4 (Bad) Reasons You’re Not Blogging

Blogging is one of those terms that can seem daunting or misleading. You probably have a number of reasons to explain why you (or your company) doesn’t have a blog. You may think that you have to blog everyday and there’s no way you can match that schedule. Or maybe you think that blogging is only for stay-at-home moms to talk about their latest recipes. Whatever your conceptions are, you need to be blogging!

Now, there are obviously multiple facets to your marketing strategy and by no means should your entire strategy revolve around a blog. But a blog should be a key part of your strategy.

Yet you’re not blogging. Why? It’s probably for one or more of the following reasons.

You Don’t See the Value

Let’s look quickly at the benefits a blog has to your business:

• A blog is a great way to generate new traffic as well as recurring traffic to your website
• It’s a great way to tell your company story
• It’s a great way to teach your audience about your products or industry
• You can develop your industry authority
• You can easily grow your email list
• You can learn a lot!

By creating regular, fresh content, your audience will have a regular reason to visit your website. By sharing this content on social media platforms and via email, you will also illicit new visitors as well. Once people are on your website, they will look around at other sections. Your blog becomes your company’s online journal – full of your history, growth, stories, and information. When someone wants to know more about your company, beyond just your flashy website, this is where they want to go. Once people start to follow your blog and they realize that you are an industry source, you become their go-to resource and an authority they can trust. And when people enjoy your blog and want to read more, they’ll sign up via email – giving you access to their email addresses and other information for future email marketing strategies. It’s also worth mentioning that as you write more blogs, you do more research and pay more attention to industry news, thereby further educating yourself as well!

We can also look at some statistics that mathematically validate the benefits of having a blog:

• 57% of companies with a blog have acquired a customer from their blog (Hubspot)
  
• 88% of businesses report that their company blog is “critical” to their business (Hubspot)
• Businesses with websites that have 401-1000 web pages get six times more leads than those with 51-100 pages (Hubspot)
• 77% of Internet users read blogs (The West Program)
• Blogs can increase your website traffic by up to 1000% when implemented properly

I really don’t think I need to say much more. Who wouldn’t want all of the above benefits? And if all it takes is writing some new content to get all of those benefits, why aren’t you doing it?

Don’t Like Writing

Maybe you understand the value mentioned above but you just straight-up don’t like writing. This is entirely possible – a lot of people don’t like writing. But, do you have an opinion? Do you talk to people about your thoughts? Do you talk about industry trends or information? Obviously you do. So why not take those thoughts and conversations and put them in a blog?

Blogging is not “writing” like you may think. Heck, go back and read some more of my blogs here, I rarely write in proper English format. I write more like I talk. Sentences are sometimes short, sometimes long. Sometimes I’m happy, sometimes I’m venting (yet professionally of course). The point is that blogging is a reflection of you. So write the way you speak and think, and it will come out better than you thought.

If this still doesn’t work for you, and you still can’t bring yourself to write, find someone else to do it for you. Maybe you have an employee who loves to write and would do your blog for you. Or you can (although not highly recommended) outsource your blogging to a reputable source. Whatever your challenge, find a way to get you or someone else writing!

And if the thought of having someone else write for you sounds worse than a trip to the dentist to have a tooth pulled, then do a video blog instead of writing one. The world of video sharing is growing exponentially and having videos or podcasts are just as beneficial (if not more so). You don’t need a whole studio to record a video blog, just some simple equipment.

Don’t Know What to Say

This is always a common excuse but I don’t believe it. If you’re passionate about your company or your industry, you will always have something to say. And if you’re running a little dry on this content, find other ways to create new blog content. Consider the following options:

• Create How-To lists
• Write about current news or events related to your industry
• Answer a question asked by a customer
• Showcase your company history
• Feature a successful job
• Thank one or more customers
• Provide tips that will help your customers succeed
• Celebrate milestones

These and other tricks can help you to get the creative juices flowing and find something worthy of blogging about.

I also recommend keeping a journal of blog ideas. This can be a list at your desk, but I prefer a note on my smartphone because my phone is always with me. You’d be surprised when ideas pop into my head! But I just jot them down on my list and save them for later. That way, on the days that I’m running low on motivation or content, I can just flip to that list and find something valuable to write about.

If you use these techniques, you will rarely run out of things to write about.

Too Busy With Other Things

I’m going to be blunt and just say this: Bull S@*t!! You are NOT too busy. You just don’t want to make the time to blog. You know how I know? Because I work a full time job (often more than 40 hours a week), have a family and personal life, and I still manage to produce at least 3 blogs a week. And, yes, I do sleep!

If this is your excuse, it’s not really the excuse. It’s because of one of the other three things listed above. If you really understand the value of a blog, you will make time to write it. You will set a calendared schedule and adhere to it. You (or someone you trust) will create valuable content to be shared with your audience.

Here’s the thing: you don’t have to blog every day. You don’t even have to blog every week. Find a schedule that works for you and your company. It can be once a month or once every two weeks. But whatever it is, you had better stick to it! Few things are worse in your online marketing strategy than an irregular blog.

If blogging is a priority, you will make it fit. If it’s not a priority, you will constantly say you are “too busy” with other things. So make it a priority!

It’s time to step back and look at your overall marketing and business goals. No matter what you business plan is, a regular blog on your website can add value by helping you to reach your goal faster and more effectively. If you’re not blogging, it’s time to start. If you’ve been blogging irregularly, it’s time to adhere to a schedule. Then share these blogs across all your social media platforms. The traffic will come. The sales will come.

Do you know someone who could benefit from this information? Then share it!