The Foundation of Your Blog - or any Other Online Content

After my research on business blogging I discovered there is a certain order of things to think about, identify, and have in place before even writing one bit of a blog or online content.

First, take an inventory of your business purpose for the blog - is it for awareness, thought leadership in your industry, to simplify complex ideas about your industry, or something else?  Your purpose will help you create topics and posts that fit within a theme. 

Know your audience.  It helps to profile your readers, so you can present them with ideas they'll appreciate.  If you don't have a specific reader in mind, your posts might lose the interest of the people who do read it.

Now that you know the purpose and audience, then it's time to identify your uniqueness in the market.  Need help? Email me.

Next, you want to identify where your audience is, so you know how you'll promote the blog. This exercise is not so much about all the places you could promote as deciding which ones you can realistically commit to.

You also want to commit to a publishing rhythm.  How many authors will there be and how many times a week?  In the beginning especially, you want to build up content.  Experts say 2 to 3 times per week is optimal.

Rounding out the foundation of any ongoing content is setting up a system of constant inspiration. Follow blogs you like, receive email newsletters, Google alerts, and RSS feeds that will inspire you to post with your unique perspective.

In my e-book, which started out as a plan and checklist for myself, I detail the resources and actions needed to develop this solid foundation of your blog.  Join me, and we'll blog together!  I'll announce here when my free e-book is ready.