The ubiquitous blog has certainly come of age, hasn’t it? Not long ago, only a few early adopters were out there sharing their thoughts (and many of us thought they were soooo egotistical to do it!). Heh.

Social Media Tools: 5 Blog Tips

Social Media Tools: 5 Blog Tips

Times, though…they are a-changin’. The blog is one of the most powerful tools in your ministry’s arsenal, so in honor of our upcoming online workshop, the many questions we received from our Social Media overview workshop and, well, inquiries from my friends at area churches, we thought we’d spend a few minutes talking about the basics of blogging. Even though other blog posts and tip sheets abound, you can never say it too often, because people forget and new ones just don’t know yet. 🙂

1) Have a plan. I know my regular readers are so tired of this and wish I’d give it a rest…but I just can’t! Is the blog a part of a more comprehensive social media and marketing plan? Why are you blogging? What is your purpose?

2) Decide on a blog theme. It’s fine to occasionally digress (I do it, too), but your regular readers will want to know that they can find content that is consistently useful to them. Is it an event blog? A youth blog? A pastor or executive director blog? A “cause” blog? In our case, it’s two-fold: a) provide useful resources and content that ministries can use right now to make a difference and b) offer thoughtfully priced online workshops for those who want a deeper understanding of these critical topics. Our Professional Mojo blog focuses more on small businesses and start-ups.

3) Develop a blog policy. Who will blog? What will they say? How often will they post? Will you have guest bloggers? Will you moderate comments? Post often and don’t moderate the comments.

4) Create catchy post titles. Your post titles should reinforce your words and should support your marketing plan. Many people don’t put much thought into post titles, but they should. I’m still refining my techniques, as well.

5) Use images in your posts and make the content easily scannable. Pictures and images provide a focal point and relief to the eye. They should also reinforce that post’s message. The content should be broken up into bullets or lists for easy reading.

In the next post, 5 More Practical Blog Tips, we’ll talk about driving traffic to and from your blog, finding your own fresh voice, and social media courtesy. See you then!