Top 10 Excuses that Keep You from Starting a Blog

Earlier this week, I was thrilled to be a guest on Tony Hasting’s wonderful blog, The Top 10 Blog. Tony is my super-nice friend from across the pond and it’s likely you’ve seen him over here in the comments section of my blog. I really hope you’ll connect with Tony. You’ll be glad you did. 🙂

Oh, and here’s an excerpt of my post for Tony. It’s perfect for those of you who are struggling with getting your blog started. I hope you find this helpful. To read the entire post, you can check it out here. Enjoy!

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You know that there are a lot of benefits to blogging. You know that blogging can be a great way to establish yourself as an authority in your niche, develop relationships with colleagues and customers and yes, even help you grow your business.

And yet, you still haven’t launched your blog.

So, what are you waiting for? What’s the hold up?

YOU.

Although you know deep down that blogging is beneficial for your business, you keep letting excuses get in the way.

It’s easy to do. And you’re certainly not alone.

But, if you want to move forward with your business, you need to recognize the hurdles you’re throwing in between you and your blog – and, develop a game-plan to leap over each one.

If you’re ready to launch your blog, once and for all, here are the top 10 excuses that are standing in your way and advice on how to overcome them:

1. You don’t have time.

Lack of time is probably the most common reason why people don’t start a blog. We tell ourselves that we’re too busy to blog or that it’s just not worth the effort. But, far too often, we use this as a crutch to get out of it.

I’m willing to bet you can easily find a few more hours in your week to blog. You could get up 30 minutes earlier every day, write during your lunch break or nix watching TV at night. The truth is that blogging, like exercise or eating healthy, gets easier when you make it a part of your daily routine. Schedule time to blog to smash this excuse to smithereens.

And, to make sure you don’t get off track, try blogging only once a week. Once you get the hang of that, you can slowly increase your how often you do it.

2. You don’t know what to write about.

A lot of business struggle with coming up with compelling topics for a blog. It’s tempting to turn your blog into one giant press release, but that would be a mistake.

Instead, focus on delivering content that engages, entertains and inspires. Give
 your readers a “backstage pass” to your business by sharing behind the scenes
 information. Answer the questions that your clients and customers have most. Or, show
 video of your product being used creatively (think: Will it Blend?).

If you’re still stuck, here are some blog topic ideas that might help.

3. You’re afraid no one will read it.

You’re probably right. No one will read your blog – at least at first. But, that will change over time.

Don’t worry about writing to an empty room. This gives you the chance to practice your writing and build your confidence while no one is looking.

If you keep writing compelling content and regularly promoting your content, eventually, your blog
 will snowball and you’ll begin to reap the rewards of your efforts.

4. You’re afraid someone won’t like what you have to say.

You have to remember that your goal with blogging is not to please everyone. In fact, some of the most popular bloggers in the world are extremely polarizing (i.e. Naomi Dunford, Erica Napoletano and yes, even Chris Brogan). Each of these bloggers are not afraid to take a stand. And, in doing so, they certainly create some enemies. However, at the same time, their fan base grows even stronger.

Don’t let some disagreement prevent you get started. In fact, the comments you receive may even help you improve your product or service. You just have to be willing to listen.

Want to read the rest? Get the entire post here.