How to be a confident blogger without sound like a know-it-all

It’s one obstacle that many bloggers face: How to blog confidently without coming off like a know-it-all. If you have friends and family members reading your blog this worry can really hold you back as a blogger, because none of us want to lose friends because of our blogs. There are several things you can do to blog with confidence while still remaining humble and relatable.

1. Be Inclusive – This one is quite simple, but make room in your writing for there to be other options as well. For example, when I wrote about why our family decided to stop having “family dinner time” together, I didn’t state that this is the best way for all families with little ones or that families who DO have meals together aren’t spending time together correctly. I simply shared what works best for us and why. Unless it’s something that you feel passionately that there is only one right way, leave room for other opinions and recognize that different things work for different families.
2. Ask Questions – Even if it’s just at the end of your post, open it up to your readers to share their opinions on the topic you’re writing about. Maybe different things work for them, ask what they think and get their advice!
3. Be You – Chances are, if you are reading this you are not a stuck up or “know-it-all” type of person! So be yourself, let your voice and your heart shine through your writing and it will be evident what you are trying to convey. People won’t just automatically jump to the worst conclusions about you, especially if you are just sharing your thoughts (vs bossing every one around).
4. Write to your readers –  Think about your reader while you are writing. What do you want them to understand as they are reading your blog post? When they click away from your site how do you want them to feel? Keeping your audience in mind as you write will help your writing be more personable and relatable while also giving you ideas to help communicate in a way that will be best felt and understood by your target audience.
5. Don’t Write Down – I’ve read blogs where the author writes as if she is in a class above the reader, instead of on their level. Even if I’m learning something from some one, I don’t want to be treated like a dummy. Honestly, you can tell when they are writing if they truly think they have it all figured out and they are teaching us lowly readers the way to perfection OR if they are right there with us in the trenches learning and growing together! Don’t think of yourself higher than you are, if you are mom dealing with tantrums, you don’t have to act like you’ve solved every tantrum and your kid never misbehaves. Share what tricks you’ve found that DO work, while also being realistic that sometimes kids just throw tantrums and there’s nothing we can do about it. Be honest, and real about where you are at in life, and your readers will understand your heart.

When it comes down to it, your friends and family will probably fall into one of two categories: The people who read and enjoy your blog or the people who are oblivious to it. Unless you are writing like a jerk, chances are no one is going to just assume you are some stuck up person, especially if they already know you in person!

Every one has those great ideas that they feel are “blog-worthy” even, non-bloggers. In fact, so many of my friends will text or email me these days with blog ideas that they’ve come up with and suggest for me to write about on my site. I’ve had one of my closest friends guest blog for me multiple times, even though she has no interest in starting her own blog. Mainly, my friends are my biggest supporters, and yours probably will be too!

It’s scary to put yourself out there on your site, but I can’t encourage you enough to just do it! Be your kind, courteous, loving self and that will shine through in your writing. There will always be times when you’ll get an ugly comment here and there, but the people that already know you, also know your heart and won’t categorize you as a know-it-all just because you enjoy writing or even make a living from it!

We hold ourselves back far more than any one else does!

Do your friends read your blog? What do they think of it? —- What is your biggest blogging fear? Do you worry that you’ll come off as a know-it-all or are you concerned about something else! Share in the comments or you can join the discussion in our private Facebook group! 

Also, we offer “Your best blog” consults, in which we can give you personalized advice on all things blogging, including how to get your site moving toward monetization or how to grow your blog to reach it’s full potential! We’d love to work with you! Click the link above to find out more.