Blogging is currently one of the hottest activities online and one of the best content marketing strategies, but to build a successful blog from scratch requires a lot of effort, time, creativity and commitment.
I remember when I started my first blogging business in 2008, in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. Then, I just gained admission to study Project Management Technology at the Federal University of Technology Owerri. I had very little idea about blogging, no laptop, no smart phone and no internet connection, but I knew I had something in me – the willingness to learn, the dedication to put in the needed effort, the commitment to strive and the passion to succeed. I also love the fact of seeing people sharing their ideas, knowledge and experiences online via their blog. Since then, I have created and managed many blogs.
Some managers have asked me to check their website and tell them the role a blog or social media will play in their business. I don’t think there is any existing business or industry which is at least 2 years old that someone hasn’t started blogging about it, yet. To those managers who ask me such question, I first recommend them to read my article titled, “Top 13 Reasons Why Your Company Need A Business Blog” and share with me the benefits they would like to achieve or enjoy most through blogging. If they are not interested in any of the blogging benefits listed in the article, then I would suggest they are not ready or do not need to join the blogosphere.
You see, your decision to start a blog should be based on your own answer to the question: will the results I receive from a blog be worth the time, effort and commitment I put into it?
Here are some of the critical factors that may help you answer the question:
1. Commitment: Are you committed to building a successful blog? Are you willing to forget about watching that film, or listening to that music, or omitting yourself from that gossip group and focus on writing great contents that will build your blog?
2. Time Management: How much time do you plan to allocate daily to building your blog? How often do you plan to post rich contents on your blog? Are you willing to create out time to read books or online articles that will help develop your blogging skills? Will you create out time to reply to comments and connect with your readers? One of the biggest drawbacks to blogging is that it’s time consuming, and there is often a direct relationship between quality content and the time it takes to produce it.
3. Effort: Are you willing to put in the required effort in building your blog? How much physical and mental energy are you willing to sacrifice for your blog? Do I really need to blog daily or should it be every weekday, once a week or may be just a couple of times a month?
4. Creativity: Are you creative? How good are you in coming up with new content ideas? Lack of creativity is one of the major reasons why most bloggers get stressed up or abandon their blog even before they got started. They easily burn out of ideas on what contents to write, or how to build a solid blogging foundation.
So, if you examine the above four factors critically, and answered yes and positively to most of the questions, and also aim to achieve some of the benefits listed in the article titled, “Top 13 Reasons Why Your Company Need A Business Blog“, then you are qualified to join our blogosphere.
To blog or not to blog? My final advice: Try it and see if you would like blogging. If you do, then continue. If you don’t, stop.
Blog, blogging stress, to blog or not to blog
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