Are secret fears holding you back from jumping head first into blogging? Don’t let them! Blogging is nothing to be afraid of and it can do amazing things for your online business. This is part 7 in an 8 part series to help you bust through your blogging fears!
If I Give Away My Secrets and No One Will Hire Me
You’ve got secrets—all that awesome knowledge that you share with your paid clients or customers.
If you share some of it on your blog, will they stop paying you for your knowledge?
If you’re concerned about that, you aren’t alone. But let’s dispel this myth.
First, I’m pretty sure that even if you blog daily for a year you won’t be able to share everything that’s rattling around in that brilliant brain of yours. You know a lot. You have a lot to share.
Second, many people aren’t going to read every single post you write. Even if they do, they will still want your help on how exactly it applies to their situation and their challenges.
Third, not everyone wants to figure these things out themselves. You can give away the A to Z, step by step, and there will still be people who want to hire you to do it for them.
So let’s flip that question right around. Instead of “Why would anyone hire me if I’m giving away my knowledge on my blog?” ask yourself, “Why would anyone pay for my services if they don’t know what I can offer them?”
Blogging allows you a way to showcase your expertise and build your value in the eyes of your potential clients.
What do you think?
P.S. Did you catch the other posts in this series?
- Overcoming Secret Blogging Fears: It’s Too Expensive to Setup a Professional Blog
- Overcoming Secret Blogging Fears: How Will I Find Time to Promote My Blog?
- Overcoming Secret Blogging Fears: No One Will Read My Blog
- Overcoming Secret Blogging Fears: I Don’t Have Time
- Overcoming Secret Blogging Fears: I’m Not a Writer
- Overcoming Secret Blogging Fears: I Don’t Have Anything to Write About
Hi Michelle,
Great post. I think this one of the big ones for many people, but as you say, the key is to realize that before people buy from us they need to know who we are and how we can help them (and that we care about them). You are a good example of that – thanks for your continuous inspiration.
That reminds me of a beautiful quote, Marianne: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care” John C. Maxwell
It’s so true. When we can show who we are, how we can help, and that we care–that’s the winning combination.
Great thought, Michelle. My problem is that I ghost articles and no one knows what I am capable of. You have given me incentive to go back and write some for my own blog. Now if I can just find the time around all the other social media stuff I do. . .
It’s a challenge! I know several writers who have the same challenge–so many words a day for clients, and it’s hard to find time to write for themselves. Might look at the content you’re already creating for social media if you’re very active there and see what you can repurpose for your blog. :)
One thing that needs to be kept in mind that people have laid it all out there and still many of us don’t know how to actually put it to use and if we do have someone doing the thing for us at a very minimal price then we think “why go through the trouble myself”! Also, no matter how much the experts lay it there, what if we run into a technical hiccup, so we might be needing experts doing it for us! So, it isn’t about laying out the secrets, it is just telling the word how much you can be of help to us!
Right — no matter how much info we give away there are still some who don’t WANT to do it themselves and who want our help! :)
Hi Michelle,
I worried about that too in the beginning, but I also know that it is in alignment with spiritual values and it really is true that what you find easy and perhaps second nature does not necessarily come easy to others. We each have our particular skills.
So, it is a good topic and very relevant. I think everyone worries about that.
Madonna
It’s one of the things that eventually comes out for most of the entrepreneurs I work with, so we’re not alone in that concern. Looking at it from a different perspective, whether it be the eyes of our readers or our spiritual values, there are so many reasons to share.
I can definitely relate to this topic. I used to not want to share the “secrets” find certain things. But then I thought well you can share, keep the reader interested and maybe come back for more. Or there is the other side of the coin, don’t share, and the reader then leaves and finds the answer somewhere else.
So now I share a bit here and there.
That’s an important point, Debbie. With Google making it so easy for our readers to find the answers, we can either send them away to search elsewhere, or we can be the ones to share those answers. :)
Deciding that you are going to create a blog is one of the hardest steps in my opinion. Once you bite the bullet and go for it you realise just how much you have been missing out. Thanks to blogging, it literally saved my business.
Hey Dave, thanks for sharing that — I love to hear success stories about blogging!
As a health blogger you want to give away the secrets of good health, so I guess it is a different situation for me. I am trying to translate what is written for academics so that everyone can have access to it. But it is interesting to see it from the business perspective.
Yes, business bloggers (coaches and consultants who are selling their “brains” or “knowledge” especially) have a different set of blocks. :)
That’s a great mission, Kristen. Academic papers are a challenge for those of us not in the health field to understand well.
have to admit: this was my first fear when i started blogging.
and i also have to admit: you are right michelle :)
even if i would be able to share all my knowledge with people – they might still not be able to do it the way i do – and when i start to share the knowledge i have by this very moment – my brain would have gained a massive update when i am finished sharing my recent knowledge.
so it will never end!
we are all experts in different fields :)
Great post, Michelle. The trick is to give away enough information and tricks to make the reader value your knowledge and expertise. But, not to give away too much that devalues your capabilities.
For example, I saw today someone requested folks to help them name their blog and company. That is something I would never do – for free- regardless of how much it may impress another- or to get a free coffee. But, that’s the logical extension for some folks who expect bloggers to help…
In this age of information there are no secrets. We need to get over it: take risks, share, be of service and live full out. The blogs such as zenhabits.net and stevepavlina.com, have figured it out: focus on helping others, give the readers what they want and don’t worry who’s going to take your content. It works, they have thousands of followers, they help thousands of people change their lives, their content is not copyrighted and they make lots of money.
Agreed! Great explanation!
Use information as an attraction method. You are so right on many levels. You can’t possibly give away all of your information, anyway – even if you sat and typed for a very long time.
I think the same way, if someone sees and reads what I am capable of, they will be more willing to each out and connect.
Great post Michelle, that’s a really good point. Thanks
Very common concern. I actually blogged about the same thing last week. Sometimes you just have to give to get. In most professions you can tell your competitors all your secrets and they still won’t be able to duplicate the way YOU do it.
@larryphoto
Thank you for blogging about this as this has been one of my fears. All of what you wrote is exactly what I’ve been feeling but because of your blog post I am now going to start putting more information out there. I’ve been told this over and over again that people have to get to know you, like you and then trust you before they do business with you. I can see how putting my information out there will accomplish this. Thank you so much for all that you share.
I wish I had read this before I decided to give up my last blog. I wasn’t too keen on the name I had picked out for the blog but I did like what I was discussing on it. Such is life. I have started over again with a different title for the blog but same discussions.
great stuff. what you’ve written is very informative that i can refer to as i continue doing my own blogging. keep it up and good day!
But as you say, the key is to realize that before people buy from us they need to know who we are and how we can help them (and that we care about them). You are a good example of that – thanks for your continuous inspiration.