So I think I’ve been doing this long enough to consider myself a blogger.  Officially, yes, I am a blogger.  I write a blog!  Now that I have reached this lofty designation, I am able to look back and make meaningful observations about how different it looks now that I am, well you know.

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Pretty sure I went into it with my eyes open.  Since I have been writing and producing marketing materials forever; tackling a blog is a related activity, right?  Well, yes and no I guess.  Here are some things I learned along the way:

  • The headline/subject is the most important part of the blog  I guess I knew this before I started, but it more true than I ever imagined.  There are lots of blogs, lots of Tweets and lots of Facebook postings.  Everything goes by quite quickly.  If the subject is compelling and catches the eye, you have a chance of a few folks clicking on and reading more.  Hopefully, the shocking headline works for this blog.  Without the catchy headline, the reader is on to the next post…
  • 500 words is an excellent length for a blog.  I see longer and shorter postings, but I find I don’t like them.   I shoot for 500 words and find you can set the stage, make a good point and summarize it, all in that length.  It’s a quick enough read that people actually will finish it.  I find that when blogs start to be 700 words (and often broken up by more headings) it goes a bit too long.
  • Pictures are required.  I wasn’t aware of this at all.  Published my first few blogs without any pictures or graphics.  Started looking at other blogs and found that the visuals helped make the topic interesting.  I started using photos and wow, it made the posts more attractive.  Like the blue “Blog” bubble here.  I purchase most of the pictures from a royalty-free photo site, although I have also added charts I have made, or pictures I have taken.  The tchotchke photo was a picture I took of stuff in and around my desk.  So now, I will always use a photo or graphic with my blogs; I like the way it looks both on the blog and in the LinkedIn postings, etc.
  • The feedback has been amazing.  I guess I have had some beginner’s luck in starting my blog and that has allowed me to get a pretty good reach with my ideas on “marketing, business and management” and have had great discussions and comments from marketing professionals all over the world.  When you see the map of who read your blog today and it includes several continents, you get a feel for the power of the communications we have.

So, am I glad I started the blog?  You bet!  I’ve had great fun, have met many, many new people as a result.  It helps me work through issues I am having as a consultant and gives others a quick look at my marketing and business philosophies.

Is it more work than I thought?  No, I think I had a good handle on how hard it would be to keep it going.  But I do keep it going.  Now let’s publish this one and move on!

What have been your blogging experiences? Are you still looking for the 5th fact in this blog?

You can connect with Eric on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ericlundbohm/

Follow his updates on Twitter @lundbohm