To blog or not to blog?

Many people think that blogging is simple. After all how difficult can it be to string a few sentences together? Blogs can be written about almost any topic imaginable but whilst some blogs may be entertaining to their authors, topics such as “what is the cat doing now”, or “clothes the next door neighbour is wearing today”, may have only a limited appeal.

Before blogging it is important to consider not only the message that you wish to convey but also the target audience and what you wish to achieve. Whilst blogs can provide a great space in which to vent, think twice before doing so.

How to write a blog

Blogs are a fantastic marketing tool and can be used to promote or maintain brand loyalty and to inform consumers about a new product or service. In order to attract and retain a large audience there are several points which need to be considered.

Planning and consistency

To attract and maintain a following, blogs need to be current and of interest to the target audience. This usually requires both planning and research. In terms of planning, why not consider scheduling topics for blogs in the same way that a magazine would plan its content several issues in advance?

How often should I blog? Although blogging every day may suggest that the website is current and innovative if the content of the blogs are simply waffle or irrelevant, the overall effect will be negative. Interesting blogs which appear once a week or even once a month are far more valuable than a daily blog which is merely filling space. Quality rather than quantity counts in the world of blogging.

Social Media platforms

Where the blog will be read? With the increased use of mobile technology, more and more people use mobile technology to access the internet. This is due to increase in 2014 having a mobile friendly blog will be critical to its success.

Harnessing Social Media

In order to achieve maximum publicity consider how the blog will be published. Limiting its publication to traditional channels such as Facebook and Twitter will not achieve maximum visibility. This is a rapidly developing field and it is important to keep up with the latest trends in order to achieve maximum coverage.

Structure

Think of a blog as a newspaper article. Every good article has a headline to capture viewer’s attention and then tells a story with an introduction, middle and end. Regardless of length, blogs should follow a similar format and flow gracefully.

The Importance of SEO

SEO is as important to blog writing as it is to website content. After all is there any point in writing a blog if it will end up in obscurity. Use relevant keywords to categorise the blog so that it will be traceable in the future. Even when the blog is no longer current a searcher will be able to locate it if SEO has been taken into consideration when writing it.

Blogging is a great marketing tool and one that is flexible and adaptable enough to accommodate even the most discerning of consumers. Whilst everyone is vying for attention on the internet clear communication is the key to a successful blog.  Plan ahead, have fun, and ensure your readers do too!