The Most Important Reasons for Blogging

Our host today is Phyllis Zimbler Miller. If you're interested in getting in front of the readers of Site Sketch 101, check out our guest posting invitation here.

In the two years that I’ve been writing my own blogs and guest blog posts I’ve come to realize that the reasons for becoming a blogger are NOT one size fits all.

Thus, before you start blogging, it’s important to be clear on what your reasons are for undertaking this ongoing commitment.

Here, then, are some of the reasons for becoming a blogger:

• If you are the communications officer for a company or corporation, you should consider starting a company blog in order to interact with your target markets.  It’s important to not just write the company official line, but to encourage the blog readers to ask questions and weigh in with their opinions.

This type of company blog can be very effective at connecting with customers/clientele and learning what new products and services they would like to see.  Plus it’s a good idea to make this a collaborative effort with various members of the company contributing blog posts.

• If you are a book author, writing a blog can introduce people to your writing.  This is a way for people to decide if they like what you write before they purchase your books.

Obviously, if you are a nonfiction author, your blog can be about the subjects of your expertise.

If you are a fiction book author, it may not seem so obvious at first what you can write about.  But in fact you have a great array of possible topics.

For example, if you write historical novels, you can write about the periods in which your novels take place.  If your protagonist has a drug problem, you can write about dealing with drug problems.  Or if your protagonist is a fashion designer, you can write about fashion design.

Of course, for fiction book authors, there is always the arena of writing about writing.  Many fiction book authors do focus their blogs on this arena.  Plus there is also the arena of book marketing and the arena of self-publishing vs. traditional publishing.

• If you are interested in search engine optimization for your website, a blog on that site can continually feed the fresh content that search engines like to see.

In this case, where the main purpose is fresh content, you especially do not need to write it all the posts yourself.  You can invite guest bloggers to help you feed your blog.

• If you are truly interesting in shaping public opinion, a blog can be an excellent medium with which to do this.

As long as you are careful not to run afoul of the libel and slander laws, you can use your persuasion skills to convince people of your views.

Elements that all written blog posts (as opposed to video blog posts) should have regardless of the reasons for the blog:

• Short paragraphs

• Subtitles where appropriate

• Bullets where appropriate

• Dark text on light background

• Length appropriate to the topic of the post

• Email notification and RSS feed options for blog readers

• Print button

• Share button (to share posts on Twitter, Facebook, etc.) and to email the post to others

• Search function so new readers can find older posts on specific subjects

Point of view considerations:

Regardless of why you start blogging, always try to write from the perspective of your readers.  Being conscious of this perspective includes making sure that your readers understand the references you make.

The Wall Street Journal is an excellent example of a newspaper that does a good job of walking the fine line between explaining things in an article without talking down to the readers.  Reading some of the Journal’s articles can help with your own blog writing.

Before you write your first blog post – know why you are writing the blog, know what elements are needed in an effective blog post, and write from the point of view of your readers.