Lori Ballen is a member of the Amazon Associates Program and earns money from qualifying purchases. Posts contain affiliate links that benefit Lori as well.
For many, blogging (creating a digest of content) brings rewards. Some blog for a creative outlet while others, others blog for brand awareness, and some blog for money. I blog for all three.
And although these rewards can be remarkable, there are reasons you shouldn’t start a blog. Let’s dive into those now.
Contents
#1 NO TIME TO BLOG
First, if you are blogging as a creative outlet, time has no relevance.
When you feel the urge, create!
I generally create blogs about things that are happening in my life.
Being inspired comes easily when it’s related to things you enjoy.
If you are creating a blog for brand awareness or for an income, this will require a more disciplined approach. If you don’t have time and don’t have help, or as I call it, “Leverage”, it will be hard to get your blog to take off.
For Example, if you are creating a social media blog such as an Instagram Blog, Facebook Blog, LinkedIn Blog, TikTok Blog (Yes, I’d still consider those blogs), then creating frequently, and with quality is going to get you more reach.
💡Reach is your audience size, basically. How many people did you reach with your post?
If your blog is on Youtube, the algorithm will reward you for creating quality content for your viewers, frequently. Youtube will require many videos before it begins to figure out what your channel is about.
Tubebuddy is software that can help you optimize your youtube videos. It has a checklist for best practices, a thumbnail creation tool, and keyword/tag explorer.
If you are applying SEO to a written blog in order to rank on the Search Engines, you’ll need many, long-form articles (diving in a great length) before you will gain any traction.
Later, you will be able to blog less, as long as you are creating great cornerstone content.
💡If you have more money than time and are willing to hire help with your blog, writer access can be great leverage. You can log into writer access and order content based on the topic you choose. You’ll pay a per word or per article fee depending on the required skillset.
I wrote this blog myself. For particular topics, I’ll hire writers from writer access. Watch this video on Youtube to see my review of Writer Access.
[su_divider top=”yes” text=”Go to top” style=”default” divider_color=”#e7cfc8″ link_color=”#e7cfc8″ size=”3″ margin=”15″ class=””]
#2 No Blogging Skills
If you are not starting a blog because you have no blogging skills, there are solutions for that!
If you are not blogging because you aren’t willing to learn, apply, and master blogging skills, then that’s another problem altogether.
With the vast library of free tutorials on youtube, the inexpensive courses on websites like Udemy and Skillshare, (not to mention my own at Ballen Academy) and the constantly updating “How To Blog” articles on google, there are many ways to learn how to start a blog.
In addition, all of the previous methods I listed above also include tutorials such as Pinterest for Business, SEO Guides teaching how to rank on the search engines, Social Media Strategies to grow your blog and more.
In fact, I have a complete digital marketing bundle that includes lessons in blogging, SEO, Pinterest, youtube, and more which you can find at TheBallenMethod.com.
[su_divider top=”yes” text=”Go to top” style=”default” divider_color=”#e7cfc8″ link_color=”#e7cfc8″ size=”3″ margin=”15″ class=””]
#3 No Idea What To Blog About
It’s true that if you have no idea what to blog about, then starting a blog is going to be a challenge. Until you know what to write about, you shouldn’t start a blog.
Watch this video on How to Find Blog Topics!
That being said, I think this is the easy part!
- Pick a Topic that you already enjoy (Beauty, Fashion, Cooking, Pets, Travel, Work, Finance, Fitness, Parenthood, etc.). Check out this list of lifestyle niches.
- Now, Take that topic and drill down to subtopics until you find something that is less broad.
- Use Google, Quora, or a paid tool like I love (SEMrush), and look up questions people are asking and topics.
- Now, Create a blogging schedule and get started!
[su_divider top=”yes” text=”Go to top” style=”default” divider_color=”#e7cfc8″ link_color=”#e7cfc8″ size=”3″ margin=”15″ class=””]
#4 No Website
Not having a website isn’t a reason to not start a blog. If you want to blog on a website, I suggest WordPress.
You can install WordPress and have it live in less than an hour with any simple theme. You can also add a theme such as the ones I like from Studiopress and follow the step by step instructions to set up the design.
My brothers’ Jeff and Paul Helvin at Ballen Brands“>Ballen Brands also build websites and blogs based on my strategies. You can reach them at 702-917-0755.
This blog is a WordPress Website with the Refined Theme“>Refined Theme. You can also consider more “boxed” solutions such as Wix or Squarespace although I’m a WordPress girl for the seo and growth capabilities.
[su_divider top=”yes” text=”Go to top” style=”default” divider_color=”#e7cfc8″ link_color=”#e7cfc8″ size=”3″ margin=”15″ class=””]
#5 You Don’t Have The Money
If you truly don’t have any money to invest any money in blogging, you shouldn’t start blogging.
Or could you?
If you are willing to forgo the shiny objects, bells and whistles, and kit and kaboodle that many of us bloggers have worked our way into, then YES YOU CAN!
- You can blog on a free platform like Medium.com (and get paid too!)
- You can create videos on Youtube for FREE with nothing but your Smart Phone!
- You can blog your thoughts, tips, and #oodt with pics from your smartphone!
- Pinterest is FREE to help grow your blog!
- Social Media is FREE
- You probably own a computer or tablet already, so no investment needed.
Now, when you CAN afford the Kit and Kaboodle, here are my favorite marketing tools for blogging. Build as you go!
- WP Engine for WordPress Platform and Hosting
- Canva for Featured Blog Covers, Social Posts, Pinterest Templates, Youtube Thumbnails
- Tubebuddy for Youtube optimization
- Tailwind for Pinterest Automation
- SEOpress for a great SEO Plugin for WordPress
- (SEO)
- Tasty Pins for hiding pins on your blog post
- Social Snap for Social optimization tools for your blog
- MissingLettr for Blog Promotion
- SmashBalloon for displaying an Instagram Feed
- OptinMonster for Lead Magnets
- Convertkit for Email Marketing
Blogging Guides
- What I Learned Selling $300,000 In Online Courses My First Year
I never set out to create and sell courses. It happened organically. As the online courses began to grow, I was thrilled to hit the $300,000 in sales number my first year. In this article, I’ll share my personal experiences, what worked for me (and didn’t), and what I learned on the journey. - Blogger’s Income Report
While sharing income makes one very vulnerable, I am a teacher first above all other things. I’m passionate about sharing what works so that people can adopt and follow a model that works for them. Here is my blogger’s Income Report for August 2020. - 9 Super Simple Ways to Make Your Blog Posts More Readable
Building a successful blog requires more than just publishing high-quality content. While relevant and in-depth content is essential, it’s only useful if visitors can easily read it. - 15 Content Marketing Tools For Every Blogger
Here are some tools to guide you through your content creation and marketing process, from coming up with ideas for distributing your message to your target audience. - WordPress Posts vs. Pages: What’s the Difference?
WordPress treats posts and pages differently, so you must learn their respective mechanics to determine when to use them.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.