There are many things we all hate about blogging. I mean, don't go getting me wrong:
I could easily have written an article about all the things I love about blogging.
Tapping away is soothing. Writing can be fun. You can drink a nice coffee while you're doing it.
But today, I'm in a mood where I don't really want to write a blog for my own business...
So. I'm going with the former. Here are a few reasons why many people hate to blog. And (more helpfully) what to do about them:
5 things we all hate about blogging (and what to do about them)
1) Writing the dang blog in the first place
Making a start on a blog you don't really want to write can feel like taking the first step climbing a steep hill.
This is particularly the case if – like me – writing blogs for businesses is part of your day job.
That means I get paid to write blogs normally. When I'm writing them for me though... does that mean I'm working for... free?
Of course, it doesn't really. Blogging is a vital inbound marketing activity. It's a key part of my business. But it sure feels that way sometimes.
What you can do about this:
If you struggle in this area, my particular favourite method is just to start.
It doesn't matter how badly it comes out. Just make a start. You can fix it later. The first words are the hardest.
2) Finding time to blog
If you haven't done it before, it can surprise you how much time and effort it takes to write a blog.
High-quality content takes time to produce. Research takes time. Editing and proofreading take time. It all takes practice.
Unfortunately, if you want to attract organic search traffic, your blog is probably your best tool.
You can't just churn something out. You need to put some time aside to make it good.
What you can do about this:
If you are your own blog writer, make a schedule.
Try to be forgiving of yourself. Be realistic about what you can achieve. But also try to stick to it.
If you can, consider delegating the task to someone else in your company (preferably someone who is a good writer and knows how SEO works).
Or you can find an affordable copywriter for websites (he mentions self-servingly) that will take care of blogging for you.
3) Blog writing for SEO
You can write the nicest blog in the world. But if it's not getting found by search engines, very few people are going to read it.
That might not necessarily be a problem for you. If you have – for example – a huge social media following who all come and check out what you have to say.
If not, you'll need to research the best keywords to use and where to use them. You'll also need to know about tags, links, and a few other things.
What you can do about this:
You can do a course to understand the basics of SEO copywriting.
In fact, you can find most of what you really need to know on the internet for free.
If not, again consider delegating or outsourcing your blogging needs to someone who does have some degree of understanding.
4) Proofreading in general
Reading through what you've just written can be almost as painful as writing it.
The tendency is to think “box ticked – done!” when you've mashed the full stop key for the final time. But this is always a mistake.
Properly editing and proofreading any blog post you write (especially your own work) is absolutely critical.
What you can do about this:
First of all, if it's your own work, I would go look at something else for a bit before you sit down to edit it.
Do a chore. Go for a walk. Anything to give your brain the break it needs not to gloss over mistakes you've made.
Also, cheat. Give it a read through yourself, checking for readability and any obvious errors. Then let technology do the hard work:
Use a spelling and grammar checker, such as Grammarly
Make sure you haven't accidentally plagiarised someone with a tool like Search Engine Reports
These days, you might also check ZeroGPT or another AI content checker
5) Keeping on blogging for business
Consistency is key to a good blog. So is patience. Because, annoyingly, results take time to come in.
I've had clients over the years query why they haven't gotten results from their blog. I investigate to find they've written about three short posts total.
Others have said things like, “Well, we wrote that one post with you last year... then I guess we haven't done anything to the website since then...”
Unfortunately, this isn't going to work. Imagine a competitor's website has hundreds of great blogs with solid backlinks and SEO. It's a mountain. You're competing from a molehill.
You need to be consistent and long-term in your thinking if you want your blog to achieve results.
What you can do about this:
This is something I struggle with. Even as someone who does it professionally.
Even as someone who – dare I say it – actually enjoys the process of writing a blog for business once I've started.
Figure out a schedule you can stick with long into the future. Give yourself a (small) treat whenever you write one. Go on. You put the effort in to make it good. You deserve it.
If you're outsourcing, work out what an affordable spend is for your business over the long term. You can always tell any SEO copywriting service what your budget is and see what they say.
Talk to a website copywriting service about your blogging troubles
Writing of any sort isn't something everyone feels instantly at home doing. But remember – it doesn't have to be Shakespeare.
You almost certainly have a viewpoint or knowledge base in your sector that someone will find valuable. Try not to overthink it.
If you're really struggling, The Maiden Standard has been providing friendly, affordable website copywriting services to Bristol businesses and those far beyond for over ten years.
Let's chat. Fire an email to benjamindmaiden@gmail.com and let us know what you hate about blogging and what you're looking for to solve it.