Blogging: What little I’ve learned
I’ve had this blog (overstatement.org) for several years now. Though I have not been a very dedicated blogger, I have learned a few valuable lessons that might be helpful to both of you who read this blog. If you are a pastor, chances are good that you have wondered if you should blog as well. Here are my ten laws of blogging:
1. Blogging requires a real commitment. It is not simply an extension of what you are doing in ministry. It is a whole new project. I have never really given blogging the time it deserves. But if you want to have a meaningful blog, you have to be ready to commit time, thought, and energy to it.
2. Read your comments. The most important thing about a blog is to build a sense of community. It is critical that you keep your comment areas clean of spam. It is also critical that you respond to your readers. If a reader has bothered to make a comment, chances are good that a dozen other readers have thought the same thought without bothering to comment. The comments are the heart and soul of your blog life.
3. Set up a regular posting schedule. Let your readers know when to expect new content, at least at a minimal level. Pastor’s who wish to blog seriously should have at least one post a week – and also spend ample time in the comment section. That’s a pretty serious effort.
4. Have something interesting to say. Don’t just blog anything. Make sure you have an interesting comment to offer the world. Make your blog worth reading. We preachers have to come up with a sermon every week – this should be our strength. Be interesting.
5. Read other blogs related to your content. See what other bloggers are talking about. Comment on their blogs as well and participate in their communities. If you make an interesting comment, it might prompt their readers to check out your blog.
6. Use social networks. Facebook and Twitter – you got to use them at least! Use twitter and facebook status updates to announce new posts and communicate with your audience. Keep in mind though: twits need to be interesting too!! Don’t twit your latest visit to the restroom. Make your twits matter.
7. Be personal. Don’t shy away from sharing things from your personal life. Your readers want to know your thoughts – but they also want to know you. Be careful of course – don’t violate any professional boundaries or overexposure yourself. But do share in ways that make you human and real. Let your real self show through.
8. Make a list! This one came to me from a real blogger on my facebook page, and I’m modeling it here! The fact is that people are looking for quick content that they can scan easily. A list is just a clever deliver mechanism that happens to work in this context. Don’t only make lists. But do make lists.
9. Use WordPress. Sure, there are other blogging platforms out there. But WordPress is free, open, easy to use and install, fast, reliable, etc. If you like a different system, stick with it. But if you aren’t sure, WordPress is easy enough to get you started and sophisticated enough to meet your needs as your blog expands.
10. Write reviews. This is another form of content (like “lists” above) that works well in the blogosphere. Review a movie or a book. Review an album. People are looking for insights and ideas on current cultural events. Clergy have a unique and informative perspective – share your thoughts on a movie and you will attract some new traffic.
How did I come up with these 10 laws? Mostly by not doing them. I have not been a successful blogger, so I’ve learned from my mistakes. Perhaps someone with more success than me can offer some other suggestions. One thing I continue to be frustrated with is the lack of really good blog clients for Mac OS X. I generally just use the WordPress back end, but I would love to use a really good client that is simple, fast, effective. I’ve used Ecto and Mars Edit, but have not been very pleased with either of them. Any ideas?
