One of my jobs here at Blue Poppy is to write at least one blog each week. Most weeks I don't have too much trouble figuring out a subject, but some weeks my brain needs a kickstart or there are so many things on my plate, I can't slow down long enough to write. Today is one of those days.

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I've written once before about this problem, but let's speak for a minute about blogging in general and how it works or doesn't work. The term "blog" is shorthand for web-log. These started a musings from the famous and not so famous on specific subject areas and then Google and Yahoo created free blogging sites (Blogger, Wordpress, etc.). It's grown to the point that there are millions of blogs posted every day in every language on every subject. My, how we do love to hear ourselves talk!

The good news about blogs is that they need not be long in content. They are also loved and "spidered" by all the search engines so that they have rankings like websites. The next good thing about them is that they can build their own followings through "Share" technology as Tweets an Facebook posts. Four, they do not have to cost $$ to create. And, at places like Wordpress, you can make them look like a website, without paying for website hosting!

So what are the requirements for creating a good blog? Here are my thoughts based on my own experience:

1. Keep them short(ish) and to the point

2. Blog as often as possible and at LEAST once per week.

3. Make them thoughtful, useful, relevant information for your intended audience.

4. The blog markets YOU as a writer, teacher, information purveyor, practitioner, speaker, fresh thinker, or whatever, by the quality of the content.

5. Readers are there for you to sell your widgets (products or services) directly except on the odd occasion and then it needs to be a cool new thing that you haven't bludgeoned them with before.

6. Did I say you have to blog as often as possible? Oh, yes, well I'll say that one again. Don't start a blog and then not post for a month. In fact, Blogger will send you a pink slip and threaten to take your blog down if there are no blogs for a month or more!

7. You can and should repost links to other people's cool stuff on your blog when you cannot think of anything to write.

8. Attach photos and videos! Video is now more than 60% of internet content and growing. People like to watch videos on screen. Think about how to use that to your advantage! Here are some great Youtube videos on how to blog successfully!

If you hate to write and can't keep this together...don't start because you won't keep it together to feed this beast often enough. If you are a decent writer, have good things to share, and you enjoy writing, by all means start a blog and invite all your patients to read, comment, and share them. Link them to your social media pages, send out emails to your patients for them to see the posts, etc. It's a great way to share your professional chops!

Want more tips? Check out this article at Pro-Blogger

Happy blogging!