10 Tips for the Novice Bloggers

By: Dan Dunlop

My colleague Kate Gillmer and I were in Vermont last week meeting with one of our hospital clients and a group of representatives from community organizations. Each of the individuals attending the meeting had agreed to become contributors to a new community health blog. Among other things, Kate and I were there to conduct a blogging 101 session with the group. One of our objectives in a session like this is to have the bloggers begin to see themselves as part of a community of bloggers – and learn to support one another in this venture. We ask them to read, comment on and share each other’s posts. After all, when you first launch a blog, readers are scarce and the bloggers can all benefit from moral support.

1. Write about topics that excite you. Your enthusiasm and passion will likely be contagious.
2. Always keep your readers in mind as you write your posts. Ask yourself: Is this relevant to them? Have I presented this in a way that makes this subject relevant?
3. Shorter is usually better. A three-paragraph blog post is a homerun! Many novice bloggers think that each post has to be some major literary work. That mindset is not sustainable. Your goal should be to share information and resources – to convey an idea.
4. Keep a running list of blog post ideas on your smart phone. I do this and it is incredibly helpful – particularly when I hit a dry spell.
5. Headlines matter, but avoid clever headlines that mislead the reader. Your blog post needs to deliver on the promise of the headline. Otherwise, you’ll simply disappoint readers.
6. Use photos and videos to engage readers. I read in an article the other day that the human brain processes an image 60,000 times faster than it does text. Visuals do more than simply add interest; they help you to tell your story more effectively.
7. Don’t get discouraged. Blogging can feel like a very lonely activity. Readers are slow to comment. Keep pushing forward. It takes time to build a following.
8. Share each blog post widely on platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Google+. I share posts on Pinterest and find that many of my readers find me there.
9. Don’t forget to use tags and categories to help readers and search engines find your content.
10. Allow for spontaneity. If you see something interesting, write about it. Share it with your readers. Being in the moment helps to make a blog interesting and relevant. You should not have to labor over every post.