I’ve been blogging for many years and like anyone who had to start from 0, I was very scared to do it at first. But after writing 1,000’s of blog posts, I no longer have that problem.
And more importantly, I have 11 important ways to share with you on overcoming this fear and doubt about it. I assure you that most if not every single doubt you have about this business isn’t real.
And in addition to that, if you didn’t already know, blogging can actually be a profitable thing for you to do, which is why I started it in the first place. And it will be one of the reasons you should consider to overcome that doubt.
These are the common reasons people are scared to blog:
- Fear of getting negative press or feedback.
- You’re shy.
- Lack of experience with blogging creates doubt.
- You don’t know if your blog will become successful or if it will be a waste of time.
- No passion or interest in the blog topics.
- You’re just not used to writing.
- You don’t know what to blog about at all.
For some of you, it can be one of these doubts holding you back from blogging, and for others, it could be all of these reasons. Regardless, let me help you overcome that:
Here are 11 ways to overcome being scared of blogging:
These are summaries of the techniques I learned to overcome my fear of blogging:
- Ignore the fear. Blogging isn’t scary in reality.
- Everyone at one point had to overcome this, you aren’t alone.
- Blogging is extremely common for people to do so you’re not alone.
- Just improvise and write without any thought of what might happen (helps flow).
- Make sure to blog about topics you know a ton about. It helps the flow.
- Blog about positive topics you actually like. Less odds of negativity from readers.
- Consider your blog as a source that helps people solve problems.
- Blogging is very profitable if you know the blueprint to accomplishing that.
- The more you blog, the easier it gets to do it and the fear does go away.
- Blog as though you’re telling a story.
- Use this cool “trick” to never get stuck on what to blog about!
The 11 methods to stop being scared of blogging explained:
1) Ignore the fear and just do it.
This might be one of those pieces of advice that sounds cliche, but in blogging it works.
The fact of the matter is that the people who most worry about blogging are those who have simply not been involved in it or have never written on a site before.
Because they are uncertain about this or perhaps shy that it will be public, even if you give them an entire blueprint on how to make a gigantic business from a this site, they will still invent their own problems and questions.
Questions are good, but inventing problems is not.
However, understand that unless you’ve gone through the process of starting a site, your first page, several of them and even to the point where it was making money, your worries are honestly nothing more than illusions.
2) Understand that everyone who blogs, had to start from nothing.
Particularly me. Before I started blogging, I learned about writing eBooks and selling them, which is sort of the same thing. But I wrote an entire novel which I thought would make me money and that ended up failing horribly. And this was one of many failure stories I share with people.
I then later moved into blogging and while it took awhile to grow, the consistency and repetition of blogging is what helped me overcome the fear.
3) Blogging is extremely common today.
Do you comment on social media? If so, then blogging is really not that different.
You just write a lot more. And considering that BILLIONS of people do it nowadays, it no longer carries that same stigma. Before, the idea of blogging wasn’t considered a serious thing by people, but today, that’s not true.
Knowing you’re not alone in this business and that many others are doing, who also at one point had doubts and were probably also scared to do it might help you step out of that doubt and get started.
4) Improvise and stop caring: Close your eyes (metaphorically speaking), and write.
Whatever you think may happen once you start writing is not something I would suggest occupying your mind with. You need to make the leap and understand how silly it is to worry about this stuff and you’re going to have to turn a blind eye on the paranoia you have about this.
Often times people think about a million different ways blogging can go wrong even before they write a single word and that mental block is itself the biggest obstacle to overcome.
I have found that by blogging without care, that it comes WAY easier. In fact, write in your style like you’re speaking to people, and it makes that flow way easier. For example, one of my other websites called HelpingHandAffiliate.com does this better than any other site I’ve had prior and people who blogs I post there often comment positively on the confidence I have.
This is because I am expressing myself without doubt or worry when I write and this reflects to readers.
5) Make sure that you write about topics you know a lot about (I’ll show you how to find that).
I’m about to share a major tip with you on blogging successfully that ALL bloggers who succeed in this business know and that is:
Write about subjects you love. And here is a guide to finding your niche and being an expert at it, which is what subjects are.
This makes blogging 1,000’s of times easier. The worst blogs that never make it anywhere are from people who clearly write on topics they don’t know anything about, and that’s the majority.
The most successful blogs are always written by people who have passion in the content they write. This always creates high quality content and improves everything across the board for them, including how readers see it.
6) Blog about positive topics you know and like.
If you fear negativity from readers, I can assure you that this is not something that will go away. I know how I felt the first time I got my first negative comment on a blog or YouTube video I made. I hated it. I wanted to figure out how to fix the problem but you just have to understand that negative people will be around no matter what.
But to decrease the likelihood of that happening is pretty simple: Keep your blog and the content of it positive. Stay away from topics like politics or divisive subjects that generally have a 50/50 split on opinions and you should be fine.
In fact, in my experience, 90% of the comments I get are always positive, and I don’t even blog about positive stuff to begin with, so if I get those numbers in my case, you will see even better stats in yours if you follow this guideline.
7) Consider your blog as a source of helping people.
Maybe you understand stuff about healthy living and can share that with the world. If that’s the case, then understand that you really are helping people by sharing your content with them and making the world better for it. This should give you that push and ambition to write.
For example, in the blogging and niche realm, there are certain niche topics called hungry niches which involve problem solving and those are awesome ideas to brainstorm for your blog and help people with.
8) Blogging is profitable (if you know how it’s done).
Many people start blogging because now it is more profitable than ever to do. While most people do NOT succeed in making this work, there are those who do and in fact, the 10 tips I’m giving you here are coming from a guy who does it.
But consider the whole concept of working from home, being able to work from anywhere and live a good live while making passive income from your blog, on a passion you like. Wouldn’t that be awesome?
Of course it would and the best way to do that is to follow a platform like I did to do it. The best platform for this is called Wealthy Affiliate and I highly recommend it as it helps people become part of full time bloggers.
9) The more you blog, the easier it gets.
The more repetition you get in blogging, the easier it gets, period. I’ve written 1,000’s of posts and because of this, there is no longer the fear I had when I wrote my first blog post. That pressure, and all those doubts I shared above are gone.
And frankly, ANY skill in life that is mastered is done so through repetition anyway, so understand that the more you blog, the easier it will get.
And if you get stuck on what to blog about, don’t worry, read tip 11 to see the solution for that below.
10) Blog as though you’re telling a story.
Have you ever told someone a story about something that happened to you and had their interest? If so, then you can easily do blogging, because that is essentially what you’re going to be doing anyway.
Sharing stories in written format, aka blogging is an awesome way to connect with people and make your blog more successful. I said you should write freely and as though you’re talking to someone. Well this is true, but when you also include story telling in that blog, you’re going to get even better results.
For example, I share my story in my Wealthy Affiliate review and how I came to do this full time and this story connects with people who have similar goals that I did when I got started, which was to work from home and/or blog full time.
Story telling is powerful and blogging is a great way to share that.
11) Stuck on what to blog about? Do this:
Everyone, no matter how good at blogging reaches this problem eventually. So if you follow my guide on what to blog about to make money online, you’ll cure it.
My final thoughts on overcoming the fear of blogging:
If these 11 tips aren’t enough and you’re still kind of waiting to take that first step, but at the same time want to know what can happen if you work hard at it, learn from me, someone who has been doing it for a long time and take my word for itwhen I say that it’s completely worth it and that MOST if not all the fears I’ve about it were for nothing.
If you are aiming at living a life where you can earn more from this business, then blogging may be a possible solution for you and at the risk of having a better life, why would a a little worry stop you?
Take the plunge as they say, more forward and use the Wealthy Affiliate platform I recommended to you to help you do it!
Hi, Vitaliy,
First of all the people who still believe that blogging is beneath their dignity and something amateurish are completely ignorant. People have a tendency to say negative things on topics, (blogging, sports, the environment, politics, etc…) in which they know nothing about what they are talking about. I also tend to myself, being at my age of 60 and having seen a thing or two, to just ignore those people completely.
Your first recommendation to an individual who is reluctant regarding blogging is completely true: A person just has to be wiling to DO IT! Understand like any other new activity, be it swimming, skiing, knitting, artistic painting that in all likelihood problems will most likely ensue.
That first blog or content article written for a website certainly will not be anywhere close to perfect. Yet, like any of the activities mentioned above, the individual first of all in overcoming the first hurdle at least TRIED! He/she would need to then take the time to look at the finished product, analyze it or seek help from a mentor in asking for suggestions and then set about a way to improve the content of the next article.
If the first attempt at anything, be it a physical activity or one involving writing does not work out for the best, then that person should simply not just give up.
Instead learn from any mistakes made, then gain the needed experience by trying it again. How many people would not know how to ride a bicycle if after falling down the first time they simply gave up?
Your final idea about a new blog author receiving guidance from a proven program or platform, would also be crucial to that person’s eventual success and growth. Certainly Wealthy Affiliate, what was recommended in the article is the best training program/platform that would teach a newbie how to write effective content. One that would be necessary to grow a successful online business!
Jeff
I agree with all the points you made Jeff, especially these 2:
1) What you said about people being too “proud” to blog is something that I see very often. People do not take blogging seriously, because they still look at it like someone just voicing their inexperienced opinion. However, the topics in which this is most profound in, one being politics is where I see this happen a lot and it is those types of blogs I typically do not take seriously, not unless the person/s truly know the subject well.
But if the person blogging knows what they are talking about, who cares whether it’s on a blog or on a book? The person’s words already have substance so it doesn’t matter in which type of media it is voiced.
There’s plenty of bloggers out there who are experts in topics I find interesting, whose posts I read as often as I can because I love what they say. If we as bloggers can ALSO become that, then it’s a wonderful way to grow a following and a business in the process.
2) The practice part is also absolutely true. I will admit, writing and composing my thoughts into words, whether on paper or computer has not been difficult, but anything we undertake, that we are interested in, typically requires we start somewhere, and make improvements as we practice it. Even the most talented people at their craft typically don’t start that way and get there through practice. Blogging is certainly a craft that takes repetition and practice. After writing over 1,000 articles over my time doing this, I still consider myself as someone who is still growing and learning how to blog.
I struggled for a long time not having the confidence to write. Every time I thought about starting a blog and writing content couldn’t figure out what to say that had not already been said. I keep telling myself, nobody is going to want to read my stuff. Since others have already written it.
Then I realized that most websites in the same niche were basically writing the same things with small variations. That is when I realized that I could do the same thing. Allowing me to get over my fears.
Although, I have gotten over the fear of writing for the most part. What do you do when you are not getting any readers?
-Frank
Getting readers is going to come down to marketing and writing well Frank. If you write content that gets ranked on Google, people will visit your page, but your writing ON the page has to be interesting enough to keep them.
You will find that most people do indeed have a lot of similar information on their blogs, but honestly, if you break it down, everyone’s take on whatever subject is different.
Knowing your subject very well and being able to articulate it in a blog/article is what determines how well it will be received by a visitor so write on a subject you are very confident with.
I really like your analysis here. To most people it is fear, and I for one was also in that boat, but once I past the fear another problem rose up: “Procrastination” and letting everything else in life take over. I found myself doing everything else but work on my “dream”. I’ve come to the conclusion that if you want it, go and get it. It’s that simple!
I have been with WA over a year now, and I can truly say that I have not used a small percent of what I could have done if I had stuck to my original plan. I am determined to stick to it now and as your blog really emphasizes, WA will get me there.
I totally agree with everything you said about fear. Especially when you have selected a topic that you don’t know much about, as I have done many times in the past. I’ve noticed that if I pick a niche I know something about, that it’s much easier. The fear is not there and the writing is easy. I appreciate the honest of your post.
I’ve tried blogging several times and something always holds me back! I don’t know what it is, maybe not having enough confidence, but it just keeps holding me back. I’m terrible at speaking in public, and these are probably very related. Everything you laid out here was really helpful and helped me gain some more confidence in this method. Also, thank you for laying out your paychecks. Gives some more hope to this method. I wish I could drop everything in my life and give this a full on shot. Have you found you need to devote all your time to really get into blogging or have you been successful being part time at this also? Again thank you for sharing all of these great tips!
I have gotten to the point where it provides me a full time earning and I can afford to do it part time.
Hello! I’m incredibly lucky to stumble upon your page here, as this is my exact issue that I have! For some reason I feel like something holds me back when I try blogging, even if I have an incredible amount on my mind. I feel like my problem is in my mind – I’m a perfectionist. I feel like I need to know exactly what I need to write about before I start, but I liked your advice. I tried actually meditating before writing, then just write from the hip as they say. My draft had no format at all but I wrote so much!! Thanks for taking the time to express your opinion on this, it definitely helped me!
I think you’ve found your key to blogging Cody and you should keep following that meditation method if you see it helps you write more freely.
Hi! when I started to explore the world of earning money online, I discovered that I could make money selling my services on fiverr. When I started to create my account there, it seems like I’m afraid to because I am unsure about myself. I doubt myself, I doubt my skills, I don’t know if people there will like my work and all the negative thoughts I could think of that hinders me to start doing it. Then, I saw a quote that fired me to start. It gave me the confidence to start and in fact, it was a success, I earned $200 selling my gigs.
Now, I’m also a member of Wealthy Affiliate and I enjoy being a member of it, and I also made some earnings from it as well.
Really excellent information here and i can understand what you are saying.
One of my biggest fears was to look stupid.
Let me explain. We can all be good at something. But in my opinion someone out there always knows more, or is maybe better at it.
This terrified me when I started. Knowing that i was writing material for the whole world to potentially see online. It is almost like being on a stage without warming up first 🙂
After reading your information here I can see it highlights important points. Two of them I found important is that writing online these days is normal. A lot of people are doing it.
And! – Everyone has to start somewhere!
I soon realized that after some practice my confidence grew, and hey, if there was someone out there who knew more, or was better, I learned to soak it up. It made me better, and lets face it, if there is every anyone with a different idea – this is perfect for creating dialogue 🙂
Thanks so much! I think this information can be useful for anyone knew on the scene that have a few hidden fears.
Chris
I don’t think the truth in this page can be anymore well said. For a novice like myself in the industry it is relieving to see that I am not the only one who feels somewhat self conscious about his or her posts and it is also a relief to know websites like yours are there to ease the pain of the beginner’s journey to success. I’ll be following you on your journey to success as well as learning from it. thank you
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the topic of blogging, I found it to be very enlightening. This isn’t a new fear, it’s rather an old fear that even writers have. They call it writer’s block and the only way to get around it is to just write. It’s like learning to ride a bike, the only way to learn is to just keep trying.
Good job on this article, I know a lot of people who would benefit from your advice.