This is a guest post by Tom Treanor of Right Mix Marketing and the Business Blogging Telesummit.
10 Common Business Blogging Saboteurs…And How To Overcome Them
10 Common Business Blogging Saboteurs – do you say these to yourself?
1. "I don't have anything to add to the conversation"
2. "I don't have any good ideas"
- Create a list of common FAQs that your customers ask. Each one can be a blog post or you can compile then into a list post.
- Look at blogs you like (in any industry). Use similar ideas and headlines for topics in your industry.
- Go to Alltop.com and look at any category. Get some ideas there for blog posts.
- Capture any kernels of ideas into a notebook or your phone as you go about your day. Make sure these all get to a centralized place (like a document on your computer. Use these ideas as a starting point when you're ready to write.
- Ask clients, readers or social media connections what they want to know about related to your industry. Create a post based on that.
3. "I don't know where to start writing" or "I can't figure out how to start this post"
4. "I don't have my own writing style"
5. "I need to focus more on blog design, adding new features or working on social media"
6. "I have a lot of unfinished posts but not enough completed ones"
7. "My posts are not very good"
- Use formulas to start: "Top 10…", "How To..", "The Ultimate List Of…"
- Take more time doing the research, with your writing, doing the formatting, picking a good picture and getting the post edited.
- Mimic better writers (see #4 above) until you find your own style.
- If you absolutely can't do it, find someone (inside the company or outside) to help you create great content. Make sure the content represents you and your brand well.
8. "Blogging is low on my priority list"
9. "I feel like I'm trying to write about something outside my area of expertise"
Option 1: Go back to your area of expertise and focus thereOption 2: Interview someone who focuses on that other area and write up the interview or post a video of itOption 3: Hire someone to help you write on that topicOption 4: Get guest bloggers to write on that topicOption 5: Curate posts on that topic (see Content Curation Interview and Content Curation Definition)
10. "I'm not seeing results from my blog"
Overcome your blogging saboteurs
About the Author: Tom Treanor is the founder of the Business Blogging Telesummit, designed to help entrepreneurs, small business owners and sole proprietors succeed with their blogging and social media efforts. Denise Wakeman is one of the featured speakers and the event starts on December 12th so register (for free) soon! Visit Tom's blog at RightMixMarketing.com.
Crystal Wiebe
Best line of this post: “Blogging is more akin to a marathon than a sprint so set your expectations accordingly.”
The business blog I manage just celebrated its one-year anniversary. Although my team must still work everyday to overcome the saboteurs, I’m proud to say we’re getting better. Planning ahead helps so much.
Mobile World
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Cathy
Those are exactly some fo the excuses running around my own noggin. I suppose I have to FINISh those posts that I’ve started… and write on topics I like, and go back to the basics, AND mimic those writers I admire – all of the above. Thanks for writing this list today!
Tom Treanor
Thanks Cathy. Yes, finishing a high percentage of the blog posts that you start helps you get more content on your blog (which leads to good things!). Good luck making more progress in the new year!!
Richard
Very comprehensive tips you shared over here.
Tom Treanor
Thanks Richard!
Elizabeth H. Cottrell
Great tips, Tom, and they resonate with my own experience and certainly with the things Denise has been teaching us for so long. The more we can be ourselves, the more powerful our “voice” becomes.
My biggest saboteur is procrastination and irregularity of creating an editorial calendar. 2012 will be better though, I’ve already started, and there’s a Year-at-a-Glance dry erase calendar propped up right by my desk with the beginnings of my effort.
Thanks so much.
Tom Treanor
Thanks Elizabeth! I love that idea of the Year-at-a-Glance dry erase calendar. I may have to get one for myself too!
Tom Treanor
Thanks Denise. I can talk about it because I’ve been through each of these myself. I hope people can use some of the tips to break free of the saboteurs they face with their blogging!
DeniseWakeman
I’ve been blogging for my business since 2004 and I think I have experienced every one of these saboteurs! Keep the big picture in mind and remember it’s about serving your audience and getting found by your ideal client. That’s what keeps me going.
Thanks for the great article, Tom @RtMixMktg:twitter