If you suffer from writing anxiety, or you associate writing with negative experiences in school, you’re not alone. Many entrepreneurs know consistent blogging is essential in their web presence, but a discomfort or perceived lack of ability keeps holding them back from even starting.
I’ve already addressed how formal or casual does your blog have to be. While being a good writer certainly helps when it comes to blogging for your business, it is not an absolute requirement (unless of course, you offer writing services). The quality of your writing can contribute positively to the effectiveness of your blog posts, as well as the impression it leaves on your readers. But, there’s always a few ways to overcome any real or perceived writing limitations and still produce valuable content for your business blog. Here are a few suggestions:
Write more often. Practice with the intention of improving your writing skills as well as your comfort level in the process. Writing, like any skill, can be improved with training and can feel less daunting when you plunge in and just do it. Sometimes all it takes is writing for a few minutes every day; or even dictating into a recording device and having your thoughts transcribed. Knowing no one is reading your material right now gives you the freedom not to worry about judgement, until you become more confident and are ready to hand off some practice blogs to a friend or partner for feedback.
Use editing tools. When you’re not feeling especially inspired or creative, and you find yourself repeating descriptors, turn to your ever-ready online thesaurus for help. Using a thesaurus often is not a cheat – it actually teaches you different ways to express yourself over time. There are plenty of writing tools online, even ones who help you by showing you a different way to express a whole paragraph. And – when the AI tool shows you a different way to say it, you just might find that your way was better all along.
Focus on what matters. Remember that the blogs are about you as the expert in your field, not about your ability to impress with prose. Write about what you know and write in a conversational tone. Imagine your audience is just a person sitting across from you having coffee. Keep focusing on what value you can offer your reader, rather than whether it’s ready for the NY Times best seller list. Leverage your expertise and knowledge in your industry or niche to create insightful and helpful content. Even if your writing isn’t ready for a movie script, the information and ideas you share can still attract and engage readers.
Experiment with different formats. If straight prose feels daunting, use an interview or Q&A format. There are plenty of light-hearted formats you can experiment with and that also will engage your audience.
Delegate it. If writing isn’t your strong suit, and you tried to make it fun but it fell flat, you can consider outsourcing the task to a professional who specializes in blog writing. Don’t give it to a team member to do – they may have even more writing anxiety than you do or their writing style doesn’t convey your brand voice at all.
A good professional will send you drafts so that you can critique and help refine with your own words so they sound more like your voice and your brand. A great writer will interview you from the start, so it’s material that came from your own words; your thoughts are turned into a well-crafted blog and you didn’t have to stress about it.
Remember, the goal of blogging for your business is to communicate your message effectively, establish your brand as an authority, and engage with your target audience. While good writing skills can undoubtedly contribute to these objectives, there are alternative approaches to ensure your blog is successful, even if writing makes your palms sweat.
Thinking about turning over this terrifying task? Reach out to me and let’s talk about how we can make it happen for you.