Who are you Blogging for?

First of all let me say, if you’re a woman in business and you’re NOT blogging, you ought to be.  Blogging is a powerful tool in getting your message out there and, best of all, it’s free. 

I not only like to write blogs—I also love reading them.  I read for personal entertainment, spiritual fulfillment and to gain business knowledge.  I have favorite bloggers and I am always looking to add others to my “faves blogroll.”

But what I have discovered as I venture further and further into cyberspace is there are a lot of blogs out there that are much ado about nothing.  Many blogs are unfocused with no clear direction.  One day the writer may talk about her business—the next she may talk about her family, etc.  For some readers that may be OK but for others your blog would be nothing more than a hodge podge of garbledy goo.   

So how do you create a blog that will command a faithful following?  Here are some of my tips: 

1. Determine your purpose:  Ask yourself why are you blogging?  Knowing what you hope to accomplish will allow you to begin in a more focused way.

2. Know your intended audience. If your blog is about your business, stick to the subject.  The same idea also applies if you are writing about your personal musings. 

3. Establish your credibility:  If you are knowledgeable in a certain area, write about it.  This is an opportunity to educate your readers and set yourself in a position to be a go to person when someone has a question about your field of expertise.  This ultimately can lead to sales for your business. 

4. Have more than one blog:  There’s nothing wrong with having more than one blog to address different subjects.  I would also recommend using blog titles to reflect what your blog is about.

I have four different blogs:

BoomerDivaNation:  Information of interest to Boomer Business Women.

BoomerWorld:  Issues involving baby boomers

Babyboomerbev:  Personal

Talk2Bev:  Media Business

5. Update frequently. Interested readers will return to your site if there is likely to be something new. You should try to post at least three times a week.

One final thing:  Engage your readers.  Give them the opportunity to respond to your posts by asking questions or conducting surveys. 

Ultimately, the more you post the more exposure you’re bound to get and find yourself connected with other credible blogs.