Time is money, and Indies don't have a lot of either so it's important that we invest our time and money on things that yield a tangible business benefit. Yesterday's post shared some of the benefits of blogging. Today, we discuss the other side of the coin (pun intended …)
Blogging is time consuming, and since time is money, it's wise to begin blogging only after determining whether blogging will be a good investment for your business. Many Indies jump into blogging, spending hours configuring designs, resizing photographs, drafting content and inviting people to visit. After about a week, it becomes apparent that it's not as easy as it seems to blog, nor is it easy to get people to read a blog. Don't let this happen to you! Here's how to predict whether a business blog may (or may not) work for you.
1. If you don't have anything to say, don't blog. Some people are naturally chatty. You can say two words or share your opinion and they can talk your ear off. Others are more subdued, and either don't say much or don't have much to say, or both. If you fall into either category, blogging may be a huge chore for you. Try this exercise: draft 3 short blog entries during a 5-day period. Time yourself to see how long it takes to finalize each draft. If you can't draft 3 posts in 5 days, don't blog. If you complete this exercise, do it 3 more times before you decide whether to launch a blog.
2. If you are not willing to cozy up with your readers, don't blog. If you are the type of Indie who doesn't like people to know where you live, who cringes at the thought of posting your photo on the Internet or who dislikes divulging your opinions and tastes to strangers, you probably want to skip blogging. A blog is successful only when the personality behind the blog is reflected in the blog. A blog without photos that reflect who you are (even if they are not of you personally) is not worth doing. If you feel uncomfortable sharing yourself with the world, blogging probably will cause you more stress than you can handle.
3. If you don't have the time to blog, don't blog. If you barely have enough time to use your current marketing tools effectively, adding a blog will make things worse. If you were able to complete the blogging exercise above, how much time did it take? Do you have that much time each week? If not, don't blog.
4. If your thoughts are not relatively organized, don't blog. If a business blog is to work in your favor, it must be organized. Relevant content must appear in an orderly fashion and it should be easy and fun to digest. If your thoughts are disjointed and you can't bring them into subjection in a way that can be conveyed to readers, your blog will be a disorganized mess. Not good for business.
If you have something to say, are willing to cozy up, have the time to blog and are able to organize your thoughts (oh, and you can spell or use the spell check feature a lot!), then tune in tomorrow click here to find out how to choose the right blogging software for you.
