There's nothing more basic to social engagement than the blog. This fundamental piece for your online arsenal can act as the crux for all your online networks, and developing a sound readership can in turn be leveraged for success in other forms. Still as basic as it may appear, few understand the implications a blog can have for a company, and fewer maintain a steady routine of providing new content that any readership that was acquired is quickly lost due to lack of interest. There's no doubt that keeping readers and fulfilling your daily tasks is a balancing act that can appear daunting to many.

Some of the fears that keep people from engaging range from lack of time, lack of topics, lack of understanding, fear of rejection, fear of criticism, and fear of exposing oneself to a world wide audience. I won't refute these fears as unreasonable, but rather will take the approach of finding ways to help you overcome your fear of writing to the world, otherwise known as blogging.

Strategies in Finding Courage

To begin with, if your company can identify more than one brand evangelist then your duties can be divided and conquered much more easily. If you're alone, don't fret, these strategies in finding courage can still be effective and work in your best interest, which in turn will help your brand step out on the right foot.

• Identifying your information flows: This first step will easily allow you to maintain a constant flow of inspiration as news will come to you using an RSS Aggregator. Using a tool like Feed Demon or Google Reader will allow you to distill your searches and identify only the topics you want; everyday these topics will be delivered for you help you easily find discussions that you can expand upon in a blog post. Good examples of information flows to start with can include related industry blogs, related consumer blogs, competitor's blogs, industry magazines, and professionals on Twitter who are related to your industry.


• Establishing an editorial calendar: This calendar will do two things. It will create stability for your readers as they will come to expect content on particular days. This new content delivery will build your loyal readers and in time attract others as you build your blog archive. Secondly it will also be a marker for you to know when you need to write and perhaps better plan your topics of discussion. Very useful in particular if you plan to write a long series, or if you've got new products/services being released that can coincide with a new blog post. Strategy is key in also determining effectiveness.


• Blogging is NOT Novel Writing: The fear of not knowing what to write is typically paired with, what if it's too short? I think we can all understand that, our entire life if something was too short it was always looked at as insufficient or perhaps was a reflection on how much time was spent on it. But today, blogging is quick, fast, and brevity is key. If what you have to say amounts to a paragraph or two, no worries, the quicker you get to your point the better, readers will remain not because of length but because of relevancy and quality of writing. So keep that in mind when asked to write a new blog post.


• YOUR Voice is Necessary: This has two meanings. First, it's important that your writing have personality behind it. Drop the suit, drop the robotic language that makes your writing read like stereo instructions. Rather, keep your writing fluid, as if carrying a conversation through what you have to say. Even when announcing news, keep the flow comfortable, your readers will respond better. Secondly, believe it or not, people want to hear from your company. Your voice is requested, and sometimes your audience may not even know they want to read it until you step out and do it. An overwhelming majority polled answered that they appreciate when brands are engaged online to communicate with their audience.

Final Thoughts

Writing your blog should never seem like a chore, your tone and displeasure will come through. Consider what you're doing as an extension of customer service. While not directly in front of a customer, what you are doing will be seen by hundreds if not thousands depending on your audience, and every time someone reads it, you've just provided a level of customer service that has much farther reach then just a smile and a handshake. I think it's something that a lot of brands forget. Social engagement is simply seen as a means to an end, but if looked at as an extension of service, then your approach is seen in new light.

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