Top 7 tips to write an effective business blog

Update: Want a longer, PDF version of this Top 7 Tips article with more tips and resources? Click here.

Here's the Russian translation of this article. Cool, huh?!

I contributed this article to the forthcoming Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters due out in October, 2005 and co-authored by David Perry with Jay Conrad Levinson. The premise is how to blog your way to a new job but the tips apply equally to writing a blog that effectively markets you or your company. Here are my Top 7 Tips To Write an Effective Blog.

"Think of a blog as the 3D version of your resume or capabilities statement. One in which you provide context and meaning to the work experience and educational background you've so carefully wordsmithed in your resume or showcased on your site. It's the online version of You, Inc. It's a microsite where you can showcase your thinking and writing skills."  Continued below...

Here's a provocative opposing view from the Tao of Mac: 10 Reasons Why Blogging Doesn't Matter (and why it might NOT be good for your career). Thanks to Seth Godin for the link.

Top 7 Tips To Write an Effective Business Blog

By Debbie Weil

Want a longer, PDF version of this article with more tips and resources? Download it free.

Key takeaway: good blogging is good writing 

If ever there were a perfect tool for the job hunter - or any marketer for that matter - blogging is it. Think of a blog as the 3D version of your resume or capabilities statement. One in which you provide context and meaning to the work experience and educational background you've so carefully wordsmithed in your resume or showcased on your site.

It's the online version of You, Inc. It's a microsite where you can showcase your thinking and writing skills. And where influencers and decision makers can get to know you better. Either because they found your blog through the search engines or clicked through to it from a link in your resume or cover letter.

So let's talk about how to blog well. Good blogging is good writing after all. What should you keep in mind when you start to blog? Here are seven rules for effective blogging:

1. Start with a topic you're passionate about

This is your theme, the thread that will run through your blog. You better be passionate about it because you’ll be chipping away at it for months. Yup, that’s the bad news. It takes time to build your blog into something worth reading. It’s the accumulation of posts (or entries) over a period of months or longer that will set you apart as a real blogger.

Ideally, your topic should be related to your job hunt. If you’re searching for a position in sales, for example, you might develop a blog that focuses on “the close.” All the different ways to get there; what works and what doesn’t; examples or case studies based on your current experience, etc.

2. Concentrate on shorter, more frequent entries in your blog

Now for the good news. You don’t have to write a long essay each time you post to your blog. On the contrary, a short paragraph or two is plenty – sometimes a sentence will suffice. Your goal is to show that you’re knowledgeable about your topic. You’re reading other blogs or news sources (on or offline) that are related.

In fact, a sentence or two with a link directing readers to a relevant article in The Wall Street Journal or other respected periodical is plenty. The fact that you noticed the article and have an opinion about it is what counts.

3. Let yourself go as a writer; let your authentic “voice” emerge

Good blogs have a viewpoint and a voice. They reveal something about the way the blogger thinks – as well as what he or she thinks about. This is where it gets a bit tricky, however. You want to be honest and forthright in your writing. But you don’t want to cross the line into saying things that are critical or inappropriate about your current employer or major players in your industry. The best advice I have is to use common sense. Every time you post a new entry, remember that you are creating a public Web page, easily searchable by Google.

4. Use correct grammar and syntax (no misspellings allowed, just as on your resume or your site)

Which leads me to another tip: if you’re blogging your way to a new job, the quality of your writing really does matter. As a refugee from the corporate workplace myself, I can tell you that the ability to write is in woefully short supply at most companies. No matter what type of position - or new client - you are pursuing, a blog is a way to demonstrate that you can write and think clearly, concisely and concretely. That will put you head and shoulders above most candidates.

Of course, the tone of your writing on a blog should be informal. But that doesn't mean grammar or spelling mistakes. Short, elliptical sentences are fine. That's accepted etiquette when writing online. Make sense?

5. Purposefully organize the content of your blog

A blog provides you with an elegant and easy-to-use writing tool. It is also a mini content management system. Use it purposefully. Think about the categories you want to cover over time. Are there keywords you should be using that recruiters or potential employers may be searching on?

Create a category for that phrase. In addition, title each of your posts with care. Include as many specifics and keywords as possible. If you’re quoting an expert or brand name company in your blog entry, include the name in your title. Your blog entry may show up in search engine results alongside the Web site for a Fortune 500 company.

6. Post a new entry at least once a week, preferably two or three times a week

Circling back to tip #2, you need to write frequently in order to keep your blog fresh. The more you post, the more content you are creating. Since each new post or entry is its own Web page, you are increasing the chances that search engines will find your blog. I can’t emphasize frequency and consistency strongly enough.

One way to force yourself to write more often is to use your blog as a place to park an interesting tidbit of info or useful URL. When you run across something you’d like to write about, open up your blog and create a draft entry. Give it a provisional title. You can come back later when you’ve got 20 minutes to spare and can write up a coherent paragraph.

7. Include your key contact information on your blog

You’d be amazed at how many bloggers forget to do this. Never forget that your blog may turn up in a recruiter’s or potential employer’s Google search. By building your contact information into your blog template, you make it easy for them to pick up the phone and call or send an email.

Additionally, it’s proper etiquette to indicate where you currently work. And also perfectly acceptable to add a phrase such as “the views expressed are my own.”

8. BONUS TIP

Have fun when you blog. Whether you're blogging your way to a new job - or to new customers - you may find that blogging is truly a creative outlet. Over time you might find yourself teasing clarity out of a complex topic or delving into subjects you didn’t know you were so interested in. Keep chipping away with each blog entry. Who knows? Your blog might turn into a book!

© 2005 Debbie Weil and WordBiz.com, Inc.

This article is copyrighted. It may not be re-posted or reprinted without express permission from Debbie Weil. Reach her at wordbiz @ gmail DOT com.

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