How to write a good blog

by Tom Fuszard on June 25th, 2012

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How to start blogging

Do you write a blog? Is it accomplishing what you hoped for? If not, relax. Writing a blog, while not particularly difficult, requires a certain approach for it to be successful. You can master the skill with some guidance. I know. You see, I’ve been writing a blog for years, but it wasn’t until just recently that I obtained the proper training.

I started writing a blog in fall of 2005 using Blogstream.com. Blogstream was one of many free sites available then. It was fun, for the most part. Gave me and thousands of other people a platform to post columns, vent, and otherwise let the world know what was on our minds. Back then, blogging was mostly for personal use. You’d read about someone’s breakfast, trip to the doctor, or latest boyfriend problem. (Yep, people wrote about that stuff.)

Blogstream, and others like it, were pure text-based blogs; there were no widgets or other tools to post ads, web forms, or other cool tools. (I got around it a bit by including affiliate links at the bottom of my posts. I believe that was against the rules, but the guy who ran Blogstream never caught on.)

Fast forward to February 2011. I heard about WordPress.com, and opened a blog there. I later turned to GoDaddy.com to register this domain name (tomfuszard.com) and buy a hosting package. In the past 12 months I have posted more than 140 columns and incorporated numerous plugins and widgets. It’s an OK blog, but I have a confession: I’m not thrilled with it.

Why?

Because I haven’t found a way to leverage it for business. It’s not generating the volume of traffic and leads that it should. (I’m also not keen on the theme – Titan – but that’s a minor issue.) I needed some expert advice, and voila!, along comes Ray Higdon’s Pro Blog Academy. Ray is an extraordinarily successful network marketer, and he’s done it primarily by writing a blog.

The course has taught me to think hard about my blog and what I am trying to do with it. In the first module, Ray tells us to identify our target audience. Who are they? What do they want? What do they struggle with?

My background is in marketing communications, but I’ve also been involved in customer service and sales positions. Most of my blog posts have touched on those areas. Ray’s course is causing me to think deeper: Who, precisely, am I trying to reach? I really enjoy talking and writing about communications skills. I can see one target audience being those who struggle with communication skills.

But I also enjoy talking about and promoting Global Resorts Network, an exciting travel club. There, too, I have a decision to make: Do I promote just the memberships, or should I discuss the business opportunity, as well?

The Pro Blog Academy course also offers great suggestions on where to find content. Despite being a writer, I sometimes suffer from writer’s block. (I even wrote about the topic in a recent blog post.) Ray’s course offers additional sources for content, including:

- Books and training material you have. I have some great training material on how to get started in public speaking.
- Books and/or magazines you find at the bookstore. Spend an hour or thumbing through books on sales, marketing, leadership, and so forth.
- Webinars and seminars you’ve attended. “Stop being a consumer,” Ray says, “and become a content creator.” Every time you attend a presentation, do so with the intention of writing a blog post afterward.

There’s a lot more to Ray’s training, but I think you get the point. The course teaches you how to start blogging and write effective blog posts.

If you’re having trouble developing content, follow the steps offered here. (Even better, sign up for the course.) They will help you start writing for your blog on a regular basis. That regular blogging, centered around good content, will set your blog on the path to success.

For related reading, see “Edit thoroughly for clean, professional copy.”