Today I have come to a milestone. This is my 500^th blog post for the Nailing Post. What started as an experiment has now lasted over 9.5 years. I want to thank those of you who follow the Nailing Post weekly. Without readers, a blog is pretty worthless. You are the reason I continue to write.

Does writing 500 articles on the business of marketing make me an expert? Maybe. I will say I have learned a lot about what works in the world of content marketing by writing on a weekly basis. For the past decade, it has driven me to look at the value of focused marketing information and how that can set a business apart from their competition. If you are currently writing a blog, or you are planning to start (or restart) one, here are some tips I have learned along the way.

Diligence

You don’t get to the 500^th blog unless you were willing to write the first one. I have had this date circled on my calendar for some time now. I mentioned this to a fellow businessman a couple months ago and he asked me to reveal the secret of writing a sustainable blog. I don’t know that there are any secrets. Like most things that are worthwhile, blog writing takes discipline. You have to make time in your schedule and just sit down and do it. The enemies of good blog writing are poor time management, lack of planning and procrastination. I should know, I have been lured away by all three. Every week I have to schedule time to write – I put it on my calendar every Monday. I have to plan what I am going to write. I keep a list of ideas to draw upon when I get writer’s block. But the biggest problem you will face in blog writing is procrastination. Putting it off will never make it happen. So my first piece of advice is just sit down and write. Here is my first Nailing Post blog.

Stay current and you will stay relevant

Relevance matters, so pay attention to the world around you. Stay up on the current events that impact your marketplace. Listen to your customers. The solution to what troubles them makes great content in a blog.

Write something worthy of reading

No one likes to read poorly informed, horribly written articles. Neither do they like to read boring stuff! You need to make sure you know what you are talking about. Don’t try to fake expertise! That is why staying current (see the last point) is so important. I would encourage you to employ a proofreader to look at your written material before you post it. This has saved me on many occasions.

Be creative!

How do you create really good written material? Here are two tips. First, read good stuff. There are estimated to be 2 million blog posts published every day. I don’t have to tell you that not all of them are worth reading. However, there are some very worthwhile articles out there written by smart people who know what they are talking about. Follow them, especially those who can write with an inspired flair. Creativity begets creativity. If you want to be an engaging writer you need to read innovative works. It is that simple. Secondly, approach things from a different perspective now and then. Everyone can get stuck in rut. Change your angle and this will keep things fresh for your reader.

Follow the unwritten rules of blogging

Like so many areas of life, there are unseen boundaries lines around good blogging. If you faux pas in these areas, your readers will turn away from you. Here are some of the unwritten rules.

• Advise, don’t advertise.
• Short is better than long. Novels are published in books. Your blog is not a book. It is an article. Keep it between 500 and 1,000 words.
• Grammar matters to the grammar police, and yes, they do read blogs!
• Cite your sources. If you are using an idea from another source, give them their props.
• Respond kindly to someone who leaves a comment and avoid getting into a debate with an idiot! (You’ve all seen it! Stay clear!)

I hope this inspires you to give blogging a try. It really can help you set your business apart from your competition, which is a key objective of marketing. Thank you again for reading the Nailing Post. If you would like to peruse all 500 posts, here is the list.