Successful blog tips for health & wellness pros

There you are with that knot in your stomach reading and re-reading your latest blog post only to close it again without hitting “publish.”

Or, you’re fighting resistance to blog and forcing yourself to create something to put out there, but it doesn’t feel right.

Or, maybe, you’re taking this week’s blog post off your “to-do” list and pushing it off until next week… again!

Whatever your resistance to using your blog (or vlog or podcast) to get found on the internet by your ideal clients, this article is for you.

Today I want to share my successful blog tips because…

(Wait for it…)

I.

Was.

You.

Here’s a shot of my very first blog post ever – back in 2013:

I don’t even remember how many times I read over that post or how many days it took before I had the courage to hit “publish.”

I thought: “OMG when I hit publish it will be out there for the whooooole world to see!”

It was a great moment when I finally took a deep breath and accepted the unknown fate that I was going to experience. I mean, I’d read a lot of blogs, and I saw a few nasty comments.

Fast forward to now…

Since 2013 I’ve written and published (for myself and others) hundreds of health and wellness blog posts. In that time I’ve identified three major blocks — two of which NO ONE talks about (hint: they embrace perfectionism)!

Let’s dive into these blocks — and how to deal with them.

Because…

Successful blog tip #1: Dealing with impostor syndrome

(Yep, this is the one everyone talks about.) 😉

Second-guessing yourself and feeling like a fraud is pretty common. Impostor syndrome is an internalized fear that you’re incompetent or incapable.

Just about everyone who has an ounce of humility, a touch of self-awareness, and cares a tiny bit about their clients’ success (instead of just their dollar bills) has experienced this — sometimes often!

Impostor syndrome is defined as (via Wikipedia):

Impostor syndrome (also known as impostor phenomenon, impostorism, fraud syndrome or the impostor experience) is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a “fraud”.

Who am I to be teaching/helping on this topic? Am I trained and experienced enough?

Stop telling yourself you can’t help someone. Is this your mindset? Is it becoming your identity?

Is this your self-fulfilling prophecy?

Do you want to feel confident and help people?

How to deal with impostor syndrome

• Remember WHY you love to do what you do.
• Be enthusiastic about it!
• You are meant to be of service to people who need you!
• Go back to your training, stay within your certification’s Scope of Practice, and stay up-to-date with credible new research.
• Be honest about your knowledge and experience, and don’t make claims that make you feel uncomfortable. Wouldn’t you respect a coach who said that you’re one of their first for this program, and they offer a discounted price to be a “beta tester?” Ya, me too!
• Ask for honest (kind) feedback and testimonials from your clients. And consider whether you should change anything based on what they say (you may not have to implement every single suggestion – be strategic about it).
• Keep practising.
• Find someone to cheer you on or hire a mindset coach.

Successful blog tip #2: Dealing with lack of a (content creation) skill

Unlike impostor syndrome, which is internal fear that you’re a fraud, lack of a skill (e.g., like writing) is something that can be immediately compensated for.

If you wonder if your vocabulary, grammar, spelling, lighting, etc. are good enough. Or fear that people will judge your ability to help them based on a typo, I say:

Embrace a bit of perfectionism!

Your content doesn’t have to be 100% perfect, but it has to:

• Speak to your ideal clients – show them you understand them, care about them, and can help them.
• Reflect your personality, professionalism, and brand – there is no “one size fits all” but there is a correct use of “there” vs “they’re.”
• Be something you’re proud to share – Don’t put out crappy content! (The wellness industry is now worth $4.2 trillion – if you want a piece of the pie, you have to NOT be dismissed with sub-par boring, forgettable, unprofessional content).

Let me ask you:

Can you tell when you’re reading/watching/listening to someone who freaking loves what they do? Do you feel the enthusiasm they bring to their work when they rock their super-power?

Ya – me too!

I remember one of my profs for my third-year Fundamentals of Nutrition course (back in 1998) who always lit up the lecture hall with his energy! When he taught, he exuded enthusiasm for the topic and we alllll noticed! When it came to grad school, everyone wanted to work in his lab.

Don’t be that person who half-heartedly puts out anything just for the sake of ticking a box on a checklist. Your ideal clients will sense this and move on to someone who seems to actually enjoy and know what they’re doing. You can’t fake this. Great content, in whatever format works for you, is an amazing way to stand out among the crowd!

How to deal with a lack of a content creation skill

• Change your format – try recording yourself and publishing the video or audio, or even having the recording transcribed.
• Invest in software to help you write better – Grammarly, Hemingway App, ProWriting Aid, just to name a few.
• Invest in hardware to make your recordings better – e.g., lights, camera, microphone, staging, etc.
• Take courses in the format you want to excel in – e.g., blogging, copywriting, storytelling, YouTube, podcasts, infographic design, etc.
• Invite guests to contribute awesome content (the right way!).
• Have a trusted friend or colleague give you feedback on your content before publishing.
• Hire an editor to review and perfect your sh*tty first draft.
• Outsource content creation altogether so you can focus on your zone of genius, while partnering with someone else who is genius at content creation – try done-for-you or custom freelance work.

Successful blog tip #3: Dealing with your fear of being challenged

If trolls and nasty comments are stopping you from publishing there are a few ways of dealing with it.

For me, I distinctly remember an instance about a year or two ago where I shared a very well-researched blog post (not written by me) and some snarky science-types flat out disagreed. One even said I didn’t know what I was talking about.

Ugh!

Yep – and I’m science-based!

Double-ugh!

I went over it in my head again and again. I was planning my brilliant lash out to prove that my summary of hundreds of clinical studies should always rank higher than a lab study saying the opposite… even a high-quality one published in the respected medical journal Nature!

I was so pissed and felt so defensive (and hurt and ego-busted) that I probably thought out my response for at least 2 days afterwards.

It sucks – I get it.

What did I do?

Nothing.

I didn’t respond.

It was even on a scientist’s Facebook post and she rarely moderated the venom on her page.

I still think I’m right – not JUST because I was challenged and decided to double-down on my position in pure emotional defensiveness (also known as the “backfire effect“). I’m right because a summary of clinical trials DOES rank higher than a lab study.

Shit like this happens All. The. Time.

In fact, with all of the clickbait headlines and fake news out there, even social media sites and search engines are trying to limit the BS on the internet – particularly when it comes to health (and finances and happiness). (Here are some tips on boosting your expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.)

So, if you’re a bit afraid of publishing your blog post because you’re not 1,000% sure that the information is correct, up-to-date, and relevant I say:

Embrace a bit of perfectionism!

You don’t have to be the world’s leading expert on every health topic, but you do need to:

• Be trustworthy and credible.
• Give health advice that you’re qualified to give.
• Don’t always be super-confident (most of the time too much confidence means LESS COMPETENCE!).
• Be willing to be proven wrong with better evidence (here’s a time when I completely changed my mind).

There is so much conflicting information out there – what is real, strong, relevant evidence, and what isn’t?

Deal with your fear of being challenged by

• Staying within your scope of practice and code of ethics of all of your certifications (and have disclaimers and liability insurance).
• Doing your research (or have someone do it for you) – Stick with credible websites.
• Keep learning about new findings in your field (something you know right now may be proven wrong tomorrow).

Here is a free list of credible health sites to do research on and link to:

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How to deal with the fear that your health information will be challenged. #Blog #Research #Competence Click To Tweet

Conclusion

There are three main reasons why you may not blog: impostor syndrome, lack of skill, and fear of being challenged.

The two that you can rectify almost immediately are skill and fear of challenge. In fact, by working on your blogging skill and research you may very well reduce the impact of feeling like an impostor!

Use some of the successful blog tips I’ve included to help you deal with each one.

Signing off and toasting: To having a successful blog that reflects (and builds) your biz.

Over to you

What do you think? Do you struggle with impostor syndrome, lack of skills, or fear of being challenged? How do you deal with it? Did I miss any other great tips and strategies that help you?

I’d love to know (in the comments below)!