by Mitch Joel - Marketing and Personal Branding Expert

When Martin from Speaker’s Spotlight asked me to write the first Blog entry here on the topic of successful Blogging, my first reaction was, “just because I’ve been Blogging for close to five years, it doesn’t mean I’ve been successful at it.” Then, I realized that he wasn’t saying, my Blog, Six Pixels of Separation, was successful, but was asking me if I could put on my Blog Marketing hat and shed some light.

That’s the first rule of a successful Blog: speak candidly, be passionate and don’t be shy to take a few shots at yourself. With the ability to add comments to any Blog posting, you’re going to have to have a thick skin to make it in the Blogging game. Truth is, it’s that type of conversation that gets me more and more excited about the conversations and dynamics that happen within a Blog ecosystem.

Blogs that really rock know this. A successful Blog knows its own voice and is focused on a handful of topics it can “own.” If you stop by my Blog, you’ll catch conversations that revolve, primarily, around three areas of personal interest: digital marketing, personal branding and better communications. I’m not looking for the circulation of Time Magazine. I’m looking to connect and grow my community of interest.

A successful Blog builds community. It’s the safe haven for those interested in a specific topic. It is not the home of “absolutes.” All ideas and insights act like a booster pack to the community. It’s a place to share, exchange, grow and ,occasionally, be wrong.

Humour is important. A little sarcasm doesn’t hurt either. A Blog is not an article in your trade industry’s magazine. A Blog is the rough pieces of coal that have been rolling around in your noggin. They may one day turn into a diamond, but for the purpose of Blog, they are ideas you want to share (and get feedback on).

A successful Blog acts like a gasket. It lets the pressure out and makes a mighty wind (whistle?). Ultimately, a great Blog is one that allows every reader to better hear your human voice.

Success in Blogging has little to do with agreement and authority.It has everything to do with demonstrating one’s desire to be transparent and open to discussion. When you speak in a human voice, people can connect better to who you and what you stand for. Always write in a human voice.

After having spent the better part of a year working with the good people at Speaker’s Spotlight, I have no doubt that a Blog is essential to their success. Why? Because people who exercise the level of humanity and professional that Martin, Farah and the whole team exudes in every action, phone call and email, needs to share that knowledge and passion with their industry A Blog works great when everything is personal, and their business is personal. It’s all about human beings connecting.

Blogs (at least the successful ones) follow that same structure.

I look forward to following the success of this Blog as I have the success of their business.

For more information on Mitch Joel, please contact Speakers’ Spotlight.

Tags: Blogging, keynote speaker, Mitch Joel, personal branding, Public Relations, strategic communications, successful blogging