Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Blogging for Professionals – 10 Steps to “Kicking it up a Notch!”

Blogging is a wonderful PR tool and it’s both cheap and powerful!  If you are anxious to leverage all of the potential benefits of blogging, you need to make sure that your blog is well tuned!
    “Rock your blog” by implementing these ideas:
1.    Keep all writing in the FIRST person, not the THIRD person - always refer to yourself as me, I etc. not “Mark.”  Omit the “royal we’s.”
2.    Include a comprehensive summary of your credentials and accomplishments to show readers at a glance what you have achieved!
3.    State clearly and briefly what issues and challenges you deal with and how you are succeeding in your field. Make it clear, organized and memorable using bulleted lists.
4.    Get interactive - include a weekly poll or a quiz – something fun to encourage readership and participation.
5.    Have your blog posts proofread and edited (before posting), for proper grammar and conventions.  To be an effective showcase for you, your blog needs to be professional.
6.    Consider imbedding a video in your blog – 4 minutes maximum. Well done, a video is an excellent way to share your message with your target audience.  (See the video titled “Mom Entrepreneur’s Network – Summer Kick-Off at Springridge Farms” on my YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/user/juds2u to see the kind of video I could make for you!) 
7.    Have a weekly format to switch gears, add variety and keep you motivated – something like…

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Sat./Sun.
“Brian’s” life – personal and official happenings
“Topic of the week”
In my network
“Featured” Event
Poll or quiz day
“The week in highlights”
Leisure and recreation!

8.     Use a well-chosen quote from a seasoned pundit to explain and clarify a contentious and complicated political issue, like the recent census “brouhaha” that many people blogged about recently. In the interests of brevity and credibility, such quotes are extremely effective. For example; instead of delving into the issue yourself, try something like…
Writing for the National Post this week, Meagan Fitzpatrick expressed the reservations of any;
The government's move to scrap the mandatory long-form census in 2011 in favour of a voluntary one has prompted criticism from a broad range of groups who say it will produce a skewed body of data that will compromise the ability of policy-makers to make evidence-based decisions.  Despite the calls from municipalities, provincial governments, statisticians, academic bodies, economists and researchers from many disciplines to reverse his decision, Mr. Clement has shown no signs of backing down.”
...Followed by a simple statement of agreement or disagreement as the case may be.
9.     Use “jump breaks” so you can show more blog entries on a page.
10.  Educate your readers further by including in your blog, a list of other useful, informative and entertaining blogs for them to read. 


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