Merge

1. Start Blogging
If you already have a blog set up, great! If you don’t, what are you waiting for? There are several free blog sites available including WordPress and Blogger by Google. Once you set up your account you can begin blogging immediately.

2. Include Pictures
Pictures draw in your audience and keep them interested. Try using Flickr or Google Images to search for the main theme(s) of your blog post and see what images turn up. Here is a recent example from Merge’s Blog. If you are posting pictures that belong to someone else, make sure the copyright allows it and if so, be sure to give them the proper credit.

3. Human Voice – Be Personable
You are the expert and people come to your blog to learn. Don’t intimidate your audience by using corporate speak. Relate to your audience and show them your true personality and they’ll keep coming back for more.

4. Unique Topics
Keep your audience in mind and use unique topics. The more mainstream your topic, the less likely new followers will be able to find your blog in the mass results of the search engines.

5. Add Value
Don’t be selfish with your blog. It is not purely a marketing tool, it is a chance for you to share your knowledge and provide value. You are an expert in your field and you should not view your readers as competitors.

6. Review of Products Relative to your industry
Review products and your blogs will be more easily found in search engines and provide you credibility for reviewing industry related goods. However, be careful about reviewing local products or services—in the days of social media, blogs can be posted and distributed easily through social media networks like twitter and Facebook. National product reviews, good; local product reviews, beware.

7. Link to Resources
Linking to outside resources indicate that you've done your homework and you're sourcing another expert--which gives you additional credibility. Also, if you provide links to other resources you increase the chance that they will return the favor and link to your blog. Give and you shall receive. When linking to other web sites, be sure to have your link open in a new window or tab. Having links open in the same window is a guarantee that your reader is done reading your blog and might miss out on valuable information.

8. Final Question or Final Thought
A blog is more about a conversation than a soliloquy. A conversations can be had by encouraging the reader to leave comments. Utilizing a final question or final thought is a great way to summarize your topic or theme and also to spur reader comments. Anything that challenges a reader to think is a great way to prompt comments.

9. Make it easy to comment
Almost any blog has the ability for readers to leave a comment, but sometimes it's not so easy to find. For instance, in Merge's redesigned web site (coming soon), we will display a much more prominent comment button. Also Make it a priority to respond to your readers comments. Keep the conversation going!

10. Get the Company to Blog – Not Just One Person
Incorporate several employees into your blog and have them post regularly. This will give your readers an even more comprehensive view of your company culture and your company’s range of expertise. A great example of this is Brains on Fire.

11. Be Consistent – Blog Often
Once you start your blog, block out time on your calendar at least 1-2 times a week to write and post new blogs. Nothing bugs a reader more than to find a blog that they like but is only updated once or twice a month. If you allow too much time in between posts, your readers will forget about you and find other blogs to follow.

12. Track Traffic
Use a tool to track your traffic. Merge’s tracker of choice is FeedBurner which makes it easy for your readers to subscribe to your blog. Be sure to check your subscribers often in order to better understand who your audience is which will should be reflected in your topics.

Now it's your turn: What blogging best practice do you think could be added to the list?