Before launching your first blog
Before launching your first blog
Most people can talk a blue streak about a topic they’re interested in, but translating that passion into words that people want to read – that’s the tricky part.
If you want to create a blog that people take pleasure in reading, then you’ll have to make some important assessments. You’ll need to be completely honest with yourself about your writing skills, your subject matter and the investment of time required to maintain your blog over the long haul.
Based on my own experiences, here are 10 things to consider before deciding to launch your own blog, in no particular order.
1. Is there a topic that you know well enough to write about? For instance, don’t start a blog about baseball unless you care deeply about that subject. Same goes with astronomy, basket-weaving or any subject under the sun.
2. Do you possess adequate writing skills? Most successful bloggers possess at least a modicum of writing talent. There are exceptions, but they’re rare.
3. Have you researched other blogs related to your topic of interest? Whether you want to write about the New York Yankees, the Canadian Constitution or the Second World War, make sure there aren’t lots of bloggers already covering those topics.
4. Will your blog be personal, political or business in nature? Some people write blogs for self-expression or personal glory. Some want to generate an income. Others write to give themselves (and their companies) credibility in the marketplace. Be clear about the type of blog you want to create.
5. Be specific in what you write about – don’t be a generalist. Opinions are a dime a dozen, but articles that are thoughtful, specific and well-written are more likely to find an audience.
6. Are you prepared to write three to five original blog postings per week? If you’re not committed to posting regular articles, then you’re not going to generate much interest. Most of the world’s top-ranked blogs are updated daily (even hourly).
7. Do you have a strong desire to communicate with others? If you just want to rant or vent, write a letter to the editor or keep a journal instead. Don’t waste your time launching a blog and then letting it flounder.
8. Have you solicited advice from people who write blogs? Even if you don’t know anyone who writes a blog, the Internet is teeming with sage advice from successful bloggers who have written about how to maintain a blog.
9. Have you thought about the legal, ethical and moral considerations of writing about your chosen subject? You should have a fair understanding of what you can and can’t say online.
10. Everything you write in a blog has a long shelf-life. In the recent Canadian federal election, several candidates had to withdraw from the race because of embarrassing blog entries they’d posted years earlier. Whatever you write on a blog will be online for a long, long time.
Before launching your first blog - To learn more about this author, visit Ross Fattori's Website.
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Thousands of new blogs are created every day, and all but a handful ever find a mass audience. I suspect that part of problem is that many new bloggers fail to conduct due diligence on themselves and the topics they want to write about.
Most people can talk a blue streak about a topic they’re interested in, but translating that passion into words that people want to read – that’s the tricky part.
If you want to create a blog that people take pleasure in reading, then you’ll have to make some important assessments. You’ll need to be completely honest with yourself about your writing skills, your subject matter and the investment of time required to maintain your blog over the long haul.
Based on my own experiences, here are 10 things to consider before deciding to launch your own blog, in no particular order.
1. Is there a topic that you know well enough to write about? For instance, don’t start a blog about baseball unless you care deeply about that subject. Same goes with astronomy, basket-weaving or any subject under the sun.
2. Do you possess adequate writing skills? Most successful bloggers possess at least a modicum of writing talent. There are exceptions, but they’re rare.
3. Have you researched other blogs related to your topic of interest? Whether you want to write about the New York Yankees, the Canadian Constitution or the Second World War, make sure there aren’t lots of bloggers already covering those topics.
4. Will your blog be personal, political or business in nature? Some people write blogs for self-expression or personal glory. Some want to generate an income. Others write to give themselves (and their companies) credibility in the marketplace. Be clear about the type of blog you want to create.
5. Be specific in what you write about – don’t be a generalist. Opinions are a dime a dozen, but articles that are thoughtful, specific and well-written are more likely to find an audience.
6. Are you prepared to write three to five original blog postings per week? If you’re not committed to posting regular articles, then you’re not going to generate much interest. Most of the world’s top-ranked blogs are updated daily (even hourly).
7. Do you have a strong desire to communicate with others? If you just want to rant or vent, write a letter to the editor or keep a journal instead. Don’t waste your time launching a blog and then letting it flounder.
8. Have you solicited advice from people who write blogs? Even if you don’t know anyone who writes a blog, the Internet is teeming with sage advice from successful bloggers who have written about how to maintain a blog.
9. Have you thought about the legal, ethical and moral considerations of writing about your chosen subject? You should have a fair understanding of what you can and can’t say online.
10. Everything you write in a blog has a long shelf-life. In the recent Canadian federal election, several candidates had to withdraw from the race because of embarrassing blog entries they’d posted years earlier. Whatever you write on a blog will be online for a long, long time.
Before launching your first blog - To learn more about this author, visit Ross Fattori's Website.
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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Joe DagerJoe Dager is President of Business901, a progressive coaching company providing no-nonsense direction in areas such as Lean Six Sigma Marketing and organized referral marketing. What others say: In the past 20 years, Joe and I have collaborated on many difficult issues. Joe’s ability to combine his expertise with “out of the box” thinking is unsurpassed. He has always delivered quickly, cost effectively and with ingenuity. A brilliant mind that is always a pleasure to work with.” - James R. If you want to learn more about Business901, start a conversation with us. We can be found @ Web/Blog: Business901.com Web/Blog: FundingYourNonprofit.com LinkedIn Profile Follow me on Twitter - Visit Joe Dager's Website |
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Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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