Blogging: How Personal Should I Make My Business Blog - By: Christopher Conlan

As a and quot;blogmeister and quot; I am often asked and quot;How personal should I make my blog? and quot;

This is a great question. The answer for everyone is different.

There is no set answer to this question. It is important to remember that your blog is a living extension of your business, and ultimately you. So keep in mind the image you want to portray, the goals of your blog and what your audience is looking for.

Howard Stern is a good example. Howard is often challenges his audience to and ldquo;change the channel, no one is making you listen. and rdquo; It is part of his image, his schtick. It is one reason why people do listen. The part of his audience that hates him tunes in because they love to be angry!

Does that model work for your and ldquo;toy train and rdquo; online business? I am not sure. Let us use the and ldquo;toy train and rdquo; business as a and ldquo;model and rdquo; (notice the clever play words).

1. Who is my audience?

Your audience ranges from Neil Young (who owns Lionel) to possibly 10 year olds who build and collect model train sets. Their experience level ranges from the new collector/modeler to the experienced hobbyist. This is important in determining the and ldquo;feel of the read and rdquo; and hellip;are you writing for a 35 year old who wants hard facts and analysis, or a 12 year old who wants to have fun and learn. The beauty of blogging is you can have both. Think about separating categories for your audience. Have Product Reviews, Product Releases, Kids Corner, How to, Ask the Conductor, Tips and Tricks, etc. as specific categories and post accordingly.

2. How and Why Do They Buy?

Does my audience buy on a whim, or do they buy when they and ldquo;find the solution and rdquo;? Are new product releases an important feature my audience is looking for? Do and ldquo;Product Reviews and rdquo; increase the possibility that a potential customer will pull out their credit card and purchase?

3. What do I find interesting?

This is probably the best indicator of what to write. If you have not already, take some time, visit, read and write down what it is you like about the blogs you frequent in your market target. Chances are if you like it, other people will to. Now take your list of and ldquo;likes and rdquo; and combine them and create and ldquo;a better blogtrap and rdquo;.

4. Why would I read this blog, subscribe, come back or make a buying decision here?

In addition to a blog being a vehicle for you to get your information out there and attract and keep an audience, your blog can become an interactive, user supported community. Think about the features you like on other blogs, and maybe even ones that do not exist. What about having a contest for the best train picture, the coolest design, etc. Let users post their pictures and vote. Offer a prize. Allow members to email and print articles they like. Encourage them to ask and answer questions.

5. Is it fun for me?

Running a successful blog takes time, but you do not have to become a shut-in. Structure your blog from the beginning to fit your schedule and your passion. Try and post something everyday. Your posts don and rsquo;t have to be 1,000 words each, they can be about something you learned the day before, big or small. Don and rsquo;t be afraid to ask your competitors or customers to help you keep the blog going by posting their valuable information. Always give them attribution, or at least a link to their site if they ask. Remember, your blog is a and ldquo;service and rdquo; that transcends petty competition. It has no ego, ex-wives, jealous husbands or personal problems. It just wants to be useful and used.

For me, I like to read blogs where the personality of the owner comes out. I read blogs mainly for the strength of the content, technical information or news, but the blogs I return to the most, the ones I subscribe to and pass on to friends and employees are the ones that are fun to read and provide valuable information.

Sometimes the personality of the owner adds a level of trust and intimacy between the reader and the author that raises the articles (posting) above the clutter of the Net.

So decide for yourself how personal you want to get.

When deciding what to write for my blog I like to pretend I am Clint Eastwood:

and ldquo;Did I write 6 posts or only 5. In all the confusion I kinda of lost track myself. But being this is The Blog Mill, the most powerful blog in the world, and will blow your head clean off, I have to ask myself one question and lsquo;Do I feel plucky? Well, do I, punk? and rsquo; and quot;So think about what you like, what your audience wants to read and how your personality fits into to your overall blog strategy and start posting.

Article Source : http://www.articleonlinedirectory.com/601/blogging-how-personal-should-i-make-my-business-blog.html

Author Resource : Christopher Conlan is an 18 year marketing veteran and currently Vice President of MeHere(http://www.mehere.com/) an integrated internet design and emarketing company. He was previously founder and CEO of The Blog Mill(http://www.blog-template-layout.com) Submitted By ArticleUnited.com(http://www.articleunited.com)