I had the pleasure of addressing a large group of professional women recently in a co-presentation with Lisette Andreyko of Kaleidoscope Consulting. The topic was Effective Writing for Your Business. It was a great session that started with the basics of blogging and writing in general, including practical points about how, where and when to create content. In an unexpected turn, the conversation turned to the things that prevent people from blogging for their business, and the underlying theme for all of the reasons was one thing: fear.
There is a lot of fear when it comes to writing for a business. I wanted to take that conversation and offer some of the solutions here so that others who may be feeling anxiety about writing may benefit. Here are some of the fears that we addressed.
“I’m not a professional writer. I don’t want to embarrass myself.”
That’s correct! You’re not a professional writer. What you are is a person of business who is taking the time and opportunity to share your valuable experience with your past, current and potential clients. No one is going to assume that you are a professional wordsmith; if you were you would be earning a living doing that as opposed to what you do.
“I don’t know how to write a blog post.”
This one is easy. As kids most of us learned the three-part format for essay writing: Introduction, Body, Conclusion. If you keep this structure in mind, even in this most basic format, you are ready to go. If you aren’t comfortable with this structure, then skip it. Just tell a story instead. That’s all you have to do! Just try to present your information in a clear and logical manner.
“I don’t have anything to write about.”
You have more to write about than you could possibly imagine. Every business interaction, every solved client problem, every positive client experience can make for a good blog post. Remember — people are looking for valuable information and you have the expertise to give it to them. I turned an interesting interaction in a recent speaking engagement into a valuable blog post. You’re reading it right now!
“My competitors have far more experience than I. I don’t want to look inexperienced.”
Couple of things here. First of all comparing oneself to others is a lose/lose proposition. When people compare themselves to others, they come to one of two conclusions; that they are better than them (which they aren’t) or that they are lesser than them (which they aren’t). You are who you are. If you are honest in your writing, if you don’t attempt to write about things you aren’t familiar with, if you share your personal experiences in business with others, you will succeed.
“I simply can’t get started. When I decide to write something, I just freeze up.”
All you are doing is telling a story. We tell stories to our loved ones, our clients and our friends everyday of the week. Don’t make this out to be anything more than it is. Sit down and start typing out a story about your business that you would share with anyone who might find it interesting or valuable.
If you have been held back by one of these fears than I hope that these insights will be helpful. Remember — you’re not writing the Great American Novel here. Your just sharing you experiences with others. And when all else fails, read the blogs of people in your industry! It will inspire and teach you how to do it yourself.
Good luck and get writing!
Andy Bush, President
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