Blogging done well requires time and money, it’s that simple. You need a WordPress site (my recommendation), hosting, branding, some technical bells and whistles (security protection and spam blockers for starters) and a content strategy. I do content strategies, by the way, if you need one.
In fact, I recommend a strategy session BEFORE you consider starting a blog to make sure you really know what you’re getting yourself into. I’m happy to hold one of those with you in my home studio or over the phone.
And blogging does require time. I am not THE most efficient blogger on the planet but my average post similar to this one takes me 1.5 hours start to finish, if I just sit down to write, then add the graphic, check the SEO and schedule it. That’s three hours/week before I’ve even promoted my posts. That’s an investment. You need to be committed to blogging if it’s going to work for you.
Now…should you blog in 2016??
The answer is YES, if…
- you’re an aspiring writer or author. This is the post for you (plus there’s a video).
- you want to live a big life.
- you’re ready to show UP and be seen.
- you want to try new things to get new results.
- you’re tired of hiding and want to step into your purpose.
- you’re OK with being an imperfectionist.
- you know you must tell your story.
You can also take my quiz to find out!
I love blogging and I’d love to support you on your blogging journey.
Please let me know if you have any questions or need any support!
Make sure you’re on my email list to receive updates on future blogging workshops, too.
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