[polldaddy poll=10842953]
Do you have a business that you would like to start a blog for?
Perhaps you have been thinking about this for a while but you are not sure whether now is the right time?
What is holding you back from taking the plunge?
Today we are going to look at the 4 main reasons why people don’t start blogging. Could one of these reasons be your downfall?
I recall when I first started blogging.
I spent weeks thinking about my domain name, choosing a keyword that I thought would work, and planning my introductory posts. My mentors from learning how to blog at the time were telling me “just get started, take the plunge and we will work with you from there”.
I really didn’t get what they meant at the time. All I could think of was “How can I start a blog when I don’t have the perfect domain name”, or “the posts I write will be a waste of time if I don’t optimize them properly” etc etc etc.
I wanted everything to be 100% perfect before I would consider starting.
What happened?
Well, I did eventually set up that blog.
Do I still have it? Absolutely not!
I used it for 3 months and then guess what happened?
I recall very clearly having a conversation with my mentor Sean Rasmussen, who quite bluntly told me to leave it behind and start a new one on a premium platform!
Start again? You have got to be kidding me?! Really?
I was in total anguish at the thought that my 3 months of hard work was going to be for nothing.
What I couldn’t see at the time was, that blog was my training ground. It gave me the opportunity to experience what blogging was like and how to actually run a blog.
Was that blog ever going to be successful? I highly doubt it!
So with the advice, I started a new blog, purchased a premium theme, and suddenly found I could do all the things that I was struggling to achieve on a free platform.
So my new shiny blog with 3 months of experience. Was it great? Nope!
Since I started that blog, I have made SO many changes to it, including the design, the layout, and even the way I write my posts. When I look back at the early posts I seriously cringe, but it is all part of the learning process.
My fears to start a blog were the same as for many of you. You are certainly not alone here.
The truth?
Blogging is a roller coaster ride, and you are going to have a ball, BUT, a rollercoaster has lots of twists and turns!
You will NOT know everything when you start a blog.
You will NOT have awesome posts.
You will NOT have lots of social shares and comments on your posts
You will NOT have a great design.
But the thing that will really hold you back from starting a blog is YOU!
So it’s time to put aside all of those objections for why you shouldn’t start a blog and concentrate on the reasons why you should!
I’m not experienced enough to be a blogger
OK, seriously…who has experience when they start a blog?
Bloggers are just normal people from all walks of life. Not everyone has a marketing or IT background.
Heck, I was a Social Worker whose only experience of social media was my personal Facebook account and I only ever used the internet to book holidays! I could hardly be called a blogger with experience behind me.
The truth is, it is made really EASY for you to start a blog. If you set up a blog with WordPress, you don’t need to have a lot of coding knowledge (or even any). The platform is there for you, and you literally make it your own.
I have no idea about SEO
Yes, SEO is important to run a successful blog, but having no knowledge of this should not prevent you from getting started.
You can learn so much from other bloggers about good SEO practices and it really is one of those things that you will become better at the more you do it.
If you feel that this is still too overwhelming and you have no idea where to start with the vast selection of posts, then joining a program will help you work through it. If you feel that you need someone to guide you through the process then do it!
I have no shame in admitting that I was asking my mentors on a daily basis how to do things. The support is there for you if you really want it!
I have no idea what to blog about!
Before you start a blog you really do need to have some idea as to what it will be about. Your domain name should reflect the blog’s content, so knowing your niche will certainly help.
What first springs to mind when you think about blogging?
What is it that interests you?
Would you like to blog about your travels around the world or your love for wine? How about your expertise in fishing or your love for designing jewelry.
The one thing that you need to make absolutely certain is that you love what you are going to blog about. If you don’t, there is a high chance you will lose interest very quickly.
Don’t blog about what other people think you should. This needs to be something that you feel comfortable writing about, and something that you want to write about.
There is however the extreme that you also need to think about something that others will also find interesting. Whilst it may be absolutely fascinating for you to write about your daily adventures, will it be of value to anyone else?
Yes, you need to have passion for a niche, but it also needs to be useful for someone else, otherwise, you will struggle to gain readers.
I can’t afford to invest in a blog
Blogging can take money to keep operational, but it doesn’t have to cost the earth.
How much are you prepared to pay to go to college and university?
Do you see that as money well spent?
The money you spend on your blog is also investing in your future if you are intending to make an income online.
I would certainly recommend that you use a self-hosted site, but if you don’t want to do this, you can operate on a free platform. You may decide to do this just until you get going and decide whether it is something you want to continue with or not.
Hosting services are offered on many different platforms and you would need to undertake some research before deciding who to go with. But just to give you an idea, our Learn How To Blog Hosting service is just $15 a month, so it’s hardly likely to break the bank. It will cost less to host your site than it costs for a meal out!
Email marketing can cost anywhere from $10 upwards per month (depending on the number of subscribers you have).
With our learn how to blog services, you can start up an email marketing campaign for free!
There are of course other costs, but you can certainly work around these to find something that is manageable for you and your budget.
At the end of the day, there will always be reasons that come in your path as to why you shouldn’t start a blog. The question is, whether you are going to let those reasons deter you, or whether you are going to face them head-on and accomplish your goals.
Which is it to be?
Your Turn:
Was there anything that held you back when you decided to start a blog?
What about now? Do you still have any of these demons in your closet?
Please share with us below.
Inspiring information for new bloggers
Thanks