I recently passed the 100 post mark on my blog.
To say that I have learnt a lot in between would be an understatement. To say that I have lots more to learn, would require an even bigger understatement.
It has been an enjoyable, frustrating and fascinating experience. I have gained readers; I have gained new customers and best of all I have gained many great new friends.
My posts have resulted in praise, in controversy, and in scorn. Readers have agreed with me strongly and readers have disagreed, with equal amounts of passion.
Perhaps, now is a good time to step back, and evaluate what has a 100+ posts taught me, about blogging and blogging for business.
Lesson Number 1 - Quality always Beats Quantity
With the amount of available information that is out there, you need to stand out from the crowd. To this end, it is always better to focus your efforts on the quality of your posts, rather than the quantity.
People now have a much shorter attention span, so to get them to actually read what you have written - requires that you offer something of real value. Spend enough time constructing each post, giving extra special attention to your headline (eye-catching) and your first paragraph.
Lesson Number 2 – Never Ever Sell
So many business blogs are merely a series or reworded advertisements for the particular business. It’s awful, awful, and awful and gives nothing of real value to the reader. Instead think Give! - give advice, give insight and give resource. Make your blog valuable, in the eyes of your readers.
So instead pose questions, stimulate debate, provide commentary, and invite other experts to write interesting posts. Remember, the more value your blog brings to your readers - the more lightly that these same readers will become your customers.
Lesson Number 3 – Popular won’t always mean Popular.
There can sometimes be a tendency to jump on a particular bandwagon, and post about what everyone else is posting about. While this can be sound strategy for more established bloggers - it is rarely sensible for new bloggers to follow suit. Where possible, try instead to come up with new ideas and new topics - or at least differing angles for your posts.
It’s perfectly OK to be controversial, so long as your opinions are considered, and that you truly believe in what you are saying. Be careful, because once you have committed a point of view to the public domain - you will need to be able to back it up.
Lesson Number 4 – Engage with Your Readers
The very best thing about blogs is that, they allow for you to engage and debate with your readers. If someone takes the time to comment and give their point of view, make sure to respond and thank them.
Don’t just engage with people through your own blog, instead follow them home to their blog and leave a comment. Reading and engaging with others bloggers, not only increases readership of your blog – but is a super super way of generating ideas for new posts. Be sure to credit the other person and invite them to continue to partake in the ongoing discussion.
Lesson Number 5 – Don’t Be Afraid to be Yourself
A big mistake many new business bloggers make is to try and write in a so called “professional manner” It’s much more important to try to be yourself and to let your uniqueness out itself in your writing. If you like a joke, well then - have a joke.
Don’t burden yourself with having to sound, or come across - all professional like. The most important thing is your message, and that you communicate it with language your readers will understand.
So it’s 100+ posts down, and hopefully many more to go. I could say more, but I will save for it 200+.
Warning: By the way, blogging is bloody addictive and I still cant spell LOL
Niall Devitt is the founder of Beyond the Boardroom btbtraining.com/blog having previously recruited and managed high performance sales teams in the IT and Financial Services industries, Niall understood that there was a need for a results driven sales training solution in Ireland. To date, Niall experience spans both B2B and B2C, where he has delivered training programmes for the IT, Construction, Medical, Utilities, FMCG and Financial sectors. Niall brings success to companies and individuals by assisting them to maximise potential through identifying, resolving and overcoming performance issues. Niall’s approach to business training is non-traditional, He specialises in creating one off bespoke training solutions, delivered using workshops and one to one coaching. Also a trained actor, he has used his performing arts background to create a unique coaching solution to overcome presentation fear.