How to Blog for Career Success

According to a report in economic times, blogging can now be good for your career.
Here are my 10 tips on ‘How to Blog for Career Success’

Below is the excerpt.

Blog is a shorthand term for weblog. It is an online journal where you can post your thoughts, observations and comments about a particular topic.  Blogs can enable an organisation to quickly share information among employees, partners or customers. But blogging has its advantages as well as disadvantages as far as an employee or an organisation is concerned.

   http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/quickiearticleshow/6460103.cms

Here are my points for ‘How to How to Blog for Career Success’

1. Take permission or at the very least inform the people concerned

I am talking about your boss, your PR department and any corporate communications in your organization.
If you are a position where you can blog/share your views freely, please do so.
I personally think the blog by Bill Marriott is so much better than any PR mailers.

2. Share your views not the news
You can also blog the latest announcements, but I am of the opinion you would have an official company website/blog/fan page on facebook/twitter account etc. let the news be there, let the views be on your blog.

3. Link everything to your blog
Linkedin, twitter, facebook, your email footer, your visiting card, everything.
Link and promote your blog on all your online and in all your offline presence.
Giving a speech? Visiting a college/university, sharing a talk at the industry association/meet, link it up to your blog.

4. Have a point of view
Take a stand. Don’t be someone who says ‘maybe/ they could have/ maybe not/ they couldn’t have’
Decide.
Take a point of view, then blog it.
Defend it, argue it, and scream it.

5. Invite people to comment
Ask your colleagues to comment, invite your readers.
Engage them.
Answer the queries.
Let even the negative comments go online.

6. Seek feedback
On your company services, your products and also your own blog.
Ask the readers and let them be frank.
Own all the feedback you get even if it does not pertain to your department/product/service etc.

7. Keep it simple
Please don’t make it too flashy or jazzy. Stick to the simple blog look. It is more personal that way. Let the content talk.

8. List your contact details
It is quite irritating to reach a blog and not find any contact details on it.
If you are concerned about privacy, do not blog.
If you choose to blog, then be open and available.
And please respond.

9. Do not put up any confidential information
Nothing that is not in the public domain should go up.
Not only is this unethical, you could invite legal trouble and financial liabilities.

10. Don’t wait for the perfect time, start NOW!
Learn as you go along. Start. Don’t worry too much about how many readers you garner at the very start. Concentrate on writing good stuff, people (read google) will find you!