5 Reasons Why People Don't Blog

I hear all the time from wellness professionals (who seem to be the epitome of perfectionists) who say they don't blog. When I ask them why, I hear the same thing over and over again. Let's see if any of these reasons hit home for you.

1 - I don't blog because I don't know what to say

First, I have to say I don't believe that. But if it really IS true, then think of it this way: When you talk to someone, what topic, related to what you do for a living, could you talk on and on and on about? What topics just light you up, that you feel a passion about?

THAT'S what you write about. It really is that simple.

But maybe that still doesn't help. Then try this: When you read or hear something, ask yourself what you could say about it, or how can you relate what you hear to what YOU do. For instance, we just had the Superbowl. If you provide nutrition services, what lessons about nutrition could we learn about how we snack during the game? If you provide fitness services, what lessons could we learn from getting TO the Superbowl? Or, I even thought I could write about lessons about success from the Superbowl.

Today, it seems that every book I read or every webinar I listen to provides me with some thoughts that I can write about.

2 - I don't blog because I'm afraid I'll put out wrong information

Sure, you can do some research and get some facts and figures. Those won't be wrong, as long as you get them from credible sources. But the rest is going to include your opinion.

Do you feel your opinion is wrong? I doubt it.

If you choose to write about organic foods, chances are good you're going to site some stats, and list a bit of history about organic foods. You might write about any variation of the topic, from how to find organic foods, to how credible the labeling is, today, to what companies to trust. But you are unlikely to write about organic if it's not an area you're interested in! And, chances are pretty good that you EAT organic foods if you are interested enough to write about it. You're not wrong to share that, nor to share your opinion. In fact, your blogs will be more powerful if you DO share your opinions.

3 - I don't blog because I can't write

I remember one of my clients telling me early in our work together that she doesn't know how to write. Then she had assignments, and her prose blew me away! I couldn't stay quiet: "I thought you said you couldn't write," I said to her. "Oh, I mean I don't know what to say."

If you don't know how to put a sentence together, there ARE people who can do that for you. And if you're not sure if what you write makes sense, or has correct grammar, etc, chances are you have family or friends who can read what you write and give you feedback.

Blogs aren't dissertations nor are they report papers. They're not even books! They are your thoughts and opinions about what you think and how use that to help others.

4 - I don't blog because it takes too much time

There is one main reason why blogging takes too much time, and that's because you try to make it 'perfect.' Sure, if you spend time researching, it can take more than a few minutes. But when is there enough research? When does enough editing and re-writing become enough? And why would you spend more than one or two times re-reading what you write? Usually because of a fear of it not being good enough.

5 - I don't blog because I don't see a benefit to it

Today it's not enough to just have a website. And it's not enough to just have an e-newsletter. And it's not enough to just have a presence on social media. In fact, according to ContentPLUS, blogs give our sites 434% more indexed pages and 97% more indexed links. This means more traffic!

Many people feel that if they don't get comments, their blogging isn't producing any results. I used to think that, too. Years ago, my social media VA with Time on Task VA Services (put link) told me that I needed to blog regularly. I was struggling with it, wondering why I had to do it, anyway! Then one day I didn't get my blogs written and decided I wasn't going to worry about it. And I didn't blog for a full month. Each month she and I would meet and discuss my stats. The following month when we met, she started out saying, You didn't blog last month, did you?" Well, how did SHE know!

But before I asked her how she knew, I confessed, "No, I didn't...."

She knew from the stats! And they were quite dramatic. I didn't get it: People never commented on my blogs (they still don't). But I could SEE the impact of not blogging. Just because they don't comment doesn't mean they aren't attracted to my site from what I say, and from the keywords and description, that shows up on search engines.

Not only have I never missed a week of blogging since, but after reading Jay Baer's book "Youtility" where he sites Blogspot's stats that companies who blog 15 or more times a month get five times more traffic, I even INCREASED how often I blog. I'm not up to 15 times a month, but I AM at 12 times a month.

And it's not that hard, today, because I've been doing it for so long, now.

You know that saying "practice makes perfect"? Well, with practice, blogging will get easier for you, too. And when it gets easier, you have more to say, you stop worrying about what to say, you get better at it, it goes much faster, and you start to see results from it!

So, your excuses for why you don't blog no longer hold water. If you blog once a month, increase to twice a month. If you write twice a month, increase to three times. If you spend more than an hour writing each blog, strive to spend less than an hour. My whole point, though, is to work on practicing this art that is as much an integral part of your marketing as handing someone your business card at a networking event.

Let me know when you start blogging!