It’s 4:46AM as I write this. I’m en route to two events today, one in the north of the country and the other at the southern tip. In the middle, I’ve got work to do on planes that might be cramped. And I’m writing this blog post because it’s my obligation to you: to provide you with useful content. You might blog for passion and whim. If so, this blog post isn’t for you. You’re invited to check out The Oatmeal (hat tip Julien).
For the rest of us, let’s talk about discipline and the blogger’s opportunity.
Every time you post, you build an opportunity. It might be for making business. It might be for sharing thought leadership. It might be the chance to build some new relationships. Mechanically, it might just be another attempt to gain better organic ranking from Google. But each post is an opportunity.
To obtain any kind of value in these opportunities requires discipline. Consider these points before each post.
Discipline and the Blogger’s Opportunity
- Show up – First, just be there. By writing a blog post on a regular schedule, your audience knows to expect you. They come to accept the flow of your efforts. Farmers have this relationship with their systems. It shows stewardship.
- Deliver value – Bring your best game as often as possible. We all have “barely functional” days, but more often than not, if we’re earning people’s respect, our efforts must be something of value to our reader. Writing about ourselves doesn’t cut it.
- Improve – Your great post from a week ago doesn’t give you a hall pass. Learn from those posts that don’t hit. Experiment. Read other great writers in your vertical and outside of it. Deconstruct what they’re doing and try to improve your game.
- Clarify your desire – If you’re seeking a specific result from a post, guide your audience to that result. If you’re seeking sales, make the call to action obvious. If you’re looking for comments, invite a dialogue at the end of your post. It’s yours to win.
- Do your part – Blogging isn’t all about your blog. Have you commented lately on others’ blogs? Are you sharing using the various social sharing tools? Be a good neighbor and help other bloggers by sharing, commenting, and adding value to the ecosystem.
If you’re wondering what it takes to get your blog up to the next level, to see business results from your effort, to grow your community, these are some points to consider for every post.
Need more advice? See My best advice about blogging. I’m here to help.
What do you think? How are you with discipline?
Photo credit chrisada