To Blog or Not to Blog, That Is the Question

Come up with the wrong answer to this question and you may end up as melancholy as the melancholy Dane who first asked the question.

I have to admit that I never asked myself this question. Eight months ago, I was a starry- eyed optimist who believed a blog was “no big deal” for someone who was used to writing and writing deadlines.

So I just started blogging.

Big mistake. Huge. (Isn’t that a Julia Roberts’s line in Pretty Woman?)

Timing Is Everything

You see, timing is everything. There is a good time to start your blog, and there is a bad time to start your blog. Starting your blog when you are already at 9.5 on the Overwhelm Scale is not a good time. Trust me. I know of what I speak.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying you should never blog. Quite the contrary. I believe every coach needs to blog. It’s just way too good a business tool to pass up. Check this out.
8 Things Your Blog Can Do for You

• Generate leads
• Build your list
• Land new clients
• Build your credibility
• Position you as the go-to person for your market
• Build awareness of you and your business
• Give your business a voice
• Build your know-like-trust factor

See how often the word “build” appears on the list? That’s because a blog is one of the best ways to build your coaching business. Heck, maybe it’s even the best way to do it.

But, start your blog at the wrong time and without proper preparation, and you will quickly discover that a blog is the best way to build something else – your insanity! This is the voice of experience talking.

Here’s what I wish I had done before I started my blog. (Yes, people did try to warn me. Yes, the cocky writer inside me didn’t listen.)

Coaches, Start Your Engines . . . . . .

Here are three things to do before you start to blog.

• Become familiar with other blogs, especially blogs written by coaches.
• Figure out which blogs you like, which ones you don’t, and why.
• Subscribe to and read at least three blogs.

On Your Mark . . . . . .

And three more things to do.

• Decide upon the single most important purpose of your blog.
• Determine who will be reading your blog and why.
• Come up with a plan to drive people to your blog.

Get Set . . . . . .

And three more things to do.

• Figure out what subjects you’re going to write about.
• Decide how often you will post to your blog. (Be conservative in the beginning.)
• Build up a 2-3 month inventory of blog posts.

Go!