Four Important Questions You Need To Ask Yourself Before Blogging

question to ask yourself before bloggingI know that for those who are just starting a blog it can be quite daunting not only to start writing, but writing on a regular basis. Some people like the idea of a blog, but don’t see themselves as writers.

This said, no matter how  you see yourself, if you are a new blogger, not only you are going to need to publish content out there, but you probably going to have to write it yourself.  If not, let me know, but for now let’s assume that it’s going to by the case.

While I’m not someone who believes that you have to write a blog post a day, I do believe that you have to write regularly.  Twice a month should be the bare minimum while once a week would be better.

If you are one of those people who call themselves non-writers, don’t feel so bad, you’re not the only one. Many people who call themselves non-writers do blog on a regular basis.

What you have to do, however, before you start your blog(or even later if you haven’t yet) is ask yourself four important questions which are the following.

What Topics Am I Interested in and What do I Know about?

Do not come to the blogging world thinking that you will be able to blog regularly and with passion if you start off with something that YOU are not interesting.  If you did this, it would make it very tough for you to write right from the get-go.

Give yourself a favor and ask yourself what am I interested in enough so I can blog about it at will?  Or what do I know so well that I could talk about everyday without any problem?

What you know doesn’t necessary have to be your passion, but if you know enough about it and take on the habit to write about it often, you might be able to transform such knowledge into something you like. Something you enjoy writing about.

Maybe you used to have a profession that would make you expert in that field.  You could use that knowledge and niche for your blog and build your online business with it.  It could either network marketing, affiliate marketing or some type of service of your own.

Just remember this…

It’s better to build your online business around something you know and like. because it’s the reason why you will last.

Now, you may be wondering why a freelance writer who writes about all kind of different topics is telling me to write about what interest me.

Well, it’s because Freelance writing is a business, and if you’re not into the “business” of writing.  You don’t NEED to go through the pains of writing about topics you don’t know about or don’t like.

Also, a freelance writer likes to write and can do it rather easily.  But since you’re not a writer, I’m telling YOU to start a blog about a topic that interest you.

What am I Selling?

You might have read on this blog before how much I advise not to write sales posts, because no one is interested in reading sales articles, unless they are really looking for a specific product that they actually want to buy.

So what do I mean by selling?

What I mean is that while you don’t want to use your content to sell your business or product, you need to remember that what does the selling is your overall blog and the fact that you are present on it on a constant basis.

Whether you are a network marketer, an affiliate marketer, a freelance writer, a life coach, a web designer, or whatever you may be, you need to keep in mind that you are selling something online while using your blog to promote you.

The more regular you are on your blog and the better the quality of your content, the more people will trust YOU and your service. No matter what you are trying to sell through your blog.

Does my Blog Solely Depend on my Company or Business?

Don’t make your blog solely dependent on your company/business.

What do I mean by that?

I’ve seen network marketers who used to blog on a weekly basis to completely abandoned their blog because they left the company, or the company shut down.  No matter what you are selling through your blog, don’t make such mistake.

Even if I ceased being a freelance writer tomorrow I would still write on this blog, because while my blog is the platform of my freelance writing service, it does solely depend on it to survive.

Your whole presence online shouldn’t ever be based on your business alone.  Not ever.  It should be based on your passion.  Otherwise I can’t see how you would be able to stick with it very long.

Companies fail, businesses shut down, markets change.  If your blog depends solely on those it’s not if you are going to be gone, but more like when.

Many of my businesses and blogs are long gone, but I’m still here because “I” didn’t depend on such businesses or services, but on “me”.

If you want to be online for a very long time, make sure that you do not blog for your company or business, but for you and your readers.

Am I Being Positive?

Now, I’m sure you’re wondering what on earth am I talking about here, don’t you?

What I mean is that when you write your blog posts don’t fall into the trap of writing negative stuff about what you don’t like or don’t agree with.  This will only show the world that you are bitter about something, and won’t give you a very good name.  Besides, this type of behavior can’t bring you any type of success.

Why am I even mentioning this?

Well, because I’ve seen it happened.  I know a blogger who started to become negative about something and started blogging about it more and more often until they were gone.

The very reason that this even started at all was because their blog was based on their business, and such business was the only reason for their blogger to even exist.  When the company fell off, they lost their reason for blogging. This was the first big mistake they made.

Then, what happened was that the said blogger became disappointed, sad and even down right depressed.  Later on, however, the disappointment and depression turned into anger and almost revenge.

Before they knew it, those feelings were showing up on their blog.  Soon after that they were bitter and gone.

Don’t let that happen to you!

This is definitely not the way to go with your blog. Don’t ruin your blog with your mood swings.

If you have to, write a post letting your readers know that you are going through some things and will be back soon, but again, don’t let your frustration and anger be the driving forces of your posts, because you may never recover from such mistakes.

The rule of thumb is this – write about what you are for, not what you’re against.  That’s a very bad recipe for success.

So, there you have it; four very important questions you need to ask yourself before you start blogging. Actually it wouldn’t hurt if you asked yourself those questions at any time in your blogging career.

Now, your turn, let me know what you think… below…

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46 thoughts on “Four Important Questions You Need To Ask Yourself Before Blogging”

  1. Hi Sylviane
    If you are not passionate about your niche and the posts you are writing about then it will come across in your blog, your readers will soon realize that you are just publishing any old rubbish and that is not good. Like you say you must be positive in your writing, and know what you are writing about!
    I don’t write a post promoting an affiliate product very often ( I did with my last post but that is my first one for many months) I like to share content to help my readers not to get them to buy from me, which I think is a mistake many new bloggers make, they think they can churn out sales posts every time and they will make lots of money!
    Thanks for sharing Sylviane, hope you have a great week.
    Pauline
    Pauline invites you to read..How To Create A Short ReportMy Profile

    1. Hi Pauline,

      Like I said before, it’s not a bad thing to promote a product once in a while. After all if we’ve purchased a product that we love, there’s nothing wrong with sharing it with our readers, right? They might actually want to know about this!

      The problem sould be if all we posted were promotional articles. That’s a a huge difference right?

      Yes, our readers can read through us or between the lines, so to speak, so it’s very important to be genuine and positive.

      Thanks for coming and for your input 🙂

  2. Sylviane, those are some great tips to consider before starting a blog. I have wondered about the sales article, I do not think it is a good idea unless you already have a following.

    I read the popular blog and he is very influential. He does sales articles that seem to be effective. I am sure it is because he has a following.

    You covered some good ideas to consider. You really need a good topic.
    Michael Belk invites you to read..Define Ethical BehaviorMy Profile

    1. Hi Micheal,

      Sales posts are OK once in a while, but not on a regular basis. Those who can afford to write a sales post every week must have thousands or more readers a week.

      However, this subheading wasn’t talking about writing sales posts, but blogging about something relevant to our business.

      For example, if you are a web designer you don’t want to blog about food recipes, but it doesn’t mean that you are trying to sell your service on your post either. What you do is write about social media, blogging, traffic, and other web related topics. That’s what I meant by “what do I sell”?

      Thanks for your input, Michael

  3. Hi Sylviane!

    What a great blog post! I love the four tips – very powerful! And at the risk of incurring your wrath, I’m going to respectuflly suggest a fifth tip – which kinda turns ‘what am I selling’ on its head and that is…

    ‘What are people looking for?’

    I get it that you’re talking more about the tone and impression of your blog here – rather than actually ‘selling’ a specific item and my point is – that few are going to read your blog in the first place unless they think it’s going to solve a problem for them and/or heal a wound.

    Clearly your blog does precisely this for your target niche – so I appreciate you know what I mean! And hopefully your esteemed readers will get too, that just writing about what you know – your first point – only has relevance IF it adds value to the readers by solving their problems.

    I think we’re coming at the same point from different angles – I just wanted to spell it out more.

    I hope it makes sense?

    ~Robin~
    RobinJ Emdon invites you to read..Free Life Coaching and errrrr One Million Dollars – Interested?My Profile

    1. Hi Robin,

      Yes, it does make sense. You are completely right. If you write all day long about what you like, even love, but I’m not interested in it, it won’t do any good for you and me, right?

      On the other hand, if you blog about something just for the sake of being a hot topic, but you have no interest in it, it won’t last long. That’s why I was saying to new bloggers that they’d better find out what they like first, and then see what type of market and competition they are in. But don’t ever start blogging about what you don’t like. I know a lot of real people who failed doing this.

      Thank you for your input.

  4. Hi Sylviane,

    These are not only great tips, but I consider them rules lol! We must write about what we know and what we are passionate about. We all have passion, some have to dig a little deeper to find it.
    Always keeping things positive is a great tip. No one wants to read an angry disgruntled blog.
    When I first started blogging, I learned one thing that I still use. And that is whatever I have learned, I will write about. So this can be an easy way to write some thing when we are “stuck” or not sure.
    We learn something new every day and sometimes take it for granted. But other people may not have this knowledge, so just pass it on.
    As far as writing about a company one is with…absolutely not! It is spam and boring.
    I know bloggers that are with a health product. They NEVER let you know what that is, but rather write about health issues and wellness. They can have an opt in on their side bar if you want to know more.
    This makes their blog more interactive and will get them more readership.
    Great tips to follow!
    Donna
    Donna Merrill invites you to read..5 Personal Development BlogsMy Profile

    1. I’m glad you enjoyed this post, Donna,

      One important thing that I wanted people reading this post to understand is that even without writing about your company, if the only reason you have a blog is because of your being in such company that’s not a good idea.

      There is nt way that you can be passionate about a company. You need to be passionate about what you do. That’s what is going to keep you online for a long, long time.

      Thanksf or your input, Donna.

  5. I also agree Sylviane that these are great tips but I also know you don’t have to be passionate about what you’re writing as long as you enjoy the topic enough to write about it on a consistent basis.

    I know I was told over and over again to write what I was passionate about. Had I done that I would have never started blogging because I wasn’t passionate about any “niche”. What I am passionate about is helping others so I chose an area that I knew would help people who love to blog.

    You definitely have to be consistent or you’ve going to lose interest because you won’t get much traffic and that’s why a lot of people quit too.

    I’m one of those who didn’t consider myself a writer either but look where the heck my blog has gone. So if I can do this then anyone can.

    Great tips for any blogger or want to be at that. Thanks for sharing these.

    ~Adrienne
    Adrienne invites you to read..My Favorite Social Sharing Plugin, Share Juice ProMy Profile

    1. Hi Adrienne,

      Yes, I totally get that, you don’t have to be passionate to be able to write and I mentioned something of this matter in the post. Such as you may not have been passionate by internet marketing but you made it your own anyway.

      However, lots of people are not like that, and they would never stick to writing about something they either don’t like or can’t seem to learn to like. I’ve seen that happened too many times.

      Thank you for your feedbacks, Adrienne.

  6. oooo I love that last tip, Sylvaine. That’s worth its weight in gold. Nobody likes to hear someone complain all the time. Once in a while you can have your rant (yes, I do that!) but always keep your readers in mind and say it in a way that can benefit them, not just complaining about something that’s annoying you. Besides, people start to get depressed too and then they don’t want to be associated with someone who makes them feel bad all the time. That is definitely NOT the way to make friends!

    I think getting started is the hardest part. Once you’re writing you can change things and adjust and get along. But getting started is a huge hurdle and some people are afraid to step across that starting line. Writing about something you enjoy and care about will make it easier because you will already WANT to write.

    This was great advice and something new bloggers should read!
    Carol Lynn invites you to read..Creating A Logo For Your Business Does Not Have To End In DisasterMy Profile

    1. Hi Carol,

      Totally agree, ranting once in a while is not what’s bad, but taking on some kind of a dark personality that starts showing its ugly head on every post, not the way to go.

      It’s true that the hardest part it’s those first couple of posts. Once you’ve started it all gets better overtime.

      Thank you for your excellent feedbacks, as always

  7. Hi Sylviane

    I too think you have some great tips here. I think the last one goes without saying. I had to really think hard if I had ever read a blog post that was negative. I then remembered a couple when network marketing companies had gone or such. Other than that I think most people write positively on blogs. Not so on Facebook but that is another conversation.

    I do think Robin has a very valid point so it probably could be an additional point.

    I also think Adrienne has a good point it is not always what we are passionate about we just need to be interested and know what we are talking about. I know I had no clue when I started blogging what to write.

    Thanks Sylviane.

    Sue
    Sue Price invites you to read..Be Do Have and Create More SuccessMy Profile

    1. Hi Sue,

      Indeed my last point was based on a case that I personally know. So I know how sometimes disappointed to downright discuss could lead someone to start positing negative post. So, I thought it was worth to put it out there even if it was valuable to one person out there!

      Yes, I agree with the fact that you can start blogging without having a true passion and it can become something you actually like. At the end of the day, however, as they say real success is doing what you love, so if you love what you’re writing about it’s always best, and it will reflect on your posts.

      Thanks for your feedbacks, Sue

  8. Hi Sylviane,

    You make everyone really think about what they are doing right now 😉 I’m sure they will ask themselves the question right after reading this as I did just few moments ago.

    Lately a friend of mine reached me and asked why I do blogging and how many times I do blog per day. I just love it and sharing cool tips I find. I just said I’m enjoying it. Then question comes about money 🙂

    Well, she’s blogging for money. It’s alright and conversation end like that. But again I start to think about that 🙂 When someone don’t earn money from blogging, that would be a reason for him/her to stop blogging? Oh gosh… I just feel blogging is like dreaming. Almost all bloggers I know love the joy it brings 🙂

    Blogging help me to start offering my own services as a freelance Web Developer/Designer and that’s where I earn money. Exactly as you said ~ “It’s better to build your online business around something you know and like. because it’s the reason why you will last.” 🙂

    Even if I have to give up on freelancing, I don’t stop blogging due to my desire. That’s something we overlook as you mentioned Sylviane. Our blog doesn’t need to depend on the business, but us.

    I’ve come across some folks that they want me to set up a blog for ’em just because they wanna get leads to business, but not to provide value. They hired few freelance writers to write too. They just blog because they have to. Hmm… Sometimes people run after benefits and embrace anything + not dare to spoil ’em.

    The positivity. Hmm… I can see ranting going on some places. Sometimes I feel like readers can learn through what they share as we have a feeling that blogger shouldn’t do it that way. But when it comes to blogger’s perspectives, it’s hurting themselves and end up with a loss. Killing themselves softly 😉 Criticism is alright for some extent, but absolutely I agree that they need to stand up for what they are for.

    Wonderful post again Sylviane 🙂 Open doors for many discussions.

    Cheers…
    Mayura invites you to read..What is Google PageRank?My Profile

    1. Hi Mayura,

      You brought out a great question. If I stopped making money with my blog would I still keep blog? Well, my personal answer is, a reasoning YES, because I love it. I just love to give free advice to people. This on its own it’s so rewarding.

      Obviously, for those who blog ONLY for money the answer would certainly be no, here.

      Thank you for your great feedbacks, as always, Mayura 🙂

  9. Hi Sylviane,

    Great article. Lately I see new bloggers appear in the blogosphere, new bloggers that their only goal is to make money online. These new bloggers create a blog looking for niches that can make money, but do not focus on what they love, that is the first step towards failure. I’ve always thought that to succeed in life you must do the things you love, things that you feel good with, just so you’ll stay inspired to keep writing and working on your blog. I wrote a post about it and would like you to give me your opinion (4 Points to Analyze Before Creating a Blog).

    Thanks Sylviane.

    Juan

    1. Hi Juan,

      Welcome to my blog. I totally agree with you. If success is doing what you love in life, well, blogging shouldn’t be any different right?

      I can’t see myself blogging for years and years about something I don’t like or even love.

      I would be glad to look at your post, Juan, but where is is? What’s the link to it?

      Thanks for coming.

  10. Hi Sylviane,

    Great Post and I love all the questions that should be asked before starting blogging. Very thought provoking.

    I specially agree with you on the last tip about complaining and depressing your readers. I haven’t come across such a blogger yet but if I do, I will never visit their blog again as I need encouragement and not depression. That’s why it is very important to have in mind the best interest of your readers when blogging.

    Thanks Sylviane for such a great post. It sure will help bloggers new and seasoned.

    Be Blessed,

    Neamat
    Neamat Tawadrous invites you to read..7 Benefits Of The Importance Of Relationships In BusinessMy Profile

    1. Hi Neamat,

      I really like what you said about what you would do if you’d visited a depressing blog. I can’t blame you.

      I was just replying to another comment where the blogger said that they can say what they want because it’s their blog. Well, yes, and no. I tend to disagree with this. Our blog is a social platform for people to come in and it’s not entirely OURS anymore.

      At the end of the day, we don’t blog for ourselves, do we? We blog for others – for the readers! This means that we have to mind what we are writing about. That’s what I think anyway!

      Thanks for giving us our input.

  11. HI Sylviane

    Great post!

    The 4 points you have mentioned have been mind blowing. Actually few days back my husband was joking at me saying that I’m blogging for fun and not for anything else, I told him that I’m getting addicted to it and now there is no point in going back.Actually I started my programming tutorials on my blog and this was my forte and I worked for more than 10+ yrs from Software Engineer to Project Manager.

    Story telling was my hobby but never thought of mixing everything into infographics but actually it turned out to be so.Now I’m enjoying it.

    My idea is to raise the common social and other type of issues using comic characters so let people enjoy the situations.

    I’m still the your culprit of not adding contact form on my blog yet, few things I need to work upon and those are pending for very long. Hope to complete that very soon.

    Thanks Sylviane for sharing this.

    Sapna

    1. Hi Sapna,

      It’s obvious when we visit your blog that you are having fun! Your infographics are hilarious, yet with an important message in them.

      Ah, I know you sill don’t have that contact page up yet, but I’m sure it will come soon.

      Thank you for your excellent feedbacks.

  12. Hi Sylviane,
    I sure agree with you on those four questions expecially the…….What topic am i interested in?

    Another question to ask is……. Will i be able to stick to it for long even when I’m not making any dough?

    Just like you said, starting a blog and then updating it on a consistent basis is sure a lot of work and can be quite frustrating some times.

    Thanks for sharing.
    Theodore Nwangene invites you to read..I’m Becoming very LazyMy Profile

    1. Hi Theodore,

      Your right, that’s a great question to ask yourself. Will you be able to stick to your blog for long? That’s why blogging about a topic that you know and like is very important. It’s tough to stick to what you don’t like, isn’t it?

      Thank you for your feedbacks and for coming here again.

  13. Interesting post here, Sylviane.

    I actually have another blog where I do what you say not to, but it ties into my main website. My posts actually help the reader to understand more about the product(s) which I think is beneficial, especially if they are sites that people are not familiar with.

    I have also found myself to get into a rut and express that into my blog posts, but I figure it’s my blog and I can say and do what I want to. If you’ve never hit rock bottom in your life, then I guess you wouldn’t understand, but so many other people do understand and so I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. But, to repeat it often in hopes of, I don’t know what, is not necessary.

    It’s been awhile since I have been to your blog and glad to see you are doing so well with your freelance writing. I was doing that for awhile – sometimes I just a need little inspiration to continue 😉

    Have a GREAT day!
    Linda
    Linda invites you to read..Want a Free Worldwide Listing in My New eBook?My Profile

    1. Hi Linda,

      Nice to see you here and I’ve got to come see you too.

      Well, I understand what you mean by going into a rut once in a while, but it shouldn’t be something that becomes a habit. On top of being a writer I’m also a life coach, and frankly, complaining all the time is just NOT good. Unless you want to attract more stuff to complain about.

      Now, yes, I know what you mean by it’s my blog so I do what I want with it. But is that so, really? Not sure! In order to get readers to your blog you kind of have to give them what THEY want right? Nobody wants to blog for themselves. We want to blog to help people, to give them good advice and tips. Give them value. I’m not sure I would say I can just blog about what I want.

      The question I ALWAYS ask myself before I write is what could be helpful, interesting, or at least entertaining to my readers?

      Thank you for your input and thoughts, and see you around soon.

    1. Hi Barbara,

      I so glad if this post was helpful to you.

      As a matter of fact some of those questions I still ask myself on a regular basis.

      My main question is always, how do I make sure I don’t bore my readers to death, and on the contrary, how do I make them want to come back for more? It’s an eternal challenge, you know 🙂

  14. Hello Sylviane!

    Great post Lady! It’s like Donna says, these are definitely rules to go by when embarking on a blogging career. It took me about three months of planning and thinking to make sure I knew managing a blog was going to be a long term commitment.

    I really don’t see the point of blogging about negative stuff other than stirring up a debate or argument. I can only image the people who do are probably always in a bad mood 🙂

    I definitely don’t consider myself to be a blogger, rather I use blogging to promote my niche and now that I’m more comfortable blogging it’s easier to talk about my niche.

    Thanks for sharing, enjoy the rest of your Sylviane 🙂
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    1. Hi Corina,

      Like you I can’t imagine blogging about negative stuff, and I don’t have time for this 🙂

      I know what you mean, you might not consider yourself a “blogger” yet, but you know what? If you are blogging regularly, over time, you will.

      Thank you for your visit and for your input.

  15. Hi Sylviane,

    I agree strongly with all the points you make here. I love your last one about writing about what you’re for rather than what you’re against. Having said that, I do think it’s OK to have the occasional ‘rant’ when something really gets your goat – as long as you keep the general tone of your blog positive, constructive and uplifting.

    It’s like human relationships in the real world – people soon tire of someone who does nothing but moan and complain all the time.

    You’ve provided some fantastic advice here for anyone setting out on their blogging journey – wish I’d read this a year or so ago!

    Thanks, Sylviane!

    Sue
    Sue Neal invites you to read..5 Fatal Blogging Mistakes to Avoid – Lessons from a National ScandalMy Profile

    1. Hi Sue, and sorry for such late reply.

      Yes, the occasional rant is OK, not a big deal, and maybe very much needed, but going into a dark spasm that makes you want to write only about negative things, like I’ve seen someone do not long ago, it’s very sad and destructive, really. Nothing positive can come out of that.

      Thank you for coming and for your input 🙂

  16. Hello Sylviane hope all is well, writing takes a lot of our time so you have to enjoy and have some sort of passion for writing or you won’t enjoy it at all.

    Do you know I even think about writing in my sleep, yep sometimes I will get up just to write down something that has popping in and out of my head.

    Niche blogging is ok but sometimes I feel you should change topics to keep things interesting because some people may find it kind of boring, but that can work both ways.

    I think we all can consider our self’s bloggers or we would not even be here now would we?

    Thanks so much Sylviane for a great post my friend always a pleasure.
    RobG invites you to read..How important is it to Display Leadership Online And Share Strategy TipsMy Profile

    1. Hi Rob,

      Yes, I do that too. Sometimes I have to grab my pen and notebook that I keep at my side every night so I can write an idea before it’s gone. That’s what we do, us writers/blogger, don’ t we?

      Thank you for coming and for sharing your thoughts.

  17. Personally I don’t much *enjoy* writing, so the first question “what am I interested in”, is of prime importance. If I couldn’t find an answer to that, I don’t think I’d ever be able to write anything…

    1. Well, of course, in this case you’d better be blogging about something your really love.

      Not everyone likes to write, and among those who don’t, some still blog and have learned to be OK with writing, but some just won’t ever become writers no matter what. I’ve seen both cases.

  18. I think I love reading this tip “Am I being Positive”. Before when I am thinking of making a blogs I have so many negatives thinking at that time. There are so many what IF’s. Then when I start reading some blogs like yours Sylviane I was thinking that was my problem and to be a successful blogger you should always be in a positive ways.

  19. Hello Sylviane, nice post my friend. Blogging takes a lot from us including our time which is something we don’t have a lot of these days. So starting a blog is a BIG commitment and you need to be dedicated because if you don’t you won’t get very far.

    Blogging about negative stuff is not way to run a blog because when people ready that kind of content it’s a turn off for most.

    I try to provide helpful content that will make my readers feel good about them self’s and about visiting my blog.

    Thanks so much for sharing your article my friend as always a pleasure.
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  20. Hi,

    You are absolutely right about new blogger.I have started few month before and still working on it.I have kept all idea in my mind like your topics, idea on blog, selling, my interest and specially being positive.

    I find it little difficult to keep myself update on my blog.

    Will you help me with few ideas which can be useful to be updated on blog?

    Regards,

  21. Hey Sylviane,

    I’m so glad that at least someone wrote on this topic because I still get confuse with what to write about. Now with these pointers applied topics can be narrowed down to what I need to write about and what I want to write about. Your blog is Helpful, informative & instructional.

    Regards,

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