Fear of blog writing or is it shyness?

I’ve been thinking about the obstacles people have when it comes to blog writing and starting to blog for the first time.

So many people come to me asking about the benefits of blogging, and how it can enhance their life-style (working from home, for instance), income and generate sales leads.

It’s easy to convince people of the potential when it comes to setting up a blog.

I take them through the process, choosing the right theme, setting them up with their perfect platform, and preparing everything for the first moment when they put finger to keyboard and tap out their message to the world.

And nothing happens.

It can be frustrating to see people who would so obviously benefit from letting the world know about their services and industry. These people are articulate, funny and interesting.

They’d be an asset to the blogging community.

So why are they silent?

I have some theories about this…

My first is that people get some form of performance anxiety – as if they can’t quite get the nerve up to offer up their ideas and communication to the world.

It’s the equivalent of getting up to sing karaoke sober, maybe?

Another thought is that people may be too busy, and can’t get the time to sit down and write for their blog. In which case, why aren’t they paying someone else to do it for them?

My final theory is that people are suffering from some sort of imposter syndrome. I wonder if potential bloggers often worry that they’re going to be caught out as frauds.

Regardless of why you may not be making the most of your blog, I’ve sketched out some ways to overcome your initial fear and get on with it. You wouldn’t set up a Real Estate Agency and then keep the door closed so you can’t sell anything – why would you have the potential sales goldmine of a blog, and leave it dormant?

Here are my tips for getting over the initial blogging shyness:

• Remember you’re the expert. No-one knows your business as well as you do, so don’t feel nervous about standing on your soap box and declaring your expertise to the world

• There’s a great quote by David M Burns about fear: “Remember that fear always lurks behind perfectionism. Confronting your fears and allowing yourself the right to be human can make you a far more productive person.” People don’t like, or expect perfectionism when it comes to reading about you and your services

• Quantity works for blogs. Even if you pop in once a day and simply update your blog with a line or two, it’s still good for your SEO and rankings

• Get guest writers in. No-one will mind if your blog is written by one, two or three different voices. Choose people who know their stuff, and let them support the blog on your behalf

• Outsource your writing completely, if you feel that you’re really not cut out for doing the job yourself. There are some superb services out there for people who don’t have the time to blog for their company, but recognise the importance of having a great blog in place

• In a rush? Upload a picture instead. Or video. Or Podcast. The written word isn’t the only way of reaching your target audience!

There’s another great quote that comes to mind, this time by Eric Hoffer…

He says “It is when power is wedded to chronic fear that it becomes formidable”. Maybe a bit of performance-related panic when it comes to blogging could give you the edge you need to really make this work for you?

So. You now have the power – you’ve got a blog which will support you to reach all your customers on a daily basis, persuading them that your organisation is the right one to choose. If you were going in to battle right now, you’d be armed to the hilt.

Write something.

Post it up.

Feel smug for the rest of the day.