STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE ONLINE NETWORKING
WRITING AND MANAGING AN EFFECTIVE ONLINE ‘BLOG’
Before you can even begin to write a blog, you need to sit down and ask yourself what your motivation for starting one is. Doing this will give you a much better understanding of what you want to do with your blog and what you aim to achieve with it. There are many different reasons people have for choosing to start a blog; if you are doing this to help build your online presence as we are discussing here then that would be one reason, although there are also other reasons why you might want to start blogging besides this (or on top of this). Other common reasons why people choose to start blogging are things like; commercial purposes (to make money), they do it because they are passionate about a certain issue; or to raise awareness about a particular issue, or they may simply do it for fun (some people simply enjoy expressing themselves and talking about things that interest them). Whatever the reason, understanding why you want to start your blog is always a good place to start. From there we can begin to structure our blog and plan for the content we aim to include. The following steps below will give you a good idea of how to structure your blog and of what you can do to make it successful
Decide what your blog will actually cover
The motivations behind why you are choosing to write your blog will probably play a large part in determining this. If you’re doing this purely to enhance your online presence, you may choose to base your blog on the field/ industry you are looking to work in. Alternatively, you may want to consider areas you are particularly knowledgeable in. Some people will choose to base their content around current events or trending themes of the time, such as medicines, quarantines, or the world cup. Or perhaps you know someone who is an expert in a particular field that you can rely on for help with your blog. Ask yourself questions like; ‘if I start this blog, will there be enough content around for me to keep it going? ‘Will I be able to remain interested enough in the topic for me to keep blogging about it?’ If you’re writing this for purely commercial reasons, there may be a specific area or product your blog needs to be based upon, and you’ll need to consider how practical it will be to blog about it. Alternatively, if there’s something you feel passionately about, you may decide to base your blog on that instead. The choice is really up to you. Whatever it is you choose though, make sure it’s something you’re not likely to lose interest in, because one of the main rules of blogging is that once you chose a topic to blog about – stick with it. So you need to be sure you’ll enjoy doing the blog for the full duration of it
Try to keep your blog neutral and informative
When we look at our blog from the perspective of networking with employers and building an online presence, ideally we want to choose subject matter that is as neutral as possible. Industries such as entertainment, art, and science, are good areas for this. Remember that unlike a normal blog, you will be using this as a platform to showcase skills and underscore your employability in anticipation of employers and recruiters visiting it. For that reason, keep your personal comments and opinions as insightful and objective as possible
Respond constructively to negative comments
Depending on the subject you choose, you will find people respond in different ways to the content you place on your blog. Some of these people may disagree with you, and if it’s a contentious subject, something like religion for example, people may leave very negative or inciteful remarks, and a few people may go as far as to openly attack and criticize you. For the purposes of networking this does not look good on a showcase blog, and if it does occur it would probably be best for you to simply delete such posts. However, the main thing you need to be aware of before you start blogging is that this can happen, and you need to be prepared to respond in a suitability calm and professional manner. Always try to keep your responses constructive and well-mannered if you have to deal with negative comments!
Respond positively to comments left by your readers
It is important you acknowledge your readers and respond to them accordingly. Responding positively to posts left by readers that have taken the time to leave comments is always a smart practice. Doing so can not only move your blog forward in interesting and sometimes unexpected directions, but by listening to your readers and encouraging them with your responses, as this dialogue continues on, it can also end up leading to useful ideas for your subsequent blog posts. More importantly, it will also ensure the loyalty and continued interest of the people who read it, ensuring your blog’s continued viability
Update your blog regularly
(The most successful blogs are updated regularly, at least once a day)
While most people won’t be looking to update them this often; most people neither have the time nor the web traffic coming into the blog to merit doing this, the message is clear. Make sure you update your blog regularly
WRITING AN EFFECTIVE ‘ABOUT ME’ PAGE FOR YOUR BLOG
Writing an ‘about me’ page for your blog will make it stand out and give it that professional feel that sets it apart from ordinary blogs. Just as in the same way you can tell people about yourself or tell them about a website through an ‘about me’ page, there are many things you can say to people on an ‘about me’ page for your blog too. Here we look at how you can write one quickly and effectively…
Writing an ‘about me’ page for a blog or website is a lot different than writing an about me page for yourself. The most important thing we look at when writing an ‘about me’ page for a blog or business website is its structure.
Unlike an about me page that is written solely for yourself, where the structure is as straightforward as writing out your personal history, accomplishments, interests and hobbies, current employment, and presenting them over 1 or 2 paragraphs in a simple and factual manner – when writing an ‘about me’ page for a blog or website, not only do you need to list your own background and accomplishments, but you also need to try and sell the website or blog to your reader by convincing them it’s something worthwhile, while at the same time providing the reader with a history and insight into what the blog or website is and what it does. On top of this, many of the best blogs will also introduce a CTA (call to action) at the close as well. For this reason, the structure of an about me page for a blog or website can be much more varied and creative. And we will explore this just now
1st step –
Our first step when writing an about me page like this is to tell our reader what the blog or website is for. This can be conveyed in a couple of short simple sentences such as; ‘Elana’s boutique provides a superb range of customised flowers and boutiques, it is a site/ blog dedicated to the art of flowering for the flowering enthusiast’. After which point we change the tempo and immediately build on this by trying to sell it and generate interest in it. This is normally done by emphasising the qualities and benefits of it to the reader. For example, ‘In this blog you’ll find friendship, inspiration, as well as enjoy the company of like-minded people’. Or, ‘If you use this site you’ll get help, useful ideas, and gain a great deal of practical knowledge about the world of gardening’.
We’re not going into specific details about your blog here, simply talking it up and trying to generate interest. This is normally done over the course of the first 1 or 2 paragraphs
2nd Step –
Next this blog needs its own bio; because in just the same way that you would explain your background and accomplishments on a personal ‘about me’ page, your website or blog needs this too
For example. ‘Created in 2007, this unique and informative blog features fun and exciting topics that gives you an inside look into the world of fashion, keeping you up to date on the latest trends and happenings from within the fashion industry. If you are into feeling good and looking stylish, this blog is definitely for you. In here we have something for everyone; whether you’re into vintage fashion, sophisticated, chic or sexy fashion to name but a few, we cover a range of varied and interesting topics and update our blog with new posts on a regular basis. You’ll be thrilled to know that not only are our readers kept up to date on the latest industry news and seasonal fashion trends from around the world, but there is also a wealth of information in our fashion archives for any type of question you’ll ever have about the fashion industry’
(Again, this normally takes between 1 or 2 paragraphs)
3rd Step –
Great. We’ve given a good insight into what our blog is, what it does and how it can help or enrich the lives of our reader. We’ve also given them a brief outline and history of our blog. Now in this next step we’re going to continue on doing the same thing, but with the focus being on ourselves instead
Here we are going to introduce our own personal bio. Unlike an about me page we would write for ourselves as an individual, on this page we want to relay much of that same information, but make it less formal and factual, and instead make it more personal and informal. Using a conversational tone, we want to relay things like our past work history, personal and work related accomplishments, hobbies and interests, as well as provide an overview of our current occupation or employment status
From there we want to expand into other things not always found on a personal ‘about me’ page. Namely, we want the reader to gain an insight as to why we’ve created the blog. What was our inspiration, what were the circumstances behind us getting it all started? Tell your reader a story; include facts about yourself and any experiences you’ve had that tie in with your motivation for doing this and how you ended up creating it
For example. ‘I’ve always enjoyed being active. Ever since I was small, I’ve enjoyed playing sports like football and karate. As I grew older other talents such as writing started to manifest themselves, and I found myself writing about experiences that I’d had with friends after things like social gatherings and sporting events. I went away to join the army at the age of 20, and although I still avidly participated in sports on a regular basis, I stopped writing during that time. I had many great years of seeing different places and meeting different people, and it wasn’t until I left the forces that I started writing again. It was so refreshing to get back into one of my favourite pastimes again, and the more I think about it, the more I’m sure it was my time spent in the armed forces that gave me the inspiration to base my blog around sports.
How I ended up starting this blog is an entirely different story. After my time in the armed forces, I held several different clerical posts. In 2007, I got a job in the retail sector, which was a departure from previous industries I’d worked in. The job in particular involved processing orders for a sports retail outlet, and I found the role to be one of the most rewarding I’d ever had. Over the years I’d continued to write articles every now and again, and then one day I happened to be watching the news and it was talking about the popularity of online blogging, and that’s it, from somewhere inspiration just hit, that’s where the idea to do this blog came from. That’s really all there is to it. I’ve taken all the knowledge and experience I’ve gained over the years, and applied it to this. Now I get to create top quality content for my readers every month and I love it.’
The Last Step –
Now that we’ve done the main content of work for our blog’s ‘about me’ page, we should wrap it up nicely with what is known as a Call to Action. What is a ‘Call to Action?’ Put simply; it’s a finishing touch to a professional blog or website that asks your readers to do something positive. What that something is is up to you, you’re the one who’s writing it – but whatever your call to action is, it normally relates to the blog itself
For instance, an environmentalist blog may ask people to recycle more. Or a blog about healthy living may ask people to eat 5 pieces of fruit a day
Because people don’t always read through everything on your blog it is sometimes wise to include your Call to action in more than one place – this ensures visitors have a better chance of seeing it, thereby ensuring you get to leave your own unique imprint on your blog
Example. ‘If every person in the UK recycled just 5% more paper it would save approximately 3 million trees each year. Please do your part to support the environment and recycle.’ Or, ‘if a person eats just 5 pieces of fruit per day, it will keep them fitter, increase their body’s immunity, and can extend their natural lifespan by up to 10 years’
To see an example of how a top quality ‘about’ page is composed – you can refer to this sites about page