Perspectives

Whether you are a social media professional, or a business person working on understanding social media, blogging is a key area that needs to be worked into your strategy.

Not Another Blogging Post

This post isn’t about the benefits blogging will bring when you incorporate SEO. This post isn’t about the fact that by blogging intelligently in your field, you can establish authority and build your reputation on a larger scale than just in your limited social circle (IRL). This post isn’t even going to touch on blogging best practices, content length, the importance of pictures or any of that. This post is addressing the very basics: How do you start to blog when you have no idea where to begin? How do you help push to break the barrier stopping you from blogging?

In everything I have heard and seen, this is a major issue for the individual business person evaluating a social media strategy. It’s a challenge for social media professionals because unless the task of blogging is being worked into the service offered to clients (and let’s face it, the cost seems high to a small business just looking to get into social media and still doesn’t understand it all), then someone is going to ask the question: how will we find the time, and how do you find content?

In many scenarios, the fact that blogging is so integral – and seems out of the capability of the organization (read overwhelming) people just shy away from even trying, or launching social media programs because they feel the cost will be too high, and they are “lost”.

You don’t have to be “lost”

This is part of my series about understanding social media. In this post, I’m taking the issue of blogging down to a very, very basic level.

You don’t get blogging, you feel you can’t blog, you worry about what you are writing, you have a client that just doesn’t understand how to do it , or where to begin? I’ve got a plan for you. It’s free and it’s simple, and I think it will break that barrier. By the time a few weeks go by, I’m pretty sure you will stop worrying about how cold the water is and you will be diving in.

First, a reinforcement: Blogging is about expression. It’s about talking about what you know. It’s about sharing ideas you are confident in.

That’s the easy part. As long as you have that, then you have somewhere to start.

The Hard Part

Wake up call : blogging involves communication skills, it involves a talent (at some level) to express oneself in writing.

Is this what you are afraid of?

At this point, I’m turning the conversation directly to you, the business person or the blogging hopeful. (You social media professionals can follow along and let me know what you think!).

Are you afraid that your writing isn’t good enough? That your topics are boring? That you have nothing to say?

I get that. It’s normal and it’s human. You’re about to write something for the world! Sure you want it to be perfect.

Let me ask you this, if you had all of those skills, would you start today?

Maybe you are creating worry with how to set up your blog? Maybe you’re so busy, you know you don’t have the time… Maybe you’re assembling lists of rules and criteria that have you overwhelmed before you have even started?

Well, you’re reading this. So you must have some time. You’re looking for something to help, drive you forward…the answer.

An Idea

I recently came across something new, it’s called “OhLife” . When I first explored it, I thought – why would anyone use this if they could blog?

I wanted to understand it more…it’s been about a week that I have been checking it out…I did come up with answers to my question, and I think it’s an interesting approach to a few things, but this post isn’t about that, it’s about helping you blog.

So here’s an idea I had, where it could be of great use: Oh Life takes away all the pressure, it forces you to commit to a writing schedule, but the best part is you don’t need to have any tech knowledge, social media savvy, or anything to use it. Do you know how to email? Then you’re set.

I am sure the intention of the product is not what I am suggesting, but I believe it’s a great way for you, the hopeful blogger, to jump in.

A Helping Hand

You see, blogging is easy – if you have the skill and if you’re used to expressing yourself in writing  (that takes years of practice). If you were known as a “writer” in school, you probably aren’t even asking yourself “how do I blog?”.  I believe that what many business people need is training. Blogging training. We see it all the time, the questions: How do you blog? What’s your process?

You need to learn how to tread water before you start swimming in the Olympics.

Just a few months ago some of you may have seen the series of posts which Mitch Joel started by his own post “Watching me Blog”, Christopher Penn, then jumped in as well as others giving their version of how they blog.  Was this the key to making you a good blogger?

It depends on what level you’re at and who you are.

Does successful blogging come from a checklist?

Listen, it certainly gives insight, as well as some great tips. However I really think the problem for those who aren’t blogging is that they need material, they have no idea where to start, they are held back slightly by the idea of setting up a blog (this is no small task)…the list of why not’s  is endless.

How about if you had a coach walking you through blogging? How about if you had a coach that you trusted so completely, you didn’t worry about what you wrote, or how you said it, who wouldn’t judge you? Someone who gave you that push every day, in just the right way?

Your Blogging Coach

If you really want to blog, then I’ll make it easy: Check out “OhLife” – please note, their intent is not to teach you how to blog, it is my own observations of it’s process that makes me recommend it to you. Let me explain:

Its a slick little tool that is intended to document your life by triggering you to reply to emails every day, as it collects your words, and pulls them into a private blog only you can see. Kind of like a diary.

You have to think out of the box and get a little creative with me to take advantage, but I really think if you give it a try, you will succeed. Although Oh Life isn’t intended to teach you blogging, these are the reasons I am recommending you try out this tool as the “prescription” to break the blogging barrier :

1. It creates a habit – you set the time you want it to ask you about your day, and it will ask you. Do your part and answer – you’ll create the habit after about a month.

2. You don’t need to struggle for content, it’s asking you a question – just answer.

3. It provides a safe environment for you to test your initial writing ability

4. It’s private – feel safe in writing “bad content”, “content that isn’t good enough” – I believe as you do this day after day, you will start to realize that either you are improving, or that you have hope. In a worse case scenario, you will realize that maybe you need to outsource the blogging. Or get someone else in your organization to do it. Whatever the case, it’s time well spent.

5. You can invest as little or as much time in your entry as you like. So you always have the time. Do it. See what it really feels like, take off the gloves and get those hands dirty.

6. This is the best part – try writing about anything. Break all the rules. Write about your day. Write about an issue at work. Write about something, anything every day.

7. You won’t have any obligation in creating a blog- this works by email!

You won’t need to worry about what your customers think, or about anything, because you are your audience. It’s safe to explore.

After you’ve done this for a while, go back, and read it all. Did you break the blogging barrier?

What is blogging?

Blogging is nothing more than expressing yourself in writing in a way that provides value to someone, on some subject matter.

Find your voice, stop talking about how you have to “get around” to blogging. Stop asking everyone how to blog. Just do it. I just gave you a way to do it for free, to do it safely, and to start today. Now go.

If you have a hope at blogging, then this is your way in. Let me know how it works out for you, commit to doing it for 7 days before you make any judgements. I would be so happy to hear if you finally did it. If you finally broke that barrier.Don’t worry about the next steps, we will figure it out then, so get started, today is the day.

How was your day?

Go now, it’s easy, you just have to answer the question “How was your day?” ~ it doesn’t get more pleasant than that.

What do you think? Are you willing to stop reading about blogging and take the risk to write?

Are we about to break the barrier to blogging?