Many web site owners think they should have a blog, but is that a wise decision? When a customer asks me to configure a blog I question them carefully about their requirement. Consider, what you need for a brilliant blog:

• Regular content. Blogs have a schedule.
• Content worth reading. Not content for the sake of a schedule.
• Content that grabs attention in the first paragraph or two. Or visitors won't read any further.
• Personality. Content that comes from you, not from an anonymous marketing machine or AI.
• (optional) Discussion and feedback.

Meet all of these points and perhaps you are on a path to success. Fail to meet too many of these points and you are wasting your time, or even worse, actually damaging the credibility of your business.

Ponder on the details below and you will see why I have called this section of my web site "Thinkology" and made it clear I am not writing a blog.

Regular content

A blog needs commitment from the author to post regularly. A blog that was last posted 5 years ago advertises a lack of commitment. What does that say about the your business?

Content worth reading

Content needs to be entertaining and relevant to the readership. It would be all too easy to churn out bland generic content to meet a schedule, but again, what does bland generic content say about your business?

Content that grabs attention

If a reader's attention is not grabbed in the first paragraph or two, they will move on. Give them a reason to read more. If no one reads it, why are you writing it?

Personality

The above on a more global scale. Show personality to give visitors a reason to read your blog and not someone else's blog.

Discussion and feedback

A comments or discussion section is optional. There are many good blogs that don't have a comments section. There are also blogs spoiled by the comments section.

Think of the comments section as a bit like having a party at the local pub. If no one comes, you are a bit of a Billy no-mates. In the blog, it taints what you have written with the suspicion that no-one cares.

After a few beers, the talk gets a bit rowdy. In the blog, these may be your regular posters getting a little out of hand. You need to spend time keeping them in line without breaking up the party. Even worse, a party also attracts the gate crashers. The people you don't want, but force their way in anyway. The comments section in a blog can attract trolls and spammers that you need to police. Moderating discussion could escalate into taking as much of your time as writing the blog in the first place. 

Rather than discussion for each blog post, consider the alternative of pointing discussion to a forum.

Points to take away

• Only start a blog if you have the inspiration and commitment to keep it going.
• Only have a discussion section if you have time to moderate it.
• Only have a discussion section if it will get enough comments to be worthwhile, but not too many and not too many of the wrong sort.

If you would like to discuss these thoughts on Blogs, or any of
my other idle thoughts, please use the
Concrete CMS Forums.