Note: Gini Dietrich, noted Chicago-based PR expert and CEO of Arment Dietrich, writes about how to start a blog and attract readership through great content.These are excerpts from her blog entitled
F.A.D.S. (Fight Against Destructive Spin)
TIPS FOR STARTING A BLOGWhen I speak across the country, I have a lot of people tell me they want to start a blog and they want to know how to get started. I always caution that blogs aren’t for everyone and that, once you get started, you can’t stop. It’s a pretty big time commitment and it takes some effort to not only attract readers, but also engage them and keep them coming back for more.
My friend Rieva Lesonsky has a great article at
AllBusiness.com about the pros and cons of having a blog. Your passion may be monkeys and you think no one will want to visit a blog about monkeys. No matter what your passion, if people can tell you really care about it they’ll keep coming back. And you won’t mind the time commitment because it’s what you love more than anything else. You don’t necessarily need to write a blog. This is important thought – there also are video blogs (called vlgos) and audio blogs (called podcasts).
If, after reading Rieva’s article and figuring out whether or not you can write/video/speak about your passion, you still want a blog, following are some tips for getting started.
1. Go to
WordPress or
Blogger and set up an account. I like WordPress because it’s more professional and it has lots of really great templates for you to choose from so you can create something really nice in a couple of hours. Blogger is really easy to use, but it looks more homemade.
2. Write a list of 30 topics you can write about – just headlines. For instance, I write about social media, the PR industry, and what it’s like to grow a company. Under those three topics, I have 30 bullet points of different headlines. Under social media, I know tomorrow I’m going to write about how to attract readers to your blog, because it follows today’s topic.
3. Write (or video or speak) five to 10 posts and save them as drafts in your blog. Do not publish them yet.
4. Schedule an hour a day on your calendar to write your blog post, answer reader’s comments, and comment on other’s blogs about your topic.
5. Publish your first draft on a Monday.
6. Send an email to your friends, clients, colleagues, peers, family, vendors, and partners and ask them to read your blog post. Ask them to check back on Wednesday and again on Friday. Ask them, if they like what they read, to send the link to their network.
7. Make friends with 10-20 people who already have strong social networks and ask them to help you spread the word. People will do this IF it’s a topic they’re also interested in and know their networks also will like to read. If your blog is about monkeys and I’ve been attacked by a chimp, you won’t want to ask me. Know your audience.
8. Be prepared to publish at least three times each week. And keep your drafts full – have five to 10 ready to publish at any time. This is hard to do, but trust me when I say that it makes life A LOT easier when you’re overly busy and something else has taken over your hour to blog.
I’m always willing to introduce bloggers to my network if they are consistent, have an interesting topic, and make me think. Think about that as you begin to write (or video or speak) and why someone like me would want to help you (other than I’m nice and help everyone). Then ask! You’ll be surprised at how willing people are to help.
ATTRACTING BLOG READERS THROUGH GREAT CONTENTQuality, value, and “what’s in it for me” are what attract readers. If you followed the steps I suggested above and asked your network - your friends - to read your blog and pass along to their friends (assuming they liked what they read), then you already have a base of readers.
Don’t worry about the number of readers you have on your blog. Worry about providing great content and your friends will be happy to send your blog URL to their friends. And their friends will send to their friends. And pretty soon you have lots of readers who keep coming back for the great value you’re providing.
So how do I provide great content?
I said this on earlier, but it’s worth repeating.
IF YOU BLOG, DO IT CONSISTENTLY. A few argued this point in the comments section and that’s okay. My point here is not that you have a blog. My point is that you become a blogger. And to become a blogger you must post at least three times a week.
A few tricks of the trade that make it easy to provide great content and write multiple times every week:
• Make the copy scannable, which means create lists, use bullet points, insert pictures, use headings and subheads and write about only one topic.
• Write short posts. Research states the average blog reader only stays on the same story for 96 seconds so write for that person.
• The copy only needs to prove the point in a very comprehensive manner. Give readers a reason to comment and, if you have extra points to discuss, do it in response to comments.
• Write a title that is both catchy and has search engine optimization (the blog post you can find here on Thursday will discuss how to do this so check back). Your blogs will last for eternity online and you never know when someone, even two years from now, may want information on your topic. Think about how they might search if they’re doing research on your top
• Link to other blogs and news articles that support your thinking. If you do this, find bloggers who aren’t typically quoted or linked to – share the love so the A-listers aren’t the only ones always quoted.
• If you’re passionate about something that is hot in the media right now, wait a week to write the post. It’s hard to gain awareness when you’re in a sea of others writing about the same topic. For instance, if you have value you can add to the Tiger Woods discussion, do it via your blog… and now (two weeks later) is a good time to do it.
* Avoid jargon. Remember the rule of life: Keep it simple, stupid.
* Make yourself uncomfortable. If you’re not making someone mad with every blog post, you’re not doing it right. Get out of your comfort box. Write controversially. But do it professionally.
* Ask for guest bloggers. It provides value to (them) because you now are aware of (them) and it provides value to you because (they might be) an expert on the topic.
• Ask questions. People love to provide their thinking and insight. And through their comments, you learn more and become that much more wise.
Always, always remember: This is about your readers. This is not about you. Do not be self-serving or promotional. You are providing your thinking. You are providing your intellectual capital. You are providing your passion. And you are providing all of it for free. If people find value in your thinking, they will come back for more.