"Without a story of your own,
you haven't got a life of your own."
– Laurens van der Post

Quick Blogging Tips


1. BASICS
  • Short posts, 300-700 words.
  • Don't overdue it at first, then lose interest. Start slow (after 3-5 short posts to kick it off) and keep it going.
  • Spellcheck!
  • Write a post, save as a draft, and post a day later. Most small but annoying mistakes are made by rushing & posting at the end of a day, without a quick, clear-headed check the next day before posting.
2. DEVELOP TEMPLATES
Develop easy standard formats for posts, such as end-of-project announcements
  • Thank-yous at the completion of a project (compliment the client, say what you did, & use terms to describe the service you provided that others might search for online).
  • Answer an FAQ. If you answer a common question in writing (by email, say), for one client, you can often generalize it and then post it in a standardized version on your blog. Then, if someone else asks the same question later, you can just just send them the URL to that post.
3. USE KEYWORDS
  • Sprinkle your post with the kinds of terms that resonate with the audience. What are they looking for?
  • Use a mix of technical terms that highlight what you do, plus common terms that someone using a search engine might use in looking for that service.
4. ADD A WEE BIT OF PERSONALITY
  • A blog is more like meeting a person (you), rather than a corporate online brochure (a website).
  • One fun post series: interview friends and colleagues with interesting questions: "Five things you probably didn't know about x person," “best single tip,” etc.
  • Look at blogs outside of your field for fresh ideas.
5. LINK GENEROUSLY
  • If you mention clients or significant websites, add a link (it’s very easy).
  • The more links, the better.
6. HAVE FUN!
  • Your enjoyment of the process is crucial. Keep it light, short.
  • Later, you can combine short posts into new longer ones. Or rewrite an old post as as a new one, with improved or updated info.
  • Over time, the posts mount up. It gets easier . . . and you'll get feedback about what kind of posts are most popular with readers.