3 Most Common Reasons People Don’t Market Using Blogs
I think that one of the most common questions asked in regards to marketing using blogs or article marketing is “What Do I Write About?”.
Whenever we talk to business people and they ask us what they can do to market their business and we suggest either of these 2 possibilities that is the first thing they ask.
Actually there are a couple of things that are pretty much the top responses:
- What do I write about?
- Who would want to hear what I have to say?
- I am not a “writer”.
- That won’t work in my industry…
Now the last one we pretty much ignore. When someone says this they are pretty much just writing off your answer with any excuse they can think of. This tells us that they aren’t really interested in the answers you can provide to them. They are simply making conversation at this point.
But the other concerns are easily answered.
1. What Do I Write About?
There are hundreds of things you can write about. But what most people are actually asking is not “what” to write about. They know their topic they just don’t understand how to present the information to their audience. Here are a few ways to present your information that we usually recommend:
- How to articles or videos – Explain how to use your product or service. Or better yet show how in a video.
- List information – Create a list of points related to your field such as “10 Ways To Keep Your Lawn Green in 110 Degree Heat”
- Tutorials – Write out a step by step tutorial on how to do something. This is usually a bit more technical in nature than a standard how to.
- Reviews – Look at other products or services that compliment your own and offer your advise or a review on that product.
- Resources – Do a write up on resources that your target customer might find useful through out all aspects of their lives.
These are just a few general ideas to get your imagination going.
2. Who Will Want To Hear What I Have To Say?
This response is generally a form of lack of self confidence. Or sometimes it is because we don’t think that what we have to say is all that revolutionary.
For example I know how to purchase a new domain name, set it up in my hosting account and install wordpress to create a new site on that domain name. To me these things are simple and easy. So I may feel like I am talking down to my readers by explaining the exact steps on how to do each of these tasks.
But when I am out at networking events and I get to talking to people i usually find that I am stopped at the purchase a domain name and connect it to a hosting account step.
The moral is: There is always someone out there that doesn’t know what you know. There is always someone out there that will love you for sharing this information with them. Remember you didn’t always know what you know. somewhere along the line someone shared their knowledge with you so that you could know it too…
3. I am not a “writer”…
When you talk to people about starting a blog or doing Article Marketing to promote their business this answer is pretty common. We all instantly think about our grades on High school English class. Or maybe we remember how much we had to research to write one little paper.
But blog posts and Articles for business are different. There are key things to remember when you are looking at starting to use these tools in your business.
- This is not High School English Class – No one is going to hand you back your blog post with red pen marks all over it. Be sure to check your spelling and your grammar but other than that, just write how you want.
- It is best to forget everything you learned in school about writing when you blog – Yep, through all of those rules out. Just write. Use short paragraphs. Use your own voice.
- If you don’t know what to write, then just talk - sometimes sitting down in front of a piece of paper with a pen or in front of a computer keyboard will cause instant writer’s block. Thus the “I am not a writer” responses. But you know your topic. You are just having trouble putting it into printed words. So instead take out a recorder and have a friend interview you. Or have them ask you a typical question you get from potential customers. Record your answer. Then transcribe it. With a few minutes of tweeking you will have an instant blog post or Article. And you might just find that it cures your writer’s block too.
If you have been hesitating to start a blog or begin using article marketing in your business to market your knowledge and become the authority in your industry then now is the time. Sometimes it just takes a bit of courage to get started, but once you are moving forward you will pick up momentum.
If you have been stalling on starting a blog or using article marketing because you are not a writer, you don’t think anyone will want to hear what you have to say or you aren’t sure what to write about hopefully these answers to those concerns will help. I am looking forward to seeing your next blog post….no get to it!
About The Author:
Cindy Clemens is a mom, author, speaker, marketing consultant and Co-Founder of Your Marketing University. Her goal is to teach marketing in a simple easy to understand format that businesses can use to help gain marketing ideas & market their businesses to boost sales.
Are you marketing in sequence? Are you following a strategy or focusing on tactics? Claim your copy of our free “Small Business Marketing Roadmap Report” by my partner Ely Delaney to find out.




4 Responses to “3 Most Common Reasons People Don’t Market Using Blogs”
Cindy
Martha,
No problem. Thanks for stopping by and reading (and commenting
).
I talk to a lot of business people and most of them that don’t blog yet are not doing it out of fear. Sometimes it is fear of getting started, sometimes it is fear of what to write about, and sometimes it is fear of putting yourself out there for the world too see. But I try to assure them that blogging is a powerful tool on may levels and that they key is just to start. Then take baby steps forward with each post. Then before you know it those fears are a thing of the past and looking back you wonder why you were afraid to begin with.
Cindy
Martha Giffen
Thanks for giving great ways to overcome all objections to blogging! It’s hard when you are first starting out but there’s no reason people can’t overcome their fears. Thanks for a great post!
Melanie Kissell
Brilliant minds think alike, Cindy. I wrote a post today about the top “stops” that hold people back from marketing their businesses effectively. Your post and mine could almost pass for twins.
I think a big part of the problem that people struggle is a fear factor and a lack of confidence. The only way to get over those hurdles is to dig right in and take some action!
Wonderful post,
Melanie
31DBBB
Cindy
Melanie,
Thanks for stopping by! I know it is amazing to me how people in two different places can get a thought and write about it and have it be on similar topics on the same day and even at almost the same time.
The cool thing is that since we each have our own way of writing and our own twist on the ideas the readers get two views to incorporate into their knowledge base. So the idea becomes that much more powerful for them than it would have with only one view point.
Cindy