The Key to Keeping a Blog Vital, Healthy, and Relevant

Voices from the Field

1. Include visuals, write about your passions, engage with your readers. - Jim Lerman

 And here are two more great additions I received:

Hi Mary Ann,

Nice looking wiki.

You had asked in an LM_Net post about how to keep your blog a blog vital, healthy and relevant. Here are my thoughts which you are more than welcome to move off your home page and on to a separate one.

1. Post regularly.

2. Know your audience and speak to them in an authentic voice.

3. Add value. Whether it's experience, knowledge, perspective or opinion. I've not much use for what I call "pass-through" blogs.

4. Be as brief as possible.

5. Have fun but remember that your mother might be reading.

All the best,

Doug Johnson (Blue Skunk blog)

Like Doug, responding to a post on a listserv:

1. Speak about what you know, rather than about what feels like the latest thing.

2. Post when you have something to say. It's better to post infrequently than to put up sub-par content.

3. Read, and comment, on other blogs. If you have a comment on another blog that feels "post-worthy," link back to the original blog, and copy your comment onto your own.

4. Ask for advice when you don't have an answer.

Hope this is helpful --

Bill (FunnyMonkey)