Part of how I sell myself is by offering blog writing. Part of my blog service includes brainstorming sessions for blog topics. I can be pretty good at helping clients with topics for their own blog. Alas, like the cobbler’s children with no shoes, I have a hellish time coming up with topics for myself.
I’ve got a list of ideas in my “smart” phone that never seem to appeal. I’ve got a standard set of ideas I use for clients that I feel don’t apply to me (pshaw!). I love writing, why is this so hard?!
Because doing for myself isn’t nearly as fun as doing for others.
Why Blogging Is Good
I’ve done this is some depth before (Why do Businesses Blog?), so I’ll keep it short. Blogging serves two purposes:
- Increase your findability online.
- Provide information once found.
One of the things search engines look at is the size of a website. Websites with lots of pages (posts, product pages, services pages, about pages) rank higher than those without many pages. The bigger gorilla gets more attention. Additionally, new content ranks higher than old content, so sites need new pages regularly. The younger bigger gorilla gets the most attention.
Once someone lands on a site, their attention needs capturing and keeping. If said person is researching a topic in your field, then providing them with lots of interesting information on the topic keeps that person on your page, and likely to come back. (And with that, you get bonus search engine points!)
Why Blogging Is Hard
This depends on the blogger. (Keep in mind that I’m talking business blogging here, not personal blogs depicting every calorie interacted with during the day.)
For me, self-esteem is a big factor. I think that there are far more engaging people out there, so why would anyone be interested in what I have to say? Also, since I try to keep my content at least somewhat professional, all my best rants are inappropriate for blog topics. (You’re supposed to laugh there.)
For other business owners, blogging can be difficult because of all the reasons I sell my services as a blog writer: they don’t know what to say, they don’t have the time/inclination/skill to write, there are better ways for them to spend their time.
Why I Don’t Blog Enough, For Myself
Another reason I have a hard time blogging is because it is my job. As much as I love explaining the ins and outs of someone else’s business, I’d rather not spend non-work time explaining the ins and outs of mine. I much prefer my job of writer than my job of business owner.
Alas, if I want to continue to have a job as a writer, I need to keep up with the business owner side of things.