Blogging now for two years...

And is it worth it?

I think so- we get loads of traffic each month- and we're already into the thousands of visitors per month. While many of these are customers and prospects, there's also quite a few competitors that keep track of us - and we know who you are... ;)

I believe blogging can definitely help your organization as well- no matter what the type (non profit or for profit). There will always be a key segment of your audience that wants- even demands- as much information as you can provide. They appreciate more communication, and seek it out. Once they have the information, they become more enganged, and contribute more. Blogging is perfect for this type of audience, since it's much more up to date and typically more personal.

Ahhhh, the 'keep it personal' aspect of successful blog writing. I remember I had a rather long discussion (aka fight!) with a partner of mine at the company. He really felt that all communication from us, regardless or where or how it was posted, should represent the collective consciousness of the company. This also means that it should be approved by everyone, before anything is published. Spell checked. Correct Grammar. No sentence fragments allowed.

I definitely agree with spell checking- anything less and that's just sloppy. But good grammar aside, it's much more powerful to be personal. If you want your constituents or customers to be passionate about your mission, they have to be passionate about you, so it has to be personal.

So here are my tips about successful blogging:

1. Keep it regularly updated. The schedule doesn't matter, as long as it's regular. Nothing kills a blog faster than not updating it on schedule. Choose a schedule that's right for you (Once/month, once/week, or once/day) and stick to it.
2. Keep it personal. People like to form relationships with the writer. You're not covering the news, so your posts can be more opinion based than "just the facts mam..."
3. Keep it relevant. Yes, I do violate it from time to time, but for the most part, stick to your subject expertise.
4. Keep it fresh. It's easy to write about what people already know- really. Go out on a limb and provide some insider information. Something people can latch onto and think, "Wow! I didn't know that!"
5. Get started now. The sooner you start, the sooner you can see results.

I'd love to hear stories about any successful blogging you do and I'd also like to hear from the people who will finally make the jump and start blogging - it's lonely among us bloggers sometimes!