If it’s boring no one will read it
The most important part about writing a blog is making sure you write something that you are passionate about. If you don’t write about something you are passionate about, it will become very apparent in your writing and most importantly you will quickly lose motivation to write. The second most important part about writing a blog is asking yourself, what does my target market want to read? What are they interested in?

No company propaganda allowed
Blogs aren’t for marketing your company or posting press releases. Readers are looking for real articles and honest opinions. A blog is a great place to show your companies personality and make real connections with clients and people in your industry. Don’t spoil it by putting up company propaganda.

Keep it fresh
To keep your readers interested and build a following, make your content relevant and timely. In general, a blog should be updated a couple times a week with fresh content. This means don’t get your secretary to do it in his/her spare time; have employees who are participating in the blog posting on specific days of the week and allow them 1-2 hours per posting (depending on the style and length of the blogs).

Have an educated opinion
People don’t want to read a blog that is just regurgitated facts you’ve found on other people’s websites, they want your opinion. Don’t over-think the writing, but be thoughtful. Make sure to research topics you are blogging about so that you aren’t viewed as a new media douchebag. Don’t use too much industry jargon as your reader may not familiar with the lingo.

Talk about the bad stuff too
The “old school” way of doing business was to keep everything a “company secret”. One of the challenges we have come across when we are talking to larger companies is convincing them to share. Whether it’s client success stories, new policies or initiatives, or shortcomings. Every company has challenges and if you don’t talk about it someone else will and they won’t get to hear your side. To quote a great article by Sharlyn Lauby on Mashable “In general, we don’t like to let people down or admit mistakes, and transparency is about putting our unguarded self out there. But embracing transparency will help you to be more open, honest, and accountable and connect better.”

Pictures are worth 1000 words/Videos are worth 1,000,000
Ok, so that’s an exaggeration but pictures and videos are a great addition to a blog. I personally love video blogs because I can listen to it whilst I do other things on the computer. It can take a lot less time than reading and is a great way for your reader to get to know your personality. So get a camera and start recording…just don’t forget anything I said before this.

Tell people about your blog
Make sure you tell people about your blog. Add it to your newsletters, website home page, and your other social media pages. When a new blog is posted, be sure to update your other social media sites with the new blog posts. After all, how else will people know you have a blog?

What are your favorite blogs? Why do you like them? Leave a comment…

Brittany Yu