Yes, blogging has been around for several years. And yes, in the Internet world, that means it is antique.  But just because it is old, doesn't mean it isn't still valuable!  Here are some blog tips to help you make the most of your time.

1.  Make it personal.  The internet trend, brought on by social media interaction, is to get personal.  Your web users want to know who YOU are, not just see the faceless, nameless company blog you maintain. So don't be afraid to talk directly to your audience, and use personal names, experiences, and even photos to get your message across. Include a short bio of the blog author, and link to your own or your company's social media profiles so they can connect with your further.

2.  Make it useful.  People don’t have time to read everything out there. So make your blog useful by providing facts and information in an appealing format. Readers don’t want to hear you brag about your business - they are looking for information or to be entertained.  Make sure each blog post provides value, and you can create lifelong fans out of your website visitors.

3.  Keep it simple.  Make sure your blog is easy to read. That means big, bold headlines, simple images, charts, or graphs, and short paragraphs. Bullet points or lists are also good ways to make information easier for the reader to skim and digest.  The easier the information is to consume, the more likely people will stay and read it.  Also, be sure to consider the design of your blog - font type and size, background, and layout will give readers a good (or bad) first impression of your blog.  

4.  Use key terms.  When picking blog topics, consider what people are looking for and pick your subjects accordingly.  For example, if you are a landscaping company, terms like "landscaping designs" or "Tips for Hedges" would be good examples of key terms people are searching for.  Then write your blogs using these subjects.  You can even research the key phrases most commonly used (Google has a good tool for this.).  Then use those key phrases in your blog title, headings, and throughout the blog.

5.  Use Multi Media.  Videos and images are more commonly shared than text. So make sure your blog contains lots of good media, not just a bunch of boring text. And it can save you time – I know its cliché, but isn’t a picture worth a thousand words?  You can find images or videos on the Internet (be sure to credit your sources), create your own images or charts in word processing programs, and even create your own videos.  Free services Piktochart allow you to create infographics, a great way to present facts that are easy to share.

6.  Share, Share, Share.  Be sure to make it easy for readers to share your blog – through Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon, Pinterest, Email, and other venues. (www.addthis.com has a share bar you can install for free). Remember, the more it is share, the more visitors you get, and the better chance you have of gaining a new customer (and creating more fans for your business). Be sure to also share it through your own social media accounts for increased exposure and back links.

7.  Blog analytics.  Keep track of your visitors. Google Analytics is probably the easiest blog analytics to install. You can then see what posts are the most popular, and how people are finding these posts (through Facebook sharing, through specific search terms, etc.).  Then use that information to guide your choice in content. Perhaps your blog post about DIY lawn maintenance had a very high traffic rate - you can always do a second blog about the topic, or other related topics.  It helps to know what your audience is looking for, and how they are responding to your blogs.  You also should keep track of whether people leave from your blog, or go on to your other pages of your website.  Do they contact you? Do they look at your products or services? Determine which blogs are most effective in sending visitors to other pages of your site and try to repeat the techniques that prove successful.

Remember, blogging once a month is better than not blogging at all. And including one simple image is better than no image. Do the best you can with the time you have.  It will pay off.