Writing a Blog
Exploring Ideas in Your Industry
© iStockphoto
FrancescoCorticchia
Find out how to write an impactful blog.
According to a recent study, around 6.7 million
people around the world publish blogs, and this
number is growing rapidly each year.
A large percentage of these blogs are personal, but an increasing number of
professionals are using them to showcase their expertise and expand their
networks.
Publishing a blog might sound quite simple, but you need to dedicate a lot of
time, energy and attention to make it successful. A well-written blog gives you
a platform to share your ideas with a variety of industry professionals, and it
can open doors and lead to new business opportunities.
In this article, we'll look at how you can start and maintain a professional,
career-related blog.
The Benefits of Professional Blogging
Although publishing a professional blog might seem like a time-consuming
addition to your workload, it can offer a number of benefits and opportunities.
First, you can use a blog to demonstrate your expertise, and it gives you the
chance to sharpen your thinking and develop your skills. You'll gain
a deeper understanding of your industry as you research topics
and articles, and you'll build skills in important areas, such as writing and
communication, marketing, and self-promotion.
Next, a blog can also lead to valuable networking opportunities. For
example, you might be invited to speak at trade conferences or events, or you
might develop relationships with industry experts who are in a position to pass
along important projects.
Blogging gives you an outlet to voice ideas that others in your organization
may have overlooked; and you might find that your blog catches the eye of
key decision-makers, who want to hear more about what you have to say.
Last, a well-written blog can also be an extension of your résumé. It has the
power to impress prospective employers and recruiters, and it can open up
job opportunities.
Risks
Although blogging presents many potential benefits, it also poses a number of
risks.
For example, negative posts or comments can damage your reputation, or
even cost you your job. And be careful not to share organizational information,
news, or trade secrets – if you're in any doubt, don't post it.
It's important to keep your blog informative and positive, and to maintain
your online reputation . Never criticize anyone in your organization,
your stakeholders , or any people or companies that you do business with.
If you wouldn't say something out loud at work or in a public forum, you
shouldn't post it online.
Low-quality posts can also negatively affect your reputation. As such, it's a
good idea to post regularly, but not at the expense of quality. It's better to
publish one excellent post each week, rather than a poorly written one every
day.
When you publish a blog, especially when you share other people's ideas, you
run the risk of copyright infringement. Always make sure that your material is
original, and that you quote all sources – including books, articles, journals,
and websites – correctly, and that you're up-to-date on local copyright law.
(For example, visit these sites for information on copyright law in
the U.K., U.S., Canada, and Australia.)
Before You Begin
At this stage, you may feel excited about the opportunities that an industry- or
career-related blog presents. However, blogs take a lot of time and energy to
maintain, so consider the following steps before you begin.
1. Set Goals
First, think carefully about what you want to get out of publishing a blog. Why
do you want to start? What is your ultimate goal?
Successful blogs have a clear, defined purpose. Write a mission
statement for your blog, and set SMART goals to help you stay on track.
It can take months or years to see any financial returns from a blog, so it's
often best to use your blog as a learning or career-building tool. Publishing a
blog for self-education may not pay off directly, but it can lead to income
opportunities through networking or career advancement.
2. Ask Permission
Consider whether you need your boss's permission before you set up your
blog. This is especially important if you plan to write about topics related to
your organization, or to its business activities.
Be prepared for a cautious or skeptical reaction, however, keep in mind that
your organization may welcome your blog, and that it might even link to it from
the company website.
3. Find Your Market
The style and tone of your blog should reflect the needs and interests of your
target audience. Who is your blog aimed at? What is their level of education or
experience?
Develop a marketing strategy for your blog to think about how you'll
promote it.
Use market segmentation to divide your potential audience into
several groups, select the segments you want to address, and then choose
the most appropriate approach for these people. Make sure that your posts
offer something valuable and interesting to these readers.
4. Improve Your Writing
The quality of your content has a huge impact on your reputation, so you need
to create clear, compelling articles that your audience can understand and
relate to.
Use the 7 Cs of Communication to ensure that every article is concise,
well-constructed, and effective. If you need to improve your writing skills ,
use our Bite-Sized Training session on written communication to
develop these.
Online writing is different from traditional business communications. Keep in
mind that the internet is highly visual, and that readers often scan articles to
decide whether they want to read them in depth.
Use bold headings and subheadings to make key points stand out, and
include a sensible number of pictures or videos to tell your story. Use short
sentences and paragraphs, and avoid jargon , to ensure that all readers
can understand your subject matter.
Remember to concentrate on your audience when you write each post. Your
readers clicked on your post because they're interested in the subject, so
keep it focused on what's "advertised" in the title. If you want to include other,
related topics, write a unique post for each, and interlink them with one
another. This connection will give readers the chance to get this information if
they want it.
Your article's title is vitally important for capturing a reader's attention. It
should be short, but it should also be rich in information. It needs to
summarize what the post is about, and it should be compelling enough to
entice someone to continue reading. (You can read examples of effective
headlines on sites like the BBC® and The New York Times®.)
5. Schedule Writing Time
Successful blogs publish content regularly – this is important to maintain
professionalism, and to keep readers satisfied. Posting sporadically leaves
your blog looking stale, and it can put readers off.
You may want to write several posts when you have time, and then schedule
them to publish on specific days. This allows you to take advantage of free
time or a slow schedule, and it means that you can "stock up" on posts for
when you're busy.
At a minimum, you'll need to devote several hours each week to writing,
maintaining, and promoting your blog, so make sure that you have the time
and energy for this commitment. Remember that your blog is a tool for
developing and promoting your career, so make an effort to schedule regular
time for this.
6. Find Your Voice
It's important that your blog offers something new and valuable to readers, so
think carefully about what you have to say. Research your competitors' blogs,
and think about how you can make your perspective or approach stand out.
What can you do or say differently to set your blog apart, while ensuring that
it's a valuable resource for readers?
Even though your blog covers a serious, professional topic, you should aim to
make it personal, entertaining, and candid. One 2009 study found that self-
disclosure enhances bloggers' social capital, and that it builds their sense of
well-being and connection with their readers. Sharing your thoughts and mood
can enhance and build relationships, but you need to strike the right balance
between a professional tone and a personal one.
7. Use Social Networks
One of the best ways to promote your blog is to use social networks. You can
use sites like LinkedIn® , Twitter® , and Facebook® to share your
posts, and to connect with other professionals in your industry.
You can also submit your blog posts to aggregator sites such
as Alltop©, Pinterest®, Digg©, or Mashable®. These sites compile
breaking news, interesting articles and posts, and pictures from around the
internet.
Next, consider developing a weekly or monthly email newsletter, and make it
easy for your readers to subscribe to this. Your newsletter could contain brand
new content, or a selection of recent posts.
You can also use your network to gain exposure. Offer to write guest posts on
other industry professionals' blogs, and invite them to contribute to yours.
Leave intelligent, thoughtful comments on their posts (but avoid "spamming"
their comments section with adverts for your blog), and you'll likely find that,
over time, these bloggers will visit your blog and return the favor.
Tip:
There are a number of services that you can use to build
your blog, including WordPress®, Blogger®,
and Typepad®. These platforms are free to use, and
they're relatively easy to navigate, even if you don't have
any technical skills. To add to your credibility and
professionalism, you may want to have your own domain
name – check that the blog software you select allows you
to do this.
Key Points
You can publish a professional or career-related blog to
build skills, stay up-to-date on your industry, grow your
network, and enhance your reputation.
Think about why you want to write a blog. What is your
ultimate goal? Create a mission statement to clarify your
aims, ideas, and purpose. Then, identify your target
audience, and work to improve your writing skills.
Last, keep your blog informative and positive. Never say
anything negative about a colleague, client, or employer. A
blog can make or break your reputation, so use it to open
doors, not close them.
Annotate