What’s keeping you from being a blogging master? You are. If you look around at some of those popular blog you follow you’ll see that most of those bloggers are no better than you are when it comes to their writing skills. In fact, some of them really stink. But they’re drawing in the crowds every day, aren’t they? You can, too. You just need to figure out what’s holding you back.
What are you afraid of?
I’ve plopped myself down at my computer many times and started to type, only to stop and say to myself, “Oh, no, no, no. I can’t say that. What would my readers think?” But often, those are the best blog posts because they give your readers a good glimpse of the real “you.” So, what is it you’re afraid of?
Are you afraid your idea is too controversial and your readers will all hate you?
Trust me, there are plenty of people out there who agree with you and they’ve been wondering when you’re going to come down off you high horse and let your true feelings shine through. Be fair and present both sides of the issue so your readers can form their own opinions. But never be afraid to be controversial if that’s the way you really feel about something. It’s much easier to be “you” than it is to pretend to be someone else.
Are you afraid your readers will see you’re not really an expert?
For a while I found myself writing posts that were always vague. I’d give my readers just enough information to let them know I knew what I was talking about but I avoided going into details because I wasn’t always sure myself if I was right. But your readers want those details. That’s what keeps them coming back to your blog.
If you’ve been blogging about your topic for quite a while then you’re eventually going to have to learn more so you can share that knowledge with your readers. Instead of avoiding topics you don’t really understand because you’re afraid you’ll be found out, dig in and start learning more of those expert details.
Are you afraid people will laugh at your writing?
This should be the least of your worries. Like I said, just start reading a few of those big-name blogs and you’ll soon see that most of them write no better than you do. Of course, you’ll want to pay attention to your spelling and try to use good grammar. But it’s also important to talk to your readers on their level.
If you’re blog addresses rocket scientists then you’ll need to worry about scientific terminology, but if you’re addressing the average Internet searcher who reads at an 8th grade level, then by all means “talk” to your readers just like you’d talk to your friends.
Are you afraid your readers won’t like you?
Well, I hate to say it, but some of them won’t. And there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it. You probably don’t like everyone you meet, either, do you? But look at it this way – there are billions of people searching the Internet every day and some of them are going to love you. If you just be yourself and stop worrying about the ones who don’t like you, the ones who do like you will think you’re a blogging master.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below!