So you have a blog. Great, but now what?
Blogging can be for both personal use and professional use, and each should follow some sort of guidelines for properly managing the blog. How?
I use the social networking site LinkedIn as a way to stay connected to certain fields, like the PR, marketing and communication industries.
The other day, a discussion started in the Public Relations and Communication Professionals group about how frequently you should blog and whether there should be a set schedule. This got me to thinking…
Assuming that SOMEONE out there reads your blog, does that make you responsible (liable) for providing them fresh reading material on a set schedule?
What happens if you take a vacation for a week? Or maybe you simply don’t have anything creative or worthwhile to say for several days…do you have an obligation to your readers to spew out less-than-quality content merely for the purpose of posting?
Tim Walker, a public speaker and social media manager for Hoover’s, piped in to say that a blogger should pick a schedule that they can keep up with, and then stick to it.
That’s sage advice to be sure, but life sometimes throws a wrench in to even the best laid plans.
If you run the blog for a business, then I probably would advise not to let too much time slip by before you run a new blog post. But what if your creativity runs dries for a few days? Do you run a greater risk of driving your readers away by not keeping to your five-posts-a-week schedule, or by posting pure drivel?
I would prefer to take a day or two (or 5) off from writing than write something that I wouldn’t be proud to have my readers read.
Are some posts stronger and more popular than others? Sure.
But the best writing is based on topics that the writer feels passionately about. Trying to drag yourself through 500 words because you feel obligated to your readers won’t result in a good article.
Now if the goal of your blog is to promote a company and use the blog for SEO opportunities and branding or marketing, the last thing you want is a series of sub-par articles. What better way to drive away your audience and potential consumers by showcasing your apathy towards a subject?
Your best bet is to keep to some sort of schedule, but remain flexible. Don’t force out a blog post just because it’s the day to post. If you can’t find/don’t have a topic you feel is really worth writing – why would someone find it worth their time reading?
In my opinion, the best way to manage your blog is to write as frequently as you have inspiration. Don’t force it, but don’t let too much time slip by either! Write for yourself as much as you write for your audience, and you’ll ultimately end up with a higher quality blog!
By: Zack S.
