Scared to blog? Here’s how to get over it

Have you thought about starting a blog of your own but are scared to do it?

You might be surprised to learn that you are not the only would-be blogger that was scared to blog, and has had to overcome feelings of fear and self-doubt.

There are many blogs that have never been started because of just this issue.

It is not completely unfounded, as a new blogger it can be a little scary putting your thoughts and ideas down on paper (or website!) for all the world to see.

This can be especially challenging if you are blogging about your own personal life and experiences.

The push-pull, should-you, shouldn’t-you thought process can be one that’s tough to overcome.

scared to blog

But you should try to overcome it.

Why?

Because, even if you are scared to blog, your voice may actually need to be heard.

There may be more people out there that would love to hear what you have to say.

It’s entirely possible that you could help people by documenting your own experience.

Or perhaps your words can resonate and connect with people in a unique way.

Is it normal to be scared to blog?

Being scared to blog is a natural thing to begin with. So how do you get rid of the fear and get your blog up and running?

First, you have to overcome all those self-doubts, which isn’t always easy but it can be done.

You know what I am talking about, that little nagging voice in your head, and that knawing feeling in the pit of your stomach that tells you –

  • I don’t know where to start
  • My writing is not that good
  • I probably won’t have time to do it
  • I can’t do the technical side of things
  • People will say I’m not qualified
  • No-one will read what I write anyway

All these types of statements that are making you scared to blog come from pure self-doubt, and do you know the best way to combat that?

Just go ahead and start your blog anyway!

Most people are scared to start a blog

I have a secret to share with you, the majority of people had all the same doubts and questions as you before starting their blog. They were all scared to start their blog too.

But they put those fears aside and decided to launch their blog anyway.

launch your blog scared to blog

It’s true, trust me. Ask anyone who blogs. They have all had that internal fear, even me. I was scared to blog too when I first started.

The first couple of blogs I wrote I actually cringed as I pressed ‘publish’ expecting a barrage of negative comments.

And do you know what happened?

Nothing!

That’s right. All that fear and worry and concern amounted to a big fat zero.

No reaction, no blog comments, zip, nada.

That is because as a brand new blog your pages will not instantly rank high or reach a wide audience.

Disappointing? Yes and no.

It can be frustrating to write knowing it’s not going to reach that many people.

Once you have blogged for a while you will become more proficient at SEO. The magical component that helps your site to rank in the search results.

But until you get to that point, it’s more likely that the few readers you get will be from sharing your posts on social media.

The flip side of that is that it gives you time to practice, write, and build your confidence before you start reaching a bigger audience. It gives you time to get over being scared to blog.

Then you can focus on reaching the people that matter.

GigLeads is a job search and productivity platform to help writers and freelancers find work quickly. Daily email alerts, member profiles, and more. Visit Gigleads

Who are the people that matter?

Those that matter are the people that are interested in your work. There will be some people that love what you write about and the way you write it.

These are the people that you need to reach and connect with.

group of people huddling

Of course, it would be lovely if everyone liked your work, but the reality is that not everyone will enjoy, understand, or appreciate your blog.

However, this is actually nothing to be concerned about.

Most of these people disappear and never click on your blog again.

You may get the odd negative comment but fortunately, those are the exception rather than the rule.

Most people that decide to start a blog are not tech geniuses or some kind of guru.

They are just people that feel that they have something to say, or some kind of expertise to offer to the world.

If you are still scared to blog and feel that you need to build up your confidence a bit, you could always sign up for a writing course to learn how to structure an article.

Learn from experienced bloggers

Don’t be afraid to mimic successful bloggers. I mean, don’t copy and paste their posts, Google frowns heavily on that and will penalize you for it.

Take a look at their websites, see how they are laid out and use ideas that you like as a basis for your own blog design.

Read some of their posts and observe their writing style and assess what speaks to their audience.

Check the blog posts’ comments to see what kind of engagement they are driving.

You can learn a lot from experienced bloggers.

learn from experienced bloggers

Once you do make the decision to start your blog I recommend using a self-hosted WordPress site to get started.

This will give you all the functionality and versatility you need to get started.

There are some additional articles on the GigLeads site about blogging along with many resources available online for the new blogger and a wealth of advice that you can access.

Blog on a schedule

Once you get your blog up and running, try and add content on a regular, manageable, schedule.

Don’t bite off more than you can chew but try and get some sort of routine in place. It will help you to write regularly.

If once a month is all you can manage, that’s fine. If you are able to crank out 2 posts per week, that is fine too.

A point to note: when it comes to starting blogging, as with most things in life, you will get better with practice.

Really, you will. I promise.

I look back on some of my old blog posts and cringe and the writing and formatting.

None of us are perfect, you may be scared to start your blog, but you will improve with time.

scared to blog

Getting over being scared to blog

Ultimately, like many, once you get over being scared to blog, you might find that you really enjoy it. It’s a way to share your story or impart your knowledge.

You are able to reach people and build a community.

Overall it can be a positive experience.

There are many groups available that can help to support and encourage bloggers.

So don’t let being scared to blog put a halt on your goals. Remember that everyone went through a similar process before getting started.

GigLeads is a job search and productivity platform to help writers and freelancers find work quickly. Daily email alerts, member profiles, and more. Visit Gigleads