Know your history!

Widely recognized as the first blogger, Swarthmore College student, Justin Hall used his personal website, links.net to spark a digital revolution simply by writing about his daily life in the early 1990’s. Since then, blogs have evolved from personal online diaries to acting as corporate platforms. Overall blogging has become a mainstream form of communication for individuals and corporations to espouse their opinions and share interesting content.

Types of Blogs

Anyone can blog, from the 8-year-old offering his opinions on the subtle variations in Play-doh flavors, to corporations intent on using their blog to preach business goals. They can be well structured and organized, focusing on a specific topics or simply a collection of random personal thoughts. Topics might include movie reviews, recipes, inspirational messages, or opinions on the latest news.

Tips

Set Goals

What are you trying to accomplish with your blog? Will this be a promotional tool, showcase your expertise in your field, or just something for fun?

Interact

Turn your blog into a conversation. Engage your readers by asking questions and responding to their comments.

Consistency is Key

Your blog is an extension of your brand, whether it’s your own personality or a company identity.

Be Patient

Content is king and blogs with few posts rarely generate much traction. Be prepared to spend some time writing quality content that may be read by very few people. Keep it up and eventually, with the right mix of marketing, strong writing and a bit of luck, your following will increase.