The answer to that question, like many is simple: It depends. Great answer huh? For better clarity, let’s dive into that further.
First, let’s answer the question of why. Why are you blogging in the first place? What are your goals for this endeavor? You will need to consider the answers to these questions first, before you start pecking away at the keyboard.
Here are some reasons why you just might want to start a blog:
- You have a new product or service that is unique and no one is talking about. So you want to create buzz.
- You have a strong opinion about your industry and how to do things a certain way. So you want to become an authority.
- You need to increase your rankings in search engines and your website is small. So you want to create keyword rich content.
- You like to write and share your thoughts on any number of topics. So you want to have creative outlet.
The truth is, you don’t need a reason to blog. But if you have a business and are wanting to impact that business through blogging, it’s important to understand how blogging can make a difference and then focus your blogging efforts towards accomplishing those specific goals.
When getting started, effective blogging can be boiled down to these simple steps:
Be consistent – no matter what you are blogging about, the timing and frequency of your blog posts must be consistent. It’s hard enough to begin to build an audience and following, keep them by regularly posting at the same time on the same day over a long period of time. Imagine how frustrating it would be if your favorite tv or radio show just happened – no regular day or time – you just had to be lucky happen to catch that program when it came on. You’d have a total of zero followers in no time! No matter what pace you are capable of maintaining, the number one rule is to be consistent.
Be passionate – the word “passionate” is tossed out there a lot these days. But when it comes to blogging, you must write passionately. Believe what you are blogging about and let that belief shine through you words. Your writing will reveal whether or not you have passion for what you are doing, and your readers will know it too. Expressing your passion for what you are blogging about will come naturally. If it doesn’t, switch to a new subject!
Be yourself – being yourself sounds cliché, but it’s vital to capturing just the right audience. Sure, a lot of writers can fake a personality or come across differently in their writing than in person. But that only works with novels or non-fiction books. Those are one-time publications that are pored over by editors who can help shape portray a certain tone or personality of the writing – that may be more about the storyline than the author’s personality. But a blog has to be you. Readers expect to be hearing directly from you. They want to know you and what you have to say. So show them! Be funny, goofy, quippy, or sarcastic. Use words in the same way you would when you’re talking with your friends. Readers want to be your friend too!
Give it time – like anything great, it takes time to develop your writing style and rhythm. More importantly, it takes time to build an audience. Forget the concept of “going viral”. The likelihood of that happening is very slim. So be patient. Give yourself time. Focus on quality. Then you will have something amazing to offer and when your audience finds you, they will be wanting more!
