I evangelize blogging. You should blog because it is immensely satisfying and improves your organization and delivery of thoughts — a great asset for anyone in 21^st century and a good reason to begin.

People have their reasons of doing something and also not doing it. I have listed 14 reasons why people do not blog.

Read to find out if your reason of not blogging is there.

1. No one will read.

They will eventually, if your write from the heart, write regularly (once a day, once every weekday, once or twice a week, once or twice a month). Give people they want — people are looking for new ideas, solutions to existing problems, perspectives — if you can give them one or all of these they will pay attention.

Thanks to search engines — you will find people reading your writing from across the sea. You can also use proven strategies like guest posting and meaningful commenting to reach out to a wider audience.

2. It is hard work.

Yes it is. Do not do it if you are looking at it as a short cut to success and fame. Do it for sure if you are willing to put in hours.

All of us have one life to live. We ought to live life to the fullest and find out of the best use of time. Time is limited and blogging is an effective way to use time; if you want to take your ideas beyond your friends and acquaintances.

The one you are reading is 100^th post on Mohitpawar.com. Writing all these posts has taken time and energy; but it also has given me an opportunity to connect with my readers, some of them not known to me before. I appreciate all these connections and your friendship from the core. It would not have been possible with my writing here.

There is also a sense satisfaction of having put my writing out there in front of your eyes. I appreciate this opportunity to share and learn from the experiences of others.

So — hard work, yes — but worth it for sure.

3. It involves technology.

Blogging is more about creating content and less about technology.

Good technology enables; and creators of popular blogging tools understand that.

Do you know how to send an email then no need to worry? Start with Posterous and you are all set. You just email your thoughts and it automatically gets posted on your blog. Now it is that easy. WordPress also offers this functionality.

Technology is no longer a hindrance; it will only help you move ahead with blogging.

4. I am not good enough.

With time you will improve; but you got to start somewhere. You will not improve by – not starting; but you will surely become better when you consistently work at it.

5. It is difficult for me to start anything new.

Just head over to 13 Ideas to Start a Task and Finish It Successfully and get back here after reading it.

6. I do not have time.

Writing long in-depth articles takes time. But you can start blogging by investing 10-15 minutes a day. Not all of us need or want to become pro-blogger, at least initially. Start with a simple schedule of writing 20 minutes a day and post the same to your blog.

You can also choose to write 2 posts every week. In one year’s time you would have written 100+ posts. Good for a start.

The first draft of this post took me around 15 minutes to write. I could have spent another 15 minutes rewriting and posting the same.

I chose to devote more time and share more details. This is a choice you make. If time is a big concern for you — like most of us — then you can go for smaller posts (200-300 words) or go for low positing frequency.

Point is that if you can spare 15-20 minutes in a day, you can blog regularly. Best is to do it first thing in the morning or — if it suits you – last thing before you go to bed.

Give yourself some time to build your voice and understand how blogging works. When you have learnt the basics and you start enjoying devote more time.

7. I am not sure of the return.

It is always good to ask, “What is in it for me?” whenever you start with a significant effort.

Blogging can create a lot of value for you.

It is proven way of establishing thought leadership, launching and promoting a brand. People across the world have also been making good money through blogging. But to reach to a stage — where you can make money from blogging (if that is your goal) takes time — 3-5 years.

Beyond money there are other benefits. Would you not feel good looking back 10-15 years later and reflecting on a piece you wrote? Your kids will also be able to see how dad or mom thought.

When you blog regularly and create relevant content — your writing skills improve, your personal brand grows and you improve your chances of making money — directly from your blog or indirectly. Read blogging helps if you want to explore “what’s in it for me” question a bit more.

8. I do not know how to write.

Or I do not like writing.

Blogging is not about writing only. You can create videos or create a podcast and put it on the blog.

If you are keen on learning then there is no stopping you. Just write like you write an email to a friend sharing your thoughts and post the same. Edit if required (chances are that it is required, editing is the secret of good writing).

This is for starters. I wrote about the topic in detail earlier in how to become a writer.

9. What should I write about?

The area you feel you are most knowledgeable about or you want to be known for. If you have been working for some years then you will have some practical exposure — share the same through your writing.

If you want to write about marketing then write your thoughts about how you would have run a particular campaign or share the launch plan of a brand/ product to be launched in future.

An entrepreneur can write about her mistakes and what she learnt from them. Do not write what is written there in books. Share your unique perspective.

As a student blogger you can write about young achievers. You can also read books and write about your learning.

If you are just starting in the industry then write about – your experience as a fresher in industry — your challenges, your triumphs. You can give it a title like —“a day in the life of (your profile, role, or title here)”.

A homemaker can write about running household, minimizing clutter or leading a simple life.

The ideas are endless; you just need to begin somewhere.

10. It costs money.

All popular blogging tools including WordPress, Posterous, and Tumblr are free to use. You just need to register and start blogging. Later when you find your voice you may choose to invest in a domain and hosting.

11. I am not sure.

It is a good trait to be able to say no and not do things if you do not like or do not find value in. But first give it a shot and if you be at it, it will — most likely – work you. Congratulations — for trying and best wishes — for you to succeed.

If you choose not to continue then sure you would have invested some time; but also would have conquered your fear of blogging.

12. My company doesn’t allow it.

During earlier days of blogging, people got fired for blogging. That is another story that many of them went on to land book deals and pursue interesting careers.

Nowadays any intelligent company will appreciate an employee blogging and encourage them. If you company sages are still living under the rock and have created a non-blogging policy for employees – then just change the company it is not worth working with anyways.

13. I need to spend time earning my bread and butter.

This is one more reason for you to start blogging.

You increase you’re the market value of your brand by blogging. If your blogging can help you get on top in search engine results for your industry then people will be willing to pay a premium to work with you.

Moreover it will take your ideas /product/brand to a wider audience.  You can meet with only so many people in person. With a blog your writing can be read by potentially millions and at least thousands of readers in a month/year even if you are a rising star or an upcoming blogger.

Many of these readers can be potential partners or clients. These people can get a glimpse of your thought process — at least at a level — which they can never get by looking at your website.

You also get to exercise your greycells by blogging. When you blog on a particular topic you consciously explore ideas around that topic and learn more than usual.

14. I have a family to take care of.

Some of the most successful bloggers in the world – like Chris Brogan, Darren Rowse, Leo Babauta and Heather Armstrong – are family people. They all worked in a job while starting/ building their blog.

Does it make sense?

Is your reason different then the ones listed above? Then please share your reason in comments. If it is one from among those listed above, please share that as well. Thank you for listening.

Are you still waiting or are you going to start today?

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