Well Mom, What Do YOU Think?

from B.J. Keaton. "Blogging 101: Part 2, Types of Blogs." March 11, 2001.
http://www.professorbeej.com/2011/03/blogging-101-part-2-six-types-of-blogs.html

Who wants to maintain a mailing list? Who wants to send out flyers? Even emails are limited to certain recipients. I can blog! I don’t need to know anything about HTML “coding” to deliver a decent product. Yes, it takes time and energy and not everyone likes to write. As a matter of fact, having never done this before; I’m struggling to blog right now. Just 20 minutes or so ought to do it, so they say.......


Chris Brogran admittedly has several writing commitments, but still manages to share some of his blog best practices. He reads new material and talks with people on a daily basis. He needs to find the time to “sit still and type.” He also mentions posting quickly as opposed to perfectly, so as not to over-think what's being written. Understanding how others write and what's important to them along with using pictures that jump out are excellent tips provided by Brogan. One tip that stood out to me was focusing on “what your customers and prospects need.” Coming from a client-centric background, I’m all about that!

from Tim Giehll. "Blogging 101 for the HR Professional: Part II." July 5, 2011.
http://www.bond-us.com/blog/blogging-101-for-the-hr-professional-part-ii

Farhad Manjoo combines Arianna Huffington’s expertise along with several other choice bloggers (such as Om Malik referenced below) to share some tricks of the trade. Blogging often was first on the list. When I saw six posts per week was recommended (courtesy of Jeff Atwood), I got a little nervous. I’m not sure I have that much to say, I mean being a trainer by nature; I love the sound of my own voice but this is different. Two to three times per week for a month sounds a bit more realistic for me (Thanks HuffPo). Reading that: “… blogging, like exercise, gets easier with practice” made me feel much better. Having posts that aren’t perfect is okay?! Thank goodness. As long as I have casual yet clear writing... Ryan Singel advised: “Assume your reader won’t get past the first paragraph.” [Are you still with me?] He uses this statement to encourage the use of a catchy first sentence to draw the reader in. How did I do? Keep posts short and sweet, add new content, and blog in various and sundry places (through other blogs). Phewwww, I'm tired already. Has it been 20 minutes yet?


Apparently not everyone like to blog. According to U.S. News’ Matthew Bandyk, some business owners feel blogging is less important than having a website. Bandyk goes on to advise that if one gives blogging a chance, s/he will reap the rewards. From a small business perspective, these rewards could include directing Internet flow to the business’ webpage along with special tools that use search engines to bring back Google matches. Sounds pretty good so far, right? Darrell Zahorsky from About.com touts the pros: the software is easy, the cost is lower than a web page, it’s less time consuming to update. Even though Bandyk comes back with the con that: it “… can be a time sinkhole” I may be sold.


Darren Rouse at ProBlogger sums it up in his title (talk about catchy): “Use it or lose it!" Get into a routine, blog, blog, blog but don't spread yourself too thin. Don't promise things you cannot deliver and stick to a regular posting schedule. Rouse suggests perhaps a manager will help keep you on track with reminders and Om Malik (experienced blogger) says to: “… write everything as if your mom is reading your work …”

 
Well mom, what do you think? Maybe she'll be my manager.

 
For the class: Just out of curiosity, is this anyone else's first blog? What other points stood out to everyone?

Works Cited:

Bandyk, Matthew. "How to Blog Your Way to Small-Business Success." Money: Business & Economy. U.S.News & World Report, 26 Sept. 2008. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. <http://money.usnews.com/money/business-economy/small-business/articles/2008/09/26/how-to-blog-your-way-to-small-business-success>.

Brogan, Chris. "How to Blog Almost Every Day." Chris Brogan. 10 Oct. 2009. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. <http://www.chrisbrogan.com/how-to-blog-almost-every-day/>.

Manjoo, Farhad. "How To Blog: Advice from Arianna Huffington, Om Malik, and more of the Web's best pundits." Slate. The Slate Group, 18 Dec. 2008. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. <http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2008/12/how_to_blog.html>.

Rowse, Darren. "Use It or Lose It! 5 Tips on How to Keep Your Blogging Regular." ProBlogger.net. 15 Jan. 2010. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. <http://www.problogger.net/archives/2010/01/15/use-it-or-lose-it-5-tips-on-how-to-keep-your-blogging-regular/>.

Zahorsky, Darrell. "What a Blog Can Do For Your Small Business: Boost Your Business With a Blog." About.com. Small Business Information. n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. <http://sbinformation.about.com/cs/ecommerce/a/bblogs.htm>.