When Not To Blog?

Recent conversations about blogging have caused me to find many businesspeople think that blogging will burn too much time. This led me to ponder the topic, "When Not To Blog?"

Seriously, is there a BAD business concept or a WRONG person for blogging?

Truthfully, the answer is YES. Some people would be better off NOT blogging than blogging.

Before you jump up and say, "Aha! I knew it. Blogging is a waste of time for a company like mine," I'd like to clarify what I mean by addressing a few of the myths about blogging:

1. "Blogging is a time-suck." If you are too busy to blog, you probably shouldn't blog. That said, I thought I was too busy to blog when I started blogging. But, I started blogging anyway. As a result, I now have over three hundred blog posts and heading towards my goal of 500 on a pretty decent clip. It started with creating the blog, then creating the blogging practice. I don't watch as much television. I don't play music quite as much as I used to. And, I don't goof off. I am very alert of how I spend my time, and spend it wisely. I also allocate time for blogging, so that it isn't like I'm blogging 24/7, either. So, before you discount blogging as a time-suck that you can't afford, consider TRYING it for a couple of months FIRST.

2. "Blogging isn't a fit for my industry." I've heard this for the real estate market, especially. Most people who think blogging isn't good for their industry do not understand the power of a blog. First of all, a blog is about TELLING A STORY. You can create a character and tell a story easier on blogs and on e-mail marketing than in any platform ever available to marketers before in history. Even Direct-Mail isn't as good, because Direct Mail is expensive. Why don't realtors see that they could feature a "deal of the day" or "home with a story" or featured listings on their blog? Why don't realtors understand that if people don't feel like they know you they might not feel like doing business with you? This applies in other industries, as well. So, if you can say you have a story, you could have a blog.

3. "Blogging will take too long to produce any rewards or ad money." Well, if your sole purpose in blogging is just for the ad money, I'll agree that blogging isn't really the best form of getting rich quick. In fact, some bloggers never make money from their blog (although, I'll argue that they probably haven't optimized their blog for high growth yet - my firm can help - hint, hint). Keep in mind that the rewards you get from blogging are NOT just ad revenue. You will also be positioned as an "expert" in your industry from your blogging articles. In addition, you'll gain stronger backlinks to your website - a crux of strength for SEO (Search Engine Optimization), and you'll gain an easier way for people to post comments about your content. It's far better than website feedback. Last, you may get jobs from blog posts that you would not get from a website that functions as an "online billboard".

So, before you discount whether or not blogging is for you, consider challenging these common myths. If you need any assistance with setting up a new blog, try http://www.howbloggersmakemoney.com. There's going to be a whole new launch initiative for that site on February 19, 2008, so keep your eyes peeled!

When deciding when to post to your blog, I have found that I prefer to post late at night or early in the morning, as more people will read the blog posts first thing in the morning when they check their email. However, I see the best boost from articles posted during the week than articles posted on the weekend. I will sometimes break that formula with my self help blog, AspireNow. So, experiment with the best time to post to your blog and have fun with it.

One last thing: If you've dabbled in blogging and decided that YOU don't personally have time to blog for your business, that still doesn't mean that a blog wouldn't benefit your business or business website. If you think about it, how many jobs in your company do you handle yourself? Perhaps, hiring an outside blogger to help you write your blog posts is the answer for you. If so, I have a network of Freelancers who can help you. Contact me and I'll hook you up.

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