Starting to write your Business Blog

It is always an exciting (if slightly nerve racking) time when you actually start to write your Business Blog. It is also a very important time because in your first posts, you will be laying down the ground rules for what your readers can expect from you in the future.

However, there are certain things that you can do in this initial period which will make it easier to get your first posts in place and will give you a solid foundation from which you can then develop.

Set yourself realistic goals for posting

You should try to set yourself some goals as to how often you want to post to your blog. Don’t commit to once a day if you know that you won’t have the time – instead, make your goals realistic and then stick to them. Once you get going, you can be certain that it will not be a lack of subjects to write about that will hold you back, but rather how much time you can dedicate to it. You should also bear in mind that you will need to split that time between researching your posts AND writing them.

Hint: set up your RSS reader NOW and start to record your information sources in it. It will save you hours in research later on!

Plan ahead

You don’t want to feel under pressure to think of what to write about, particularly at the start. You want to be able to concentrate on the post itself. So, map out the topics that you want to cover during the first few days and weeks and try to make them ones that you feel particularly comfortable about. This will provide you with a framework to work with.

You don’t need to plan every post, in fact you shouldn’t. If you are intending to create a blog which will get people coming back on a regular basis then you will also be commenting on breaking news or on articles that are posted elsewhere. However, by getting clear in your own mind the initial topics that you want to cover, you will allow yourself to really focus on them which in turn will help your initial writing.

Set out your stall with your “Foundation” posts

Within this first set of posts, try to include at least 2 or 3 articles on key topics – these are ones that I call “Foundation” posts. They are posts which focus in on some of the principal areas and concepts that you are going to be dealing with in your blog as a whole. They can be simply instructive or could introduce a number of the ideas that you will build on (hence “Foundation”) and develop over the course of writing your blog.

Suggestion: if you are unsure about what to include, then have a look at the presentations that you have made to clients or partners and pick out the important themes that you highlight there.

Write a series of posts on a specific topic

Another good way of getting going is to write a series of posts on a topic which is important to your overall subject area. A series can help in a number of different ways, but in particular will allow you to go into detail on a single topic that you feel is particularly important and that you are comfortable writing about. Not only will this help to get you started and gain some momentum in your writing, it will also establish a strong focus area in your blog.

Comment on news in your industry

By commenting on events and announcements in your industry, you are showing yourself to be up to date with what is happening and that you are informed enough to have an opinion on them. It will also help you to position yourself as a key source of information for your readers who no longer have to trawl the web for the information (and view your competitors’ sites) because they know they will find it on yours! Essentially, this is a great way of adding content to your site which also helps build the level of trust and confidence in you and your knowledge.

Sitting there with a blank screen in front of you is always a difficult time, so use some of these methods to get you started. You can be certain that you’ll be up and running much more quickly than you expected.

Related posts:

1. Thinking of starting a business blog? Consider this …
2. Generating yet more ideas for your Business Blog
3. Green Cross Code of Business Blogging