Once you commit yourself to blogging, the rest is easy!  As I mentioned in my post yesterday, having an organized approach and knowing what you are going to talk about is key.  Here are some simple rules about blogging to keep in mind.

• Watch your word count – no more than 500 words
• find a nice visual to use that relates to your content and is catchy
• use your keywords consistently, even in the title of your blog
• have a call to action at the end

Remember, social media moves quickly and your audience wants to hear from you, but in short snippets rather than a dissertation.  Write a series of posts on one subject rather than one long post.

Use a picture or illustration that speaks to your topic and is noticeable. Try 123rf for images that are $1.00. Be very careful not to copy and past pictures from Google.  They may be copyrighted!

Do your research on your keywords. Use Google AdWord Keyword tool to search for words or phrases that your audience will be looking for. It is a worthwhile investment in your time to appropriately keyword your blog.

End your blog with an invitation to engage. The most common way to to ask a question of your readers. But some other ways are to ask people to share their experience with you. Asking for suggestions about the topic you wrote about is also a good strategy.

Very important to follow up and respond to each comment you receive! Keep the conversation going.

Finally, schedule the day or days you will be blogging.  As  you gain more followers, they will be looking for your posts. As important as your content is, consistency is even more important. Discipline yourself to write on a regular schedule and include a video (vlog) if you are more comfortable recording your message.

What do you thing is the easiest way for you to start blogging? Share your techniques!

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