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Does your Blogging Business Need a Psychology Check

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Blogging Business

Can I make an assumption here? You’re here on FamousBloggers because you’re serious about the success of your blog and your business. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.

When it comes to blogging, like anything else, success comes from your psychology, not how well you do the nuts and bolts. If you can get your blogging psychology right, you can explode your blogging business in an outstanding way.

The thing is, most bloggers don’t have the right psychology and this is why their blog fails. An awesome blog isn’t successful because it gets its SEO right or has the right WP plugins. It isn’t a smash because the design is pretty and the posts are laid out in the perfect way.

An awesome blog is successful because the writer or writers behind it have got their psychology right.

If you’re blog isn’t a huge success, it’s failing because:

You don’t give it the attention it deserves

If you’re blog hasn’t crushed your niche yet it’s because you’re not giving it the time it deserves. As much as the buzz online for things like The 4 Hour Work Week like to tell you, if you want your blog and business to be a success, you’ve got to put the time in like a real business. If, like me, you work a full time job and run you’re blog after work, do you take your job more professionally than you do your blogging business? Stop letting yourself slack off and put the hours in when it counts. It wouldn’t happen if you were a boss of someone else so don’t let yourself do it. Give your blog the attention it truly deserves.

You worry more about the way it looks than what it does

A successful blog, whatever the niche, solves a problem for a large group of people. Does your blog do that? If it doesn’t that’s why you’re not the biggest player in your circle yet. Stop worrying about the plugins you have or don’t have. Stop spending hours tweaking that code for your homepage and start solving the biggest problem your readers have. One of my all-time favourite blogs is ZenHabits. It’s not much to look at but boy that content solves a lot of problems for a lot of people. Can you say the same for your blog?

You listen to the negative voices in your life

Note I said in your life, not just in your head! Seriously though, successful people and businesses know that negative feedback is part of the game. Steve Jobs doesn’t spend his days thinking about all the negative haters out there talking about Apple. If he did he wouldn’t have turned around after the iPhone 4 signal problems earlier this year and told people to “just hold it in the other hand.” If you’re listening to the constant negative stream from other people, that’s why you’re blog isn’t the success you want it to be.

You don’t believe in your product/content/service

If you don’t truly believe in your blog and your business you might as well just pack up and go home now. Successful people believe whole-heartedly in what they do and what they offer. Readers and potential clients or customers will pick up on your lack of self-belief and that’s no blueprint for business success. Anyone can pick up on the low self-belief of someone else. It’ll come through in your content. Be warned. You’ve got the passion and drive, you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t, so start believing in what you have to offer and start offering it. It might not be for everyone but trust me, if you truly believe in what you do it will be for somebody and they will pay for your services or buy your product.

If you’ve been blogging for a while now and you’re still not getting there, it isn’t because you’re not using WordPress correctly. It’s not to do with your blog SEO or your theme. It’s all to do with your psychology. How much are you driving your blogging business? How well are you dealing with the stress that comes from being a blogger? How much time are you putting into promotion and networking on behalf of your blog? How much do you believe in your stuff?

Got a blog that’s failing? Don’t do a content check, do a psychology check.

About

Ben Lumley writes about Success and Personal Achievement at 6aliens.com. He is a Personal Achievement Coach and Motivational Speaker. Make sure you check out his FREE ecourse on how to get on your way to success.

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{ 57 Responses }

  1. Michael Anderson says:
    The toughest part of making a blogging business successful is learning how to manage your time. It's not easy getting up and staying motivated every day, especially in the beginning when the money is coming in only sporadically. Most people give up before they ever start making good money and, from what I've seen, some of the ones that quit are actually pretty close to being successful.
    • Ben says:
      Great point Michael. Time management and expectations are key. Edison once said, "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up"
  2. John says:
    I honestly don't understand why people would sell a product they don't believe in. I understand that there are sharks out there but why even do it.
    • Ben Lumley says:
      I think people sell a product they don't believe in usually for two reasons John. 1) They sell something because that think they should or need to. 2) They don't believe in it because they fear failure and ridicule of others. Neither are very helpful to the overall blogging process but for lots of people, something that's very very real.
  3. TJ McDowell says:
    I think you're probably right that your attitude has a lot to do with it. However, I think the other things you're downplaying like design, SEO, etc also play a part. It's probably just a matter of if you care enough about your blog that you'll invest the time into topics, design, SEO, and everything else that goes into making a good blog. Don't you think?
    • Ben Lumley says:
      Don't mistake me TJ, I completely agree that SEO and design can play a part in a blog's success but only a small part. The biggest problem I see with the blogging world is that too many blogger rely on their SEO etc for their success. Beliefs and values when blogging is in my mind far more important and should be focussed on much more than spending hours a day working a Google Ranking
  4. Mike Nguyen says:
    Ben, it's great post! You present an interesting point of view about why some bloggers aren't successful online due to their psychology and I never think psychology has anything to deal with blogging. How did I miss that :) I must admit that sometimes I worry about how my blog look rather on how it serves the people. But you know, it's hard to avoid because I want my blog to be perfect (and I seriously think perfectionism also needs a psychology check as well), so maybe, after reading your post, I'll have to fix a lot of things, man. Have a great weekend :)
    • Ben Lumley says:
      Hey Mike! I think all bloggers worry about their blogs at some stage but if you keep focusing on your blogging values (how it serves people, what you stand for) then your psychology will also be on the right side of things. Drop me a line if I can help with anything
  5. Richard says:
    Hi Ben, Great post. My advice on my blog has been to make sure that you really enjoy what you are doing, both on your blog and in life. That way you will enjoy the time that you are putting into your blog. I also hold a full time job and if I was blogging just to make money without actually having fun doing it, it would become a drag and I couldn't keep going. Psychologically speaking, pick a niche that you are really interested in so you don't burn out.
    • Ben Lumley says:
      Completely agree Richard - find the things you love to do and do them both on your blog and as you say in life. The more you do that the more you'll learn and enjoy and the more you'll want to do more
  6. Chadrack says:
    This is second motivational post I'm reading here @ famousbloggers.net this morning. It definitely shows that many bloggers are taking seriously the idea of succeeding as a person before you can truly succeed at any thing. You truly determine the high to which your blog can really rise. I love this psychology check!
    • Ben Lumley says:
      Exactly Chadrack - only you limits the success of your site
  7. Isabel Rodrigues - Pro Blogger Journey says:
    Excellent points... Famous blogger has been a favorite destination of mine when it comes to reading interesting content about blogging. Again there are many helpful readers and contributors here. Again as a blogging newbie we need to remind ourselves to work hard towards our blog and give our 100% commitment and determination.
    • Ben Lumley says:
      Thank you Isabel I completely agree that newbie bloggers need to work with a mindset of the long game rather than fast results.
  8. Jeevan Jacob John says:
    I agree with yo on the first line. Famous Bloggers is where you want to be if you are a blogger. Since I am a newbie blogger, I consider FB as one of the most important resource (for ideas, traffic etc.). Psychology ! I am really happy here because people are actually using the the power of mind. As a former Pyschology student, I really agree with you. The power of mind is just amazing. Using the power of Pysch really helps you when it comes to blogging (it has helped me a lot). Anyway, Great points here ! Jeevan Jacob john Note : Nice meeting you. Hope we can connect in future.
    • Ben Lumley says:
      Hey Jeevan! Would be cool to connect again. The power of the human mind is awesome isn't it? If we just let it work sometimes we'd all do a lot better lol
  9. Rahul says:
    oow yeah , i do believe in many points actually , i find taking it seriously is really good , and even if you have a full time job , that doesn't mean you will ruin everything ! believing in your content and doing your best are very important as you said !! ;)
    • Ben Lumley says:
      Glad you agree Rahul - thanks for saying hi!
  10. Steve says:
    Great post Ben! Having faith in yourself, what you are doing, the direction you are going and being willing to work to get everything there are all trademarks of success. More than that, success on a grand scale is likely impossible without these things. To get things right you have to get your head right first. Great post!
    • Ben Lumley says:
      Hey buddy - great to see you here! In martial arts (I do that too btw) we talk about the head leading everything and it's so true with blogging - get the head right and the rest will follow.
  11. Karan Labra says:
    Great tips friend.
    • Ben Lumley says:
      Thanks Karan!
  12. Kevin Martineau says:
    Great tips! This is so very true.
    • Ben Lumley says:
      Hey thanks Kevin!
  13. Lennart Heleander says:
    Hi Ben, My opinion is too many people how think they can do easy and quick money on a blog and they don’t have any specialty niche, not time, not the right psychology, ect. ect to have a success blog. Its goes 1000 skit blogs on one good one.
    • Ben Lumley says:
      Hi Lennart! Yeah I completely agree - too many people enter the blogging world and expect instant results with no effort or time spent. Getting it right mentally is such a massive part of the battle.
      • Lennart Heleander says:
        Hi Ben, Definitive correct to get right mentally is with your 4 titles: You don’t give it the attention it deserves You worry more about the way it looks than what it does You listen to the negative voices in your life You don’t believe in your product/content/service
  14. Siddharth Goyal says:
    I think consistency and the niche is the key to any blog's success. I own a couple of blogs and one of them is a personal one in which I, like a million other people, write random stuff from movie reviews to short stories based in future. I guess the important thing to do is giving it the time it deserves (like you mentioned), and also develop your own style. I think people will accept anything outrageous anyday.
    • Ben Lumley says:
      I think you're right Siddharth, people will accept anything outrageous these days but in the same breathe many bloggers could move things up a notch by being outrageous yet don't believe in themselves and their products enough to do so.
  15. Christine Livingston says:
    Fab post here Ben! And, so true. Like you said elsewhere, success is 20% technique and 80% psychology. You can tweak all the technical stuff, but if you're head's not in the right place it's going to affect what you do. And others will pick that up, whether they're consciously aware of it or not. And, I'm with El. These negative voices can be tough to switch off. Could be a good topic for a follow up?
    • Ben Lumley says:
      Many people live for the mechanics Christine, as you'll know being a fab coach, and so miss how important psychology is and that puts you in a state that others tune into doesn't it?
    • Karan Labra says:
      Your attitude towards your job has to play a great role in your rate of success.
      • Ben Lumley says:
        I believe your attitude plays a great role in everything you do :) x
  16. Nipon Bharali says:
    I do not agree that blogging needs any Psychology Check
    • Ben Lumley says:
      How so Nipon?
  17. Kimi says:
    Hey Ben, Great tips, although not new. I absolutely agree with the point #believe in our products. Because before we recommend to other people we should know about our products we promote. Especially promoting usually work best if we do it to some of our friends, means, we must promote good quality product that won't let down our friends. Thanks for the post!
    • Ben Lumley says:
      Thanks for taking the time to comment Kimi Yeah the points above in my post aren't new because sometimes many forget how important the basics are; those basics behind how we think and feel about what we do online.
  18. Patricia says:
    Hi Ben Some salient points there. As a newbie blogger I have the passion for my chosen niche. The biggest thing is persevering especially on the days when there are a few bumps in the road. Yet, I wouldn't want to be doing anything else. Other days there is the encouragment from other bloggers and incredible support from the blogging community. This newbie will have patience until that success comes. Patricia Perth Australia
    • Ben Lumley says:
      It's all about playing for the long game Patricia. Great to see you doing so well so soon
  19. Lori Twill says:
    Ok, Ben. I think you're reading my mind. How did you know I'm always coming up with great ideas but they never make it out into the open because my self confidence is lacking and my inner critic seizes my brain? This article is eye-opening because you are exactly right. It sounds so simple, but I don't have my psychology right. Thanks for the pointers. Your passion is catching.
    • Ben Lumley says:
      Honestly how did I know? Because ultimately most people are the same. We're all aware of the fear of failure or the fear of ridicule - it just depends on how much those fears affect us. Sometimes it's the simple things that can make all the difference
  20. Jennifer says:
    uhm, owch! Yup, guilty of all of the above at some point...and at times all of them at once! Great kick in the behind, and good post. It's getting close to time to settle in to my ideas and map out how I am getting from here to there.
    • Ben Lumley says:
      Just take some big action towards making those ideas real Jennifer and the rest will come in time.
  21. Keith says:
    Hey Ben, I think the belief in your product/content/self etc is a big one for many newer bloggers, I know I didn't have much confidence at first....
    • Ben Lumley says:
      Yeah but it builds doesn't it Keith, confidence? But belief in what you do is so important an any stage of your blogging business isn't it?
      • Keith says:
        Yes it does build, but those that aren't patient usually give up in the first few months.
  22. Latief says:
    You are very wrong bro! I'm here because I'm here at the first time this blog built by my dearest friend Hesham, lol! I admire how you wrote the title Ben, very interesting and you tell me something that might I missed :( Thanks for the awesome article bro.
    • Ben Lumley says:
      Ok ok not everyone will be here for that reason lol Thanks for the feedback Latief - glad you liked it
  23. Jackie Lee says:
    Excellent post! I work with a lot of beginning bloggers and find that points 1 and 2 are the biggest problems for a lot of people. If you can really get behind what you're doing, spend the time and care about it more than most things in your life you're closer than you think. I love the idea of taking a psychology check instead of a content check. :)
    • Ben Lumley says:
      Thanks Jackie! It's so important isn't it as a beginner you really get behind what you're doing and believe in it? I think if more bloggers took a psychology check rather than a content check there'd be more who stick it out rather than giving up.
  24. El Edwards says:
    Awesome post Ben. Those darn voices really need to be gagged! And like many people, I have days where I'm guilty of spinning my heels tweaking a plugin or a line of code instead of doing the one thing that needs to be done to move things up a gear. Any practical tips for gagging the inner critic? She's had her marching orders before but we all have days where we could use some great tactics to tell her to stick a knot in it!
    • Ben Lumley says:
      Ooo tough question El. Thanks :) I think the best way of gagging that inner critic is to choose not to listen. The power of choice followed by action is far more powerfully than people give it credit for. We make choices about things every second of everyday. What to focus on, what it means, and what we're going to do. Many people just choose not to choose and live life by default. If you want to silence that inner critic, choose not to listen and walk your own path. Choose to be positive and proactive. Thanks for the great comment El!