Writing a blog post each week is easy - right?
We are each different and unique in our talents and strengths as business owners and managers.
If you are like me, writing your blog posts seems exciting at first, but then becomes daunting once you approach actually clicking on the Publish button.
If you are one of those who feels confident (in the face of your own nervousness and fears), you hit the Publish button anyway!
If you are one of those who feels scared and nervous but knows that customers count on your blog to develop their confidence in your business, then you hit the Publish button anyway!
But, if you are focused on your blog writing to the point of forgetting about your overall business operation and how a blog was going to fit into your strategy of growing your business - if you are new to business, or newer than some - AND you are timid about your own writing and allowing others to see it (like me) - then you probably didn't hit the Publish button. You probably decided to wait until the blog was better written, until your ideas had fully formed, until you got up the courage, until you got some positive feedback from a customer or friend, until you found yourself in a good week and riding a wave of confidence.... waiting for .... anything! Anything other than ... having people see your writing!!! Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!
Yet, you KNOW you need to publish - that the whole point of having a blog was to raise the visibility of your business, demonstrate your expertise and passion to potential customers and attract them, engage customers in their search for solutions to their problems, and to simply let people know that your business existed and that they should check you out.
The solutions, fortunately, are multiple - but in the end, you have to hit the Publish button.
Solution 1: let this be one part of your life where you let go of the need for peer approval and simply get it done - because doing so might benefit your business and you want to see if it does. And remind yourself of two things: a) how it will help your marketing just to have a fresh active blog regularly out there, and b) you will learn from this experience, and you'll become wiser and more experienced as a result - even if you eventually decide to discontinue it. Write for 15 minutes, be yourself, and hit the Publish button.
- There! Problem accomplished! You did it!
Solution 2: hire a blog writer - make a list of topics and messages you want published, send it to them, check the blog to make sure it is written each week, and pay them. There are plenty of blog writers to hire at every price level, but no matter who you hire, sign a contract. If it's your brother or sister, you will protect your relationship with them by having a contract. If it's someone you hired off the internet, then you ensure clarity and commitment from them.
- There! Problem accomplished! You did it!
Solution 3: make a decision to choose a different form of marketing. Don't blame yourself - love yourself! Do it for your own health and peace of mind and do it for yourself! And for your goal - of running a successful business! If blogging is just too time-consuming and anxiety provoking, give yourself permission to do what YOU need and want to do! This is YOUR business, YOUR business plan, so you get to make the decisions that work for YOU!
- There! Problem accomplished! You did it!
Next post, I will share some places you can go (on the web or locally) to find blog writers in your price range!
