Blogging courses are all the rage these days and in fact, there are some very good ones. Then again, there are some that aren’t so good. So how do you decide if you should invest in a blogging course?
After all, you’re investing both your money and your time.
Should You Invest in a Blogging Course
Is it Information You Need to Learn Right Now?
Are you currently working in the area the course is focused on? Are you planning to work on it in the near future? If not, you might want to pass or find another course. Focus on info relevant to what you’re doing right now.
There will always be much to learn. Focus on what you’re dealing with today instead of what you might need to learn someday. This will allow you to implement what you’re learning. Otherwise it’s too easy to get stuck in the learning curve by not taking action!
Is the Instructor Someone You Can Trust?
Meaning, someone with a proven track record in the field they are teaching about.
I’ll give you an example. I came across a person advertising a course to help grow your Twitter following. Now, while normally it’s not all about the numbers (you can know your way around one topic without necessarily being an expert in another), this person had 70 Twitter followers. 70! So please explain to me how you’re going to help me grow my own Twitter following when you can’t even grow your own?!
Can You Afford It?
I know, I know…you have to be willing to invest in yourself to grow your business. But at the end of the day, caring for your family is what’s most important. Only you know if you can afford the course or not. Don’t be pressured into something that isn’t the best thing for your family right now just because everyone else is doing it. That’s called peer pressure. Only move forward if it works for your budget at this time.
To Invest or Not to Invest?
Now it might seem like I’m arguing against courses, which is not the case at all. I’ve taken many courses myself. Blogging courses can be a great investment if the timing is right, the material is relevant, and it’s affordable for you. But I’m going to go against the grain here and say that one blogging course won’t make or break your blogging career, contrary to popular belief.
Think of some of the bigger bloggers of today: Ruth Soukup, Crystal Paine, and Holly Homer- did they take courses when they first started blogging years ago? If so, probably not many as blogging courses weren’t as popular and readily available back then. But they figured it out (and now offer courses to help you figure it out too, which again, is great if the course meets the criteria mentioned above).
I guess the bottom line is this: Don’t feel like you’re destined to be a failure if you can’t invest in a blogging course right now. There are many free resources out there that can help you. In fact, the terrific ladies mentioned above all have free resources on their sites to help you until you’re ready. But if you find a course you really want to take, plan for it, work for it, and then if the time is right, invest in a blogging course. Either way, you have the power within you to become successful. You just have to believe it.