The Basic “Be”s of Blogging
May 7th, 2009 by Kelly Hemmingsen
Want to BE a successful blogger? Then check out some Basic “Be”s of Blogging to find out what it takes to make it in the blogosphere.
- Be current.
Don’t let your blog get stale! Make the commitment to update your blog regularly with topics that are timely. Set a schedule to post 2-3 times a week and you’ll reward your readers with fresh content that encourages return visits. - Be authentic.
When writing blogs, it’s okay to be informal, and it’s okay to not be perfect. Getting caught up in editing and word-smithing can inhibit creativity and prevent you from following Blogging Basic #1. So let your personality shine through and don’t fall victim to paralysis by analysis! And just in case you were wondering, ghostwriting is a big no-no. - Be interactive.
Remember, blogging is a form of social media. So, ask questions in your blog to encourage discussion. Reply to comments (respectfully, of course!) to keep readers involved. Include links to Web sites that inspired your post to direct your readers to additional information. - Be valuable.
Whether it’s giving helpful hints, releasing breaking news or simply providing food for thought, make sure your blog is of value to readers. Use your blog to educate, inform and even entertain to get your blog bookmarked.
Check out some more quick tips on blogging here and let me know what you think should be a BE of blogging!
May 7th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
Kelly, I think you covered the “BE’s” nicely. A BE of blogging for me is this: BE aware of search engines. SEs love the fresh, rich content of blog posts. So take advantage of tools like titles, image alt text, tags, anchor text in hyperlinks, etc. Using those tools helps attract visitors (and SE robots!) to your content and allows you to provide deep links into content and topics that you feel are important.
May 21st, 2009 at 3:35 pm
A good list of “BE’s” for blogging, Kelly. Another BE is to BE creative when you blog. Nothing is more boring than reading text all the time. Mix your posts up once in a while with some video clips. It’s often easier and faster in getting your message across and bloggers love it. Video doesn’t have to be expensive to be effective. Get out that flip camera and start filming. And if there happens to be some humor thrown in to your video or text, all the better. As you mentioned, you’ll be more likely to get your blog bookmarked by others.
May 21st, 2009 at 3:50 pm
Great additions, Darrin and Brad! Both of you bring up very valuable points. Thanks for commenting!
May 26th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Another BE is BE Transparent. If you are a marketing/media person commenting on your own department’s or company’s blog, identify yourself as such. Check out the backlash that the media relations director for the Warriors (NBA) created when he posted on the Warriors World blog.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/05/24/SPE617Q63U.DTL