I hear this excuse all the time: “I don’t know what to say!”
One of the biggest barriers to entry most people face when it comes to starting is blog is lack of knowing what to say. Kind of curious when you think about it really. They say that the average person speaks approximately 16,000 words per day (as soon as I find the source, I’ll link it here). If you transcribe those words my guess is you’d have enough writing to publish a book over the course of a week.
Now consider this: How many times (whatever your profession) do you find yourself disseminating the same information over and over again to new prospects/clients?
What’s the difference between communicating that information verbally versus putting it down on paper? Sure it might be a little bit different and yes it takes a bit of time. It’s probably the reason I like sending video emails using Eyejot at times rather than crafting a written email (it’s faster). Nevertheless, when you consider how often we speak and share the same information over and over again, it’s really not that difficult to put it down in writing and share it more often.
So what’s stopping you?
Fear:
I would argue that the biggest thing holding people back is fear. Fear of…
- …not knowing what to say,
- …sounding dumb,
- …people reading what you have to say and/or taking the time to comment,
- …people finding your content interesting enough to revisit or share it with others…
These are all common fears people face with respect to authoring their own blog. (I know because I’ve been there too). Fear leads to procrastination and writer’s block. So how do you get past it? Know that you’re good at what you do. If you have the knowledge and expertise to speak intelligently about your subject matter, you have what it takes to write it out as well.
Go read Copyblogger’s 7 Quick-Start Techniques for Fighting the Fear to Write. Then go read 10 Steps to Becoming A Better Writer. And remember, it only takes one (subscriber, comment, etc.) to get the momentum going.
Over To You:
What holds you back from writing content (blogging)? Is it fear for putting yourself out there? How have you overcome these challenges? Is it easier now than it was before?
Ricardo, I found you through Amber Naslund's new blog. Your article here is so true and I made mention of it on my blog just a few days ago actually. No matter what profession or purpose we are blogging for, it is easy to get wrapped up in fear but also easy to break out of it by just doing it. Anyway, I look forward to getting better acquainted as we go along! Cheers
Chris: totally agree. Sometimes we learn best by doing! In this case it means write, write, write (share, comment, connect) and make adjustments along the way.
Thanks for visiting and the comment Chris! Look forward to connecting some more…
Well, obviously I have no fear of writing, but with some of my clients whom I train on all aspects of social media including blogging, I can see the fear. Written words, unlike spoken words, seem much more permanent. I also think that many people simply don't enjoy writing – transferring one's thoughts from your head to the paper (or computer in our case) doesn't come naturally, or easily, to everyone.
You're right, some people no matter how much they practice do dread the thought of writing (I've seen it to). I suppose one is left with only two options: 1.) practice until you're comfortable, or 2.) try something else.
In either way, I think practice makes perfect (or close enough anyway).
Thanks for the comment Vered!
Great article. Its so true about the overload information on blog.. I agree with Vered.. sometimes it's really hard for people to express themselves through writing. Thanks for sharing!
My pleasure Justin and thanks for the comment!
I think the trick to breaking through the discomfort is practice, practice, practice.
When I look back my blogging history, the one that I fear most is probably the language. I'm not a English native speaker and to be perfect in every grammar and vocab is impossible without consistent learning. I'm still far from perfect today but the will to share and passion to write got a better hold on me. There's no point of throwing away a good chance to blog over fear, especially if you're dying to network, meet people & learn from one another.
Be courageous, live life with no regrets – that's my motto now. 🙂 Thanks for visiting my blog earlier Ricardo, nice meeting you.
@wchingya
Social/Blogging Tracker
@Ricardo. When I initially started I was so overwhelmed with making sure my articles were Keyword Optimized and that my sites were completely SEO'd that I never got anything done. When I said screw it and started writing content for people, my thoughts transcended much easier and before I knew it was writing articles “at the speed of thought”. Well almost anyway. Great post, thank you for the comment on my blog as well, Ricardo! I appreciate it.
@Readers Join The Discussion! You would amazed what commenting will do for your writing and memory abilities.
Thanks for the comment. Good post. When I don't know what to say I just start writing. Something usually comes out. Waiting until I feel inspired is a waste of time.