Do You Need a Blog?

Blog planning—Step 1 of 7

Blogs can provide great benefits, but they can require a large investment in time. Before you jump in, learn the benefits and challenges so you understand what it takes to manage a successful blog.

Benefits of blogging

A blog can help you:

• Engage with and serve your customers
• Put a human face on the work you do
• Explain your agency’s mission, policies, and goals
• Promote discussion
• Spot trends early and head off potential problems
• Gather feedback and ideas
• Establish yourself as an expert

Challenges of blogging

You need to be able to answer these questions:

1. Why do you think you need a blog?

• What problem would it solve?
• How will it help you meet your organizational goals?

2. Who is your audience?

• Who are you writing to?
• What message do you want to communicate?
• What kind of feedback do you expect, and how will you manage it?

Pitfalls of blogging

A blog is NOT good for:

• One-way communication
  • The best blogs create a dialogue between the author and readers.
• Short-term initiatives
  • Blogs need time to gather a following, and the program might be over before your blog has time to become read widely or known.
• Sharing personal information that doesn’t relate to the job
  • It’s OK to share small tidbits of personal information to give your blog interest and help people relate, but what you share should always tie in some way to official agency business.
• Regurgitating press releases
  • Blogs are meant to be informal. They can be used to supplement or comment on official guidance, such as press releases, but never use a blog just to repost formal guidance.

Next Step

If you decide that a blog is right for you, the next step is to develop a strategic plan.

» Review all the blog planning steps at a glance on the How to Blog page.

Content Lead: Justin Herman
Page Reviewed/Updated: May 16, 2012