feature article

Blogging: A Primer
By Drew Jones, Manager, Creative Services

Blogging… We’ve all heard about it but few of us have actually done it. Most of us have probably even visited a few of them, but publishing one is an entirely different story. What follows is a crash course on blogging… What is it? Why bother? The Basics of Blogging. And a few Do’s and Don’ts.

Blogging: What Is It? A blog (short for weblog) is a personal online journal that is frequently updated and intended for general public consumption. Blogs are defined by their format: a series of entries posted to a single page in reverse-chronological order.

Blogging: Why Bother? So question #1 is, “Should my company be blogging?” And it’s a fair question. A few things to ask yourself…

• • Is there a need for regular communication with your audience?
• • How tech savvy is your audience?
• • Is there value or room to be seen as an “industry expert?”
• • Do you have the resources to blog knowledgably and regularly?

Blogging: Making It Happen

Topic — One of the hallmarks of successful blogging is finding a niche. Do that, and you’re much more likely to attract an audience. So if blogging is something you’re thinking about for your company, consider making it more specific than that. Maybe each department or product line gets their own blog.

Tools — As with anything “web” you can always build your own custom blogging tool that is tailored to your specific blogging needs. But there are a number of ready-made tools available online for free. Check out Blogger, LiveJournal or WordPress to get started, or contact Trilix Technology Director, Yancy de Lathouder, and he’ll be happy to help you out.

Time — Blogging is a commitment. If you can’t stay current and keep new posts coming at least a couple times a month, then there are probably better ways to push your ideas out to the world.

RSS — Speaking of pushing your ideas out, RSS (formally "RDF Site Summary", known colloquially as "Really Simple Syndication") allows you to push out blog entries to subscribers and others who are looking for information on your topic of choice. Learn more here.

Blogging: Do’s and Don’ts

Keep It Short — Reading a blog is primarily about browsing a long list of entries for something that looks interesting. So, provide a brief, compelling introduction and then link to a new page for further reading.

Your Voice Matters — Blogs are a personal medium and you should make efforts to ensure that your personal voice (or the voice of your brand) comes through loud and clear.

Link To Third-Party Content — Many blogs are little more than links out to other content on the internet. Bloggers accumulate that content and provide commentary on why you might be interested. In this way, they’re bringing their version of the best the internet has to offer and putting it in a single location.

Incorporate Photos and Multimedia — It goes without saying… people like pictures and movies. And as these options are now readily available online, including them in your blog is one more step toward building a lasting readership.

Encourage Feedback — Most bloggers allow readers to post comments on each entry. This is a powerful way to engage in a discussion with your audience as well as an informal way to track customer opinions and trends.

It’s been said that most blogs have one reader — their author. But don’t let that dissuade you from giving it a shot. When done right, it’s a powerful, personal way to connect with customers, prospects and employees. If it makes sense for you, give it a go. And if you do, give us a shout-out in your first entry.

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