A blog is a website article that acts as a regular means of communication from the website owner. Its name is derived from the original term ‘Web Log’ back in a much simpler form of the Internet. Nowadays, people associate blogging with personalised and regular content. So in many ways it is distinct from factual content, educational content, or purely creative content for example. Writing a Blog has similarities with Video Logging (Vlogging) and Audio Logging (Podcasting) - whilst the medium is different, the purpose and approach has similarities. So if you feel that Video or Audio will work better for you, the following article will still help you think ahead and plan for those routes.

Start with a plan

Planning isn’t just about being organised, it can also make a Blog more successful and less stressful. There are no rules about how often you Blog but it really helps to be consistent in your Bloggings, so if once a month suits you and your content, do that.

If you decide that once a month works for you, write 3 or 4 Blogs in one sitting and then you have 3-4 months of material to release at regular intervals. Although this is a bigger piece of work in one go, it means that if you happen to be busy, or away, or sick when the next Blog is due, you don’t have to try and fit it in then. Avoid putting yourself under regular pressure.

This pre-planned approach also helps when it comes to topics and themes. You might for instance want to talk through a selection of skills, or a 3-step approach to accomplishing something. Breaking your Blogs up in this fashion has many benefits, not least that you can write a few small Blogs to get to a bigger point across, or encourage people to come back to read the next instalment.

Not all of you will want to develop a regular readership where people can subscribe to your content.. But having a plan and a pattern will certainly underpin a successful Blog.

Know your audience

You know your customers better than we do. In some cases, your audience is a very specific type who will connect with a very specific tone or topic. In other cases, your customer could be anyone and everyone. This difference should be reflected in your writing.

It's possible to inject too much personality (or too little) so you should try and meet the expectation of your readers as best you can. And if you’re not sure, keep it light, informative and friendly.

Write backwards

Not literally! A good Blog tends to have a point. This helps the reader feel that they got something in return. They don’t have to agree, or follow your direction but no-one wants to read something and feel confused or let down by a lack of purpose. If you start with your point and your summary, you can work backwards.

Make it worthwhile

The average person reads around 200 words per minute and a healthy length of short form writing is between 500 and 1000 words. That's anything between 2 and 6 minutes of a visitor's day spent reading your Blog article. So give something back - a useful point, an interesting view, a helpful tip.

Avoid reactive writing

We can all be triggered by events around us and sometimes let ourselves feel justified in reacting to that via a Blog, if we have one. Whilst real life can give us inspiration for some amazing writing, it can also lead to regrets that are hard if not impossible to reverse.

The best advice we can give you is write a completed draft and sleep on it. Sometimes, the very act of writing a Blog is enough to make you feel some relief from expressing your views before you ever publicise them. At best, the act of re-reading your Blog can lead to you improving it considerably.

We all know the types of topics that are likely to be contentious. If you’re new to Blogging, avoid them completely until you feel more comfortable with navigating the pitfalls.

Use your voice

Some people prefer to speak than to write. This can work to your advantage. Most modern smartphones can be used as digital recorders and some even convert your speech into a document as you talk. So one option is to speak first, write second. In any case, Blogs that read in a way that sounds like someone is speaking to the reader tend to be more enjoyable to read.

Find a friendly proofer

This could be family, friends or a professional colleague. Share your Blog before you publish it and be confident in receiving feedback. If your article is criticised, don’t take it personally but use it as a way of improving your writing before it's published. It's better to receive that critique privately and before you publish, rather than once it's out there in front of the world.

Don’t overthink it (to begin with)

If at the end of 12 months you’ve posted at least 12 Blogs, got some good feedback and feel comfortable with it all, you might want to refine your approach. Initially though, it's more about establishing a comfortable routine and generating good content.

Things you should aim for:

• Be regular, but decide for yourself if this means once a month or once a week
• Don’t take on too much! Have a realistic plan
• Prepare in bulk, write 3 or 4 Blogs and link them together somehow
• Make sure each article has a pinch (or more) of personality
• Keep the articles linked to what you do on your website, don’t go off-piste
• Avoid reactive or aggressive writing
• Remember that a Blog isn’t just an announcement or a set of instructions, it should be a means of promoting the personality and style of your business with insight and information
• Avoid bad impression Blogs - e.g. only one item, or nothing written in months