Zoey the Cute Dachshund helps me write my weekly blogs and is a form of inspiration, plus, she’s cute!
By shelley Widhalm
Blogging is a form of storytelling that, like a book, brings in readers who want to find out what happens next.
Building a following can generate that reader interest as customers and clients want to find out the latest news about your business. Posts can be topical, showing what’s going on, trending and new. They can be a response or an exploration, or they can share a business’s new product, service, employee or way of doing things.
The blog posts don’t need to be long—a few hundred words will do—but research shows 500 to 700 words to be ideal. A blog that is 300 to 400 words is considered short, while a blog reaching 1,000 words is on the long side.
Blogs help big businesses look small, personal and inviting. The businesses demonstrate they care enough to connect with their audiences. They want to share bits of knowledge and their expertise about what they have to offer.
Blogging Beyond SEO
Businesses that don’t pump out the content mill, Search Engine Optimization-focused blogs are demonstrating their interest in their audiences, clients and customers. They are not just about getting clicks. They want to produce quality, not quantity in their writing, just like with their products.
Here are some ways to generate blogs that are more personable:
- First, narrow down to your target audience, avoiding writing to everybody, therefore to nobody.
- Base what you write on need and marketing, and then create the content.
- Communicate your expertise on a subject related to what you do or about the products or services you offer.
- Be specific in the topics you cover and provide information, thoughts and ideas in a distinct niche and avoid being general and broad.
- Be yourself and show your personality as you talk about the topics you enjoy or that are important to your business.
Make sure to update your blogs often, preferably once a week, and post them on the same day. Sporadic blogging, especially every few months, shows a lack of commitment or a loss of interest in the blog.
Personal Blogging Stories
From my own experience blogging at Shell’s Ink, I found several benefits to routine, consistent blogging. I blogged for years about writing and editing, and by regularly writing about the two subjects, I deepened my knowledge and detailed understanding of the elements of the craft. I increased my “expert” status though regular research and study.
I blogged once a week on a variety of topics, including character and plot development, storytelling, story structure, story and character arc, dialog and setting, as well as approaches to the craft that included writing prompts, writing spaces and habits, and inspiration and motivation.
To be able to write about the craft in an informed manner, I had to look up information online, review my notes and article clippings, and organize everything into my own take on the information.
This made me a stronger writer by thinking about writing, writing about writing and analyzing the process of writing. I methodically covered every element I could think of, gaining a better understanding of the material and how to apply it to my own work.
Basically, I taught myself to be a better writer by teaching through the form of writing. I improved my ability to tell a story.