We’ve evaluated why strategic blogging is good for business and how you can employ guerrilla marketing tactics to help attract your target audience. Sounds cool. Now’s the time when wanna-be community evangelists race off to Blogger, create a ridiculous username and start posting like mad, assuming their target audience is somehow engaged. Problem is, the blog isn’t produced for the community and winds up a few months later with a community of one. Don’t dive in too soon and make the same mistake. Below are some points to consider when launching your new blog (or website).
Strategy
What would you like to achieve? Who’s your target audience? What’s your audience saying in conversations now? Listen to them. How will you engage them? Are you prioritising community interaction, the design of your publication or are you ultimately establishing the foundation for a high-end print publication? Maybe it’s all of the above. Maybe it’s none. Either way, these answers (and several more) direct your online project to achieve your goals and help you reach those stars.
Project Management
Let’s see who’s steering the ship… do they get the new web? Do they understand web technology? Do they appreciate marketing? Can they deliver? If any of these answers are ‘No’ you need someone else in control.
Technology and Platforms
This is all about the architecture driving your new blog… are you able to tack a WordPress blog onto your existing website? Will you create a blog as part of your existing website and publish it the same way as your other content? When you start publishing RSS, how will you track your subscribers? You could create a Blogger account and get cracking but is this ideal for SEO when your website sits at a completely different URL? Blogging platforms come in many flavours. Choose wisely.
Tip: If you have the option, go with WordPress. Go beyond blogging to create and drive your entire online presence with WordPress if you can. WordPress rocks, and once you make the switch it’s like going Mac – you’ll never go back. Don’t believe me? Ask the community 
Design
Content is king. Design for community. These six words should become your design mantra. Delivering a functional, sexy design that fits your strategy can be tough. Remember your mantra, it’ll keep you on track.
Content
The importance of content is often overlooked. We’ve just established content is king – content engages your readers, attracts subscribers and woos advertisers. If your design sucks and your content is hot you’ve still got half a chance. If your content is dull, unoriginal and adds little or no value for your audience you’ll fail very early, no matter how rockin’ your design is. Get your content rolling early to have some practice. Try some different writing styles. Think about how you’d like to establish your online personality. Encourage community interaction by asking questions. Avoid using ‘I’ – no-one wants to read your ‘Dear Diary’. Be open, and honest and transparent. Think about your style for visually presenting content so it fits with your design.
Marketing
If a blog launches on the web and no-one knows about it, does it attract conversation? Nope. Fire up some buzz, earn yourself some early inbound links and get the conversation started. Let them see you coming.
Conversation
Monitoring and participating in conversations is an ongoing activity. What are the leaders of the community asking for? What is the community saying about you? Keep a hold on the conversation and use popular topics to influence your blog posts. Capture the themes of the conversation without fully controlling it. Stay close to the community you serve. The better you serve their needs, the more they’ll love you for it. Simple.
Have fun
The more fun you have, the more your design and content will reflect your mood. Energy is reflected online. Plus you’ll have a good time.
Lastly, don’t be afraid to fail. In fact, fail early – it’s better that way.