Blogging as a career promotion

Not a quick fix, but a long-term strategy, a blog can be a great self-marketing tool. Many companies use blogs as a way to interact with their customers and site visitors, but blogs are also a good way for people to get themselves and their talents noticed in a wider context.

What have you got to give?

The general consensus among blogging experts is that “successful” blogs are written by bloggers who are passionate about their subject. In the first few months you’ll need to blog consistently and often to build up your content, so choose a subject area that you’re familiar with and where you can expand. A blog about the challenges of managing an office in Reading isn’t going to have as much room for growth as a blog about the challenges of office management in general.

You, the expert

By writing on your subject, you can set yourself up as an expert in your field. Include “how-to” articles, tips, useful links, and respond to readers’ questions. Write about current trends, case-studies, anything in the news connected to your subject – in short, anything that might enhance your professional reputation. Don’t dilute your blog by including information about your personal life – this is not the sort of material you’ll want potential employers to see.

Getting known

You don’t need to spend money to advertise your blog, but you do need to think about ways to publicise it. You can start by getting your blog listed in a blog directory. Try Technorati, and / or Blog Catalog. Read other people’s blogs – particularly those in your specialist area – and comment on their posts, with a link back to your blog in either the body of your comment or in your signature. Gain extra visibility by adding your blog to your LinkedIn profile, and put your blog url on your CV and your name cards. Start building up links to other people’s blogs, and allow visitors to leave comments on your posts.

The technicalities

If you’re not tech-savvy enough to design your own blog, you can use a ready-made template. Blogger allows you to create an account, choose a blog name, then choose a template. It’s probably better to choose a simple template at the beginning, and then add features as your blog grows. You can add pretty much what you want to the text in your blog, such as photos, images, audio and video, but make sure you aren’t infringing anyone else’s copyright.

Further reading

Darren Rowse, (at ProBlogger) has lots more blogging tips here.

See also his post on 10 techniques for finding blog readers.