Tips on how to Blog Effectively

Just as no one can tell you "how to" write, no one can tell you "how to" blog. However, there are basic guidelines and pieces of advice to consider so that your blogs are professional and topical. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

How to Define your Blogging Voice

The easiest way to help define your blogging voice is to consider your target audience.

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  Writing for advanced readers - if you plan to write for an audience that has the same, advanced level of knowledge, try to avoid redundant explanations of industry terms.

• Writing for industry novices - don't write under the assumption that your readers know what the heck you're talking about. Take time to write a couple of 411 posts that address main topics, services or products you'll be addressing in the future. These will serve as education tools for your readers they can refer back to whenever they choose.

• A mix of advanced readers and novices - aim to explain very technical terms in a brief sentence or two; embed links to other informative blog posts or external resources; this way you will be providing ample information and technical literature for beginners without frustrating advanced readers with drawn-out explanations.

How to Write Effective Blogs

• Know Your Topic. You can't write well if you don't know what you're writing about.

• Keep The Focus. Pick a topic, know it, and stick to it. Don't stray, or you'll lose your reader's attention.

• Write With The Search Engines In Mind. You may have a hard time attracting readers to your blog if it's not indexed properly. Optimize your blog titles and posts with relevant keywords and links to credible sources.

• Give Credit Where Credit Is Due. If you build your blog post off of someone else's, be sure to provide a link back to the original source; if you use quotes from a website, link back to it. 

• Avoid Filler Content. Don't rattle off irrelevant information just to fill up a page. There is no right length for a blog post - write as much or as little as you have to in order to get your point across in a coherent, fascinating manner. 

• Avoid Keyword Stuffing. Incorporating relevant keywords is important, but do not overuse your keywords to the point of rambling redundancy. This is known as keyword stuffing- it makes for a clunky, unappealing blog post and could get you kicked out of search engine indexes.

• Avoid Unrelated Keywords. In the same token, don't cram unrelated keywords into your blog in an attempt to rank for popular keyword phrases. This will also irritate readers and prompt a penalty from search engines.

How to Pick a Daily Blog Topic

It's important to contribute fresh content to your blog, and not to tackle the same tired subject over and over. Sometimes, picking a topic to blog about can lead to writer's block - here are some tips on what to do if that happens:

• Try the "what's new" approach: Write about a popular current event or trend
• Try the "ask the audience" approach: If you have a loyal readership, ask them what they way to read
• Try the "hat-tip" approach: Respond to or expand upon a recent post by one of your favorite bloggers
• Try the "Complete 180" approach: Take the opposite approach to a popular school of thought and explain it from a different point of view.
• Try the "Walk away from it" approach: Take a walk, listen to music, clear your head, and return when ready.

Now that you know more about how to blog effectively, learn more about the benefits of business blogging.