Shakespeare lesson for bloggers
Shakespeare said, “There is nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” I read this in The Happiness Hypothesis, which cites it to emphasize the importance of your mental filters.
The quote made me think about how what seems bad can ultimately turn out to be good for your blog.
1. You’re a lousy writer—and an even worse proofreader
If you recognize that writing and proofreader aren’t your strong suits, you can work around those weaknesses.
The obvious solution is to hire a writer or proofreader who can make up for your weaknesses.
A less obvious solution is to communicate in formats other than written blog posts. Play to your strengths. Consider sharing videos or starting a podcast.
If you’re not a good communicator in any format, perhaps blogging isn’t for you. If you’re in a multi-person firm, turning the blog over to other members of your firm could energize your firm’s blog. If you go this route, check out my post on “How to manage a group blog.”
2. You lack ideas
Your lack of ideas could spur you to aggressively research what members of your target audience want to read about. You could do this by asking them in your meetings, keeping a running list of the questions they ask, and doing research online and elsewhere. You could even have someone survey your clients.
If you lack direct access to your firm’s clients, try these techniques to learn about their interests.
Asking questions of your readers is also a great way to generate content.
Another approach is to blog about the mistakes your clients make.
The research you do to make up for your lack of ideas could result in blog posts that speak more powerfully to your the hopes, fears, and dreams of your ideal clients.
3. You’re a financial professional who has made financial mistakes
Financial mistakes don’t disqualify you from blogging. In fact, sharing your personal story can boost the impact of what you write.
Carl Richards’ article, “How a Financial Pro Lost His House” sticks in my mind more than seven years after it appeared in The New York Times.
4. Your blog doesn’t get responses
It’s hard to find a silver lining in this one. However, if your blog isn’t generating responses, then perhaps there’s a bigger problem in your approach to your business. For example, perhaps you’re targeting too narrow a niche, or the wrong niche, for you.
Another problem might be that you’re not spreading the word about your blog aggressively enough.
Look at the statistics generated by your blog. If they’re bad, then let that spur you to examine what you could do better.
5. Your blog attracts too many unqualified prospects
It’s disappointing—and potentially time-consuming—if your blog attracts too many unqualified prospects.
You may be able to fix this by:
- Changing the topics you address (or how you address them) on your blog
- Making it easier for readers to identify whether they are one of your ideal clients
- Creating a better process for screening clients who contact you (and having referrals or products for those who don’t qualify to work with you)
Other negatives that can be positives?
I’ve discussed several negatives that can become positives. Can you add others to this list?
“Why I’m lucky clients didn’t flock to me “describes how something I initially saw as negative helped to push me in a positive direction.
