The blog has become a popular way for companies, nonprofit organizations and individuals to communicate with audiences, customers and followers. According to statistics collected by Nielsen, social content and blogs now account for almost 25 percent of all users’ Internet time. Content in blogs can vary greatly, but blogs usually are most effective when they are updated on a regular basis with current material. Creating a blog is not difficult, but there are some steps to remember in the process.
Topic areas. Blogs are created for a broad number of functional and informational purposes. Overall, a blog can include short to medium-length sections of text, pictures, video clips and links to other sites. In addition, some blogs allow readers to comment or interact with the creator. What blog creators have to decide is whether their blog will have a consistent theme or topic, or if the site will have a more eclectic collection of material that reflects the diversity of the individual or organization.
Platform and construction. Individuals who want to get into blogging have a variety of tools to choose from on the Internet. Different sites provide users with free blog hosting, and many of these services have different templates, color schemes, editors and tutorials. Many blog sites are designed for quick creation and easy updating. In some cases, bloggers may find their popularity growing, which can lead to advertisements and tracking of web traffic.
Long-term plans. A blog can be a creative way to express information to a small group of followers, or it can expand to being a business. In addition, some organizational blogs are a good way to provide information to constituencies without making constant changes to the main website. Once a blog is started, users have to decide how often they will update the blog and what sort of material will be allowed from outside readers.
