Recently a client new to blogging asked me, "How do I know if I’m doing it right?" I thought this was a very good question, and worth stepping back from time to time to revisit your blog’s purpose, evaluate your style and ask yourself how your audience might perceive you.

Coming from a technical writing background (meaning not creative and not conversational), I’ll read a draft post I’ve just finished and find it much too stuffy, too upright. I’ve read that you should write a blog post like you might be writing a letter or note to your mom. Remain conversational, make a point and ask a question. Keep your content focused on your topic, and to remain fresh, relate your post to something that will resonate with your reader, like a current event, news item or book you’re reading. It becomes more natural as you starting writing on a regular basis to keep your eyes and ears open as you go about your day, always being open for that nugget of information that’ll inspire a blog post. When that nugget presents itself – write it down! Find that notepad in your glove box and scribble a note you can use later.

How do you know if you’re doing it right? Post on a regular basis for practice, ask your readers and colleagues for feedback, read and comment on some other blogs and don’t be too critical of yourself as you get started blogging.