We’ve often commented here that blogging is a great way to connect with your audience and build relationships with potential donors.  It is a tool for sharing your stories and your successes as well as for showing why you do what you do.

There are a few mistakes that new bloggers make when they start out.  We don’t want you to fall into any of these 5 traps.

1.  Talking about yourself all the time.

While you do need to talk about yourself sometimes so that your readers know who you are and what you are all about, there is nothing worse than landing on a blog which is very self-focused.  Your not for profit exists for a reason and that’s what you need to focus on. Talk about the people you are working to help. Talk about your volunteers.  Talk about action.  Don’t just tell people about your organisation.

2.  Posting erratically.

For a blog to be effective you need to post regularly.  Not only will that help you be found in the search engines, it will bring people back time after time to see what you are chatting about.  It is especially important for NFPs because the work you do is not done quickly.  You can’t change the world overnight but you can document your progress.  That’s what readers want to see.

3.  Wandering off topic.

If you have run out of things to write about then it’s time to brainstorm ideas with your colleagues.  Don’t start posting about things which are not on topic.  Firstly, it will blur your image and dilute your message.  Secondly it can be boring to readers who come looking for real content.  Remember that you only have a few seconds to capture attention and show what your blog is all about before you risk losing the visitor’s attention.

Blogging is an important tool which is capable of supporting the work you do.  Just remember to be consistent and focused on your purpose.