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Growing your Blog

September 23, 2008 :: cbensen

Danielle outlined the steps for starting a blog. She is a friend of our Social Media Swami, Shashi Bellamkonda. These are the steps that he outlined for her.

1. Create a blog account with Blogger or WordPress.

2. Create 3 posts to start.

a) Why I started this blog

b) About you or your organization

c) Something informative and useful to your audience

3. Register your blog with Technorati and mybloglog.

4. Register your blog at twitterfeed.

5. Post a short video related to your core topic at YouTube or Viddler and embed it into your blog.

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Danielle has a great start on her blog, Reconnecting the Circle with Native Americans. That is the first hurdle. Deciding on your focus & setting up the blog can seem daunting. The next step is to start writing.

My prediction is that all of your great ideas will disappear & you’ll experience writer’s block. Or you’ll experience an intense fear of sharing your thoughts with the world. I wrote a post awhile ago about overcoming your fear of blogging.

Here are some ideas to get you writing:

1. Write about what’s on your mind.

2. Just write & let it flow. When you’re done do a light edit. It doesn’t have to be perfect (that’s the point of a blog & it’s tone will be casual).

3. Start a notebook on ideas for your blog. This will help when you can’t think of a thing, then you can refer back to it.

4. Talk with friends & ask what they’d like to read about. Ask on your blog.

5. Do a series – share how to do something that you have an expertise in

6. Have a goal of writing 3 posts per week. Create an editorial calendar if that helps.

7. Establish a routine so that you post something on a certain day every week. For example every Tuesday you could offer tips. Your readers will come to appreciate that & look forward to that day of the week on your blog

Other ideas for your new blog:

1. Close posts with a question. Ask readers what they think? They may not answer, but it’s definitely more interactive.

2. Write in a conversational tone that invites your readers to feel as if they’re a part of the conversation.

3. Respond to each comment personally. I send mine an email & post a response on my blog. Many times this will open a conversation. It’s a great way to get to know your readers better.

Congratulations, if you’ve started a new blog! And if you are an experienced blogger what ideas do you have for those just getting started?

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