Last year, I started a (hopefully) humorous blog about my misadventures in genealogy. For me, it serves many purposes. First, it’s another outlet for someone who loves to write. Next, only those friends, family and others interested in my background (or writing) have to be bothered with it. And, finally, it keeps me from slacking off in the tracing of my family tree, as I constantly need new material.
That last point is a biggie – so big, in fact, that it has kept some businesses from starting something they’re not sure they can maintain. Thus, for those on or near the edge of a blog launch, I offer a few suggestions.
Find someone who not only can write but enjoys writing. No one needs another “chore” on his or her list.
Don’t be afraid to have multiple bloggers, so long as what they write equals out to a cohesive message.
Know your audience(s) and what they like/want to know.
Don’t start without a stock of “evergreen” items that can go in any time, creating a backlog to take the pressure off.
Don’t feel you have to stick to a specific format or length, just share what you think your audience(s) need or want to know.
Periodically, take a look back at the body of what you wrote and see what it tells you about your company and organization.
Later, we’ll talk about the back-end benefits of blogging. Today was about creating a comfort zone in which you could get started. If you decide you need help, let us know. In the meantime, I’ll be around, either at blimbach@next-mark.com or, of course, blgblog.relatingtome.com.
