Weekend Blog 8/A - Better Blogging

The weekend blog can and will often be off the topic of business development, marketing, networking, PR and sales. Today we talk about blogs.

Better Blogging

At a wildly fun dinner party last night I had a conversation with a dynamic entrepreneur about blogs. This guy is successful, well-traveled, witty, edgy and a leader in his industry. He is the perfect candidate to start a blog that will help promote his company, his charitable work, and provide readers with very interesting stories. We talked about the possibilities of his taking on a blog and I gave him some advice that I thought could help him succeed (not that I am a "pro", as this blog of mine began as an experiment, and continues to be a learning experience).

This morning I stumbled upon Darren Rowse's ProBlogger site. Now, Darren is an "pro" at this blog game, with over 17 blogs under his belt, and many years (see THREE....a lifetime in the blogosphere) of blogging for business and profit.

Darren is currently seven days into his "31 Days to Building a Better Blog" campaign. He and his extensive stable of readers are posting the best suggestions for the seasoned and novice alike on how to improve their blogs, and thus raise the whole community of bloggers. It is worth checking out if you wish to expand your knowledge about how to write a successful blog. Be prepared, it could take you a lot of time to read all this useful information!!!!

Here are my top five suggestions to more successful blogging:

1. Post regularly. I have discovered that I lose interest in blogs that have grown stale. If you are not posting four or five times a week, you run the risk that people may stop making regular visits to your blog. While it takes a commitment to find the time to write a post, anything successful takes dedication.

2. Link to like-minded sites, but not too many. My blogroll has currently has about 27 links. I think that having more than thirty makes the list too long, and will discourage people from exploring the links you have chosen. I have not made it a requirement to link to those sites that also link back to me, but most have returned the favor. (Check out the great blogs linked on my blog roll....you will find a lot of great information!!!)

3. Tell others about your blog. For the first few months I was stealth about The Business Development / Networking Blog. I was afraid of negative feedback from my friends and co-workers. I began the blog to help develop material for the regular column I write for Professional Marketing Magazine, and to help promote my new book. But now that I have some regular readers, my motivation has changed. I now write to help provide information about business topics that I am passionate about. I gladly tell people about the site, and welcome all feedback. (Please, feel free to tell others about my blog!!!)

4. Keep your posts short. I am not so good on this point. Most of my posts are probably around 1000 words. I think 500 words is probably a better length, as it allows those who read the blog to quickly scan your thoughts and ideas, without having to invest a too much time.

5. Add some personal color. A blog is not like reading Fast Company Magazine or Business Week. I have found that people who read blogs expect a glimpse at who the blogger is as a person. My Weekend Blog posts include stories about my dad, my wife (she is an amazing full-time mom, who also co-authored The Mad At Martha Cookbook), and my kids.....as well as other personal topics of interest. I have gotten a lot of positive feedback about these stories. (Monica Bay of American Lawyer Media is one of the best at this. She shares her passion for baseball - and many other things - along with her highly informational posts on the legal industry at The Common Scold Blog)

Best of luck to everyone who has made the commitment to writing a blog.

Have A Great Weekend.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO MY MOST CURRENT BLOG POST.

Thom Singer
www.thomsinger.com
thom@thomsinger.com