So what are the real reasons why blogger can’t blog confidently? Some think it’s due to branding and design. It doesn’t. It’s all about blogging fears, especially with the blogger’s mentality and choice in choosing to fear, rather than put it aside and just blog. It’s the same issue I’ve seen over and over with thousands of bloggers through the years I’ve been blogging and managing online communities.
Usually when bloggers lose their blogging stride, or never get into one, and it all boils down to:
- the fear of not being perfect in blogging
- the fear that no one will read your blog
- procrastination
- lack of passion
- lack of knowledge
The fear of not being perfect in blogging
You can start a blog without some fancy design right out of the box. Some of the most successful bloggers out there just started on some basic theme. Shoot, even Matt Cutts still blogs and his design is nothing to go gah gah about. Here are some screenshots from some blogs when they first started out. (Note: All screenshots are taken from the Internet Archives. You can click on the image and it will open in a lightbox so you can see it in a larger view.)
Problogger – May 2005
Matt Cutts – November 2005
Smashing Magazine – December 2006
All you need is an idea. Don’t worry about having the perfect wording. You can ALWAYS go back and edit, or even use spell checkers. The fact of the matter is when you get yourself so worked up about being perfect, you spend more time doing that, rather than doing what you intended to do… blog.
Don’t let other people’s thoughts get in the way. As long as you know who you are, and what you want to write about, the rest won’t matter. You will bump into readers and blog peers that will rub you the wrong way, or totally be off their rockers. However, if you keep true to yourself and don’t let them mow you over, you can do what you like.
The fear that no one will read your blog
Don’t even start thinking of that in the beginning. You really need to get into the swing of creating content before you worry about people reading your blog.
Yes, it’s great to have readership, but in the beginning, things are going to be slow. You’re going to be learning about where to reach out and find your audience, how to get into your blogging stride, and determine if blogging is for you. You’re going to have a lot of things going on.
It might take a month to gain a comment. And when I say this, don’t be hurt, your first comment may even be a spammer! I’m just saying because I’ve seen it, so don’t be disheartened. Just be prepared that it’s a possibility. Building a blog isn’t like building the Field of Dreams. In the movie, the guy is being told “If you build it, they will come.”
Unfortunately, with websites, including blogs, that’s not true. You’re going to have to reach out because you can’t always rely on search engines alone. It’s more like – If you build it, then share it, and only then, people may come.
Procrastination
Don’t let yourself obsess over posting the next blog post. You could be a blogging machine and solely run your blog, but after years of experience, I’m going to tell you, you WILL get burnt out. You can do 30 or 90 day blog training, but sometimes you gotta let yourself breathe.
Really… sit back, grab a wine or tea or beer and relax. Experience life. Do something. Otherwise you’re just not acquiring experience you need. If you can juggle experiencing life wonders and blogging, while being a machine, great! However, most people don’t have that type of time, and most are either juggling a family or a full time job or some type of huge responsibility.
In the case that you are an ambitious blogger and want to become well known, you decide on what you want to do in order to get that point, even if it is creating some type of blog schedule or editorial calendar.
Lack of passion
Each person has their own experience. As a human, we do seek out to communicate with others, even if it is not face to face. That’s why blogging is so great. It allows you to write your thoughts and experiences for someone else to read anytime they want to, and from anywhere in the world.
If you really don’t have something you want to talk about, blogging may not be for you. It’s okay to be the person who loves to read and experience life through others. Blogging is like writing a book – and your readers never know what the next chapter is going to bring.
You can literally make a recipe become a story that connects with others! For example, you share a recipe about gingerbread cookies and how the smell of them, as well as the warm of the cookie was a fond childhood memory.
If you can’t deliver something that people can connect with, you’re probably lacking passion.
Lack of knowledge
A lot of times, lack of knowledge and lack of passion go hand-in-hand. If you don’t know what you’re blogging about, you often have crappy posts that are short, and read much like the taste of stale bread. The thing is, that there is also a difference.
You can be passionate about some topic, but also lack knowledge in it. That is perfectly okay as long as you are willing to do research. If you love everything from Mexico, without having traveled to Mexico, that’s a problem. Your posts on Cancun or Acapulco will fall flat. Those who actually visited or live there would easily point out the lackluster approach because they’d tell you about all the cool little places to party or buy items for cheap, that tourists won’t usually know.
Blog what you know. If you don’t know it, find out.
All of these blogging fears can be solved, and it begins with changing your mindset.
What are your fears as a blogger?
I think the biggest challenge is finding the time/burning out. It can really feel like a chore to blog when you’ve been working on other things all day – even if you love what you’re writing about!
Great post.
BRAVO Nile!
Thanks for showing us the “skinny about blogging fears” because it holds so many people back. Time is precious, so the message given here is “just do it!” Yes, it may take time to get your first comment, and that’s OK. The more we write the better we get at it.
Our Blogs don’t have to be crazy fancy, we can always do that later. The thing is people start procrastinating, and when they do, it is all the “excuses” they have because they really are afraid to say hello world!
It is so common to have this fear and I’m glad you are spreading the word out. What you wrote are the most common fears people have. They need a little push sometimes and this post surely does it! I’ll spread the news.
-Donna
Haha! I love what you wrote about procrastination. Grab a beer :). It’s true, though. You can’t obsess about it. I don’t have any fears about blogging. I’ve been blogging for a long time and it’s something I love doing.
I find that I don’t have that much time to write about what I want to say and do the research and as a result I think what I have is not good enough. Thank you for the great points you shared
Excellent advice, Nile. I know many people blog because they want to get known for marketing reasons, rather than because of a passion for writing. Although a blog is important, there are so many outlets for connecting with people through social media, I agree it’s not something to stress and worry about.
As far as lacking knowledge, researching for a blog post is an excellent way of learning. Just make sure you’re thorough. You’ll learn and teach others at the same time.
Blogs tend to evolve over time, so even if you are floundering to start, it’s likely that you’ll find an area that interests you, and others. Motivation increases when you start getting readers and comments and blogging becomes easier.
Hi Nile,
great insights and suggestions.
One of my fears is around exposure since I really want to write more about insights gained from my journey in life.
It is easier to share what I learned about health etc.
Right now I feel like I am in ‘limbo’.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Cheers,
Yorinda
Nile, you have touched on some of the key fears that bloggers struggle with,
New bloggers, particularly, worry about getting activity on their blogs… visitors, comments and social shares.
Most bloggers worry about doing the “right thing.” So they try hard to deliver good content, become an authority source in their niche and always post things that their readers will find valuable. That’s fine. The problem is that if you try too hard, you can find yourself stuck in the perfection trap. That can become an ongoing fear that your content is simply not good enough for your readers.
The fear of not being perfect leads to procrastination, and of course, the fear that you just don’t have the knowledge you need to deliver the best content.
I think your advice is very helpful here. Relax, grab a glass of wine, do your research and put out some blog posts. They won’t be perfect, but that’s nothing to fear, it’s just something we all struggle with on an ongoing basis. That’s part of being a blogger. The more imperfect stuff you produce, the closer to perfect it will become in the future.
As a blogger, I am a writer, and I have all the worries that a writer would have. The white piece of paper (or screen) excites me, I have so many stories to tell. The only fear I have is that the words I find are not accurate to the picture I have in my mind and I don’t end up writing the story that is meant to be written.
Thanks Nile!
it’s seems so odd that some of the exact same people
that list all the reasons you cited as their reason(s) for not blogging!
Never ever seem to let that stop them from yapping non stop
on the phone!
They have no problem talking or voicing their opinions on subjects they i fact
know very little about!LOL!
And boy can they do it with passion! Strange isn’t it?
Nice post. Very informational.
Nile
Great points and love you pointing our some of the blog designs out there. It doesn’t matter get out there and blog.
I think procrastination can be a real killer, thanks for a great article.
Andy
Hi Nile. I love how you shared real-life examples of how some famous blogs started out. Great motivation for beginning bloggers and even for those of us who have been in the game awhile.
I also like how you more or less just say “do it!” So true. Sometimes you just need to set fear aside and get to publishing what you’ve got to say without fear.
For me, it’s not much of a fear, but it’s time limitations. I have quite a stressful day job that takes away a lot of my energy during the day. When I get home in the evening, all I want to do is chill and relax with that glass of wine that you talked about; except that it’s not in front of my computer screen. I have days when my energy levels are up, and that’s when I use that as an opportunity to sit down and write something.
What I started to do recently is plan out, for example, I would plan 2 blogs per month and
stick to them. Then when the time comes, I would know what to blog about and what to say.
I really like your advice and the tips you have shared in this post. I think I am lucky enough to be very passionate about writing on my blog; so I think the other issues I am facing will be very easy to overcome. Thanks and merry Christmas Nile!
Nile, this is much needed!
I found many of us do not understand the core value of reading others blogs. It is a amazing support to feel what is the hottest topic of that given week. It will also help you see how others started and they found their focus. Something they experienced and could share their perceptions, with confidence.
When, one just writes without a topic. It shows by not really sharing anything new. You have to find your own style and be yourself. Write as you speak and practice is what will make a heck of difference.
Burn out is not an option. If you just stay the course and write one article each week. The follow-up with reply to comments. Interacting with all your new registered readers. Learning what they find useful in your field of knowledge. Those are growth activities. They are what you focus on and become a well informed person. You personal growth will shine as you practice.
Just share you daily adventures in the way you speak. Yes, no one out here is perfect. So, just have clarity with that!
Nile, you are a powerful leader in our industry. Much, wisdom springs from you supportive shares. Thank you for all the years you dedicate to helping us on all levels. I appreciate you!
This was such a great article. I got to say i think procrastination is the top of my list and probably many others out there. I am hoping wiht the new year i will have a new and fresh approach to everything in business.
Oh yeah, I can see myself in some of those! Perfectionism is a big one for me. I have to be vigilant or I wake up and realize “I’ve done it again.”
It’s interesting seeing the screenshots of those blogs from ‘way back. They’re all from the same time… I wonder if it’s coincidence that they all have the same colour scheme?!!
Well, it does seem like a coincidence. I was going to share screenshots of some of mine too, which were far more colorful and trendy… but the Way Back Machine apparently didn’t save the graphics properly so I could get a great screenshot.
My fear is that I will be looked down on because my analytics are stupid low. I have a growing social network though and I am branching into PodCasts and YouTube so I’m hoping that will help my business and my blog’s analytics. I just remind myself that blogging is still FUN for me. 🙂
I’d not fear about the analytics part. Just keep trying what you can. I also think your site could flourish much better on WordPress, even if you start on a cheaper hosting plan at first. Blogger does have limitations, and you can enjoy themes that are more semantic in markup. If you move to WordPress… I’ll even send you a copy of the Genesis framework and a child theme (not thirty party) of your choice to work with. I’d like to see your blog succeed. 🙂
I don’t have any blogging fears…I just no longer have the time to devote to it,,,more lucrative tasks have been taking up my time for the last several months. Tried outsourcing the blogging; however, I was very disappointed with the results.
Hi Rachel! You may wish to select better writers, even if they cost more. I actually ghost blog for quite a few blogs because of my extensive experience in many niche. I do come at a higher rate, but the results are much better, and you get better social coverage as a bonus. Just something to think about… some of these outsource / ghost bloggers really are crappy and piss me off. If you’re gonna get paid… do it the right way!
A lot of bloggers do like the if they build it, people will come (aka Field of Dreams philosophy), if only it was that easy! I do think there’s so much marketing going on when fear is used to “motivate” people to make a sale that they forget the impact of that is that people feel insecure and incapable.
I’ve found that the biggest fear most people have with blogging is being worried that someone’s not going to like what they have to say. My response to that is that every day we run into people who may not like what we have to say. Do we stay quiet and never express an opinion, or try to teach someone something, or give directions, or ask for advice… or do we open our mouths, try to say what we mean and what we need and take our chances with how people might react? Same thing with blogging, or doing videos for that matter.
Fear of no one reading a blog… well, that’s when we do what we’re doing here, commenting on other blogs, hoping people will like what we have to say and think “Hey, I wonder what that person writes like on their own blog”. Hey, we know it’s true! 🙂 Not that we expect 100% reciprocation but it’s a way of getting known right?
Eeek! You nailed this! I have been crippled by ALL of these fears at one point or another. I realize that I need to be more hands OFF when it comes to my website. Hiring a VA has to happen. I need to only be responsible for content right now–nothing else.
I guess I was afraid at one point that no one would read my blog, but apparently they do 🙂
Great article- when I started blogging I was in college and started out as a ‘deal blogger’ like those that I followed. Now, I am a Mom and I am a “Mom Blogger” if I have to pick a ‘category’ for my blog. It is fun, but there is a lot to learn! 🙂
These are all definitely reasons why people don’t get started blogging. Personally, I started just for fun, hoping my family would read it.Now it’s gotten much bigger than that for me!
This is a great post. I’m realtively new to blogging so I spend a lot of time on my research and posting (I’m a bit of a perfectionist combined with OCD). I always want to make sure that my posts are fun, interesting and accurate, in order to engage the reader. It’s tough sometimes…there are so many bloggers out there, I sometimes wonder “has this already been written about?” But I am having tons of fun and am still enjoying it very much.
My biggest roadblock when I can’t blog is procrastinating. I was doing really good with planning ahead and then I just fell behind and I’m still trying to catch up. Procrastinating, for me, then lead to just not wanting to have anything to do with my blog.
Great post.
I did have a lot of fears when I first started blogging. I feared procrastination then and I still fight it and fear it now. I’m gonna try to wrangle that beast in 2015!
The best thing to do is just be yourself and make your own path! When you compare yourself to others, you open yourself up for self doubt!
I am having the worst time sticking to my personal blog…so procrastination and making the time to blog there are my personal obstacles to overcome. I spend a lot of time writing for others and blogging on other blogs, that I tend to neglect my personal one. I have got to be better about that in 2015.
But it’s funny that I have none of these fears. I have only one fear that’s the fear about lose of adsense account. I dont know why I am so afraid about it though I am not violating adsense TOS. It might be for reading so many adsense disable articles. 🙂
Great article, Nile. I think people equally fear success as much as they fear failure when it comes to blogging. It sounds weird but let me explain.
The majority of people start logging because they know it’s something they should do, but they quickly lose desire. Most blogs are lucky if they average 12 posts a year. These folks think that they will get there Automatically…and that with little to no effort, they will develop an audience. We all know this is not true. It takes a lot of work. But if they quit early, then there’s no shame in it. Because they didn’t give their best, and so it’s OK for them to “fail”. They have an excuse.
Another thing I think people fear is actually becoming successful. That means that they have to respond to comments. And I actually see this happen with people who have a poster to the get a lot of traction. They actually stop responding to comments, which is terrible. It’s a great opportunity to build a community and a brand, and they just get caught up in the other details of their work. They get caught in the cult of busy, and never stop to work on their brand, or blogging. They could have breakouts success, but they choose to stop once they get the ball rolling. Maybe they fear not having time to work? It’s hard to say.
Perhaps the biggest trap is the comparison trap. When we look at other people who have had several years Headstart on us, we get the scrimmage because were not right there with them. The truth is no matter what you do, your path is going to be unique from anyone else’s. We look at the handful of people with wild success, and wonder why we are not them. Instead, we should be looking to attain our success that is out there waiting for us. And we don’t know what that’s gonna look like. It could be small, it could be massive. There is no way of knowing until we put in the effort to get there.
I think it’s a beautiful saying or something, that a lot of people say, you’re not entitled to the spoils of the work, you’re only entitled to the work itself. That’s a very apropos saying for blogging. It is a grind. It doesn’t happen overnight. And sometimes even when you put in the work for several years, it still doesn’t happen as we expect it should.
The only thing we can do is just put in the effort and see what happens.