Blogging In Non-Technical Industries

A lot of the information that you’ll find about creating and maintaining a successful blog assumes that readers are tech-savvy and familiar with blogs. It’s very possible that many Daily Blog Tips readers run a blog that targets users in an industry that isn’t so familiar with blogs and related technology. Maybe you even get frustrated that a lot of the information you read isn’t really applicable to your situation. Well, here are some tips to help you blog more effectively in these markets.
1. Offer Email Subscriptions Prominently. Most blogs tend to focus on RSS subscribers, but a large percentage of internet users aren’t yet familiar with RSS. However, almost everyone has an email address. In non-technical industries many of your subscribers will choose email over RSS, so if you’re not offering an email subscription you are losing subscribers and traffic. Make the signup form or link to for email subscriptions very easy to find. (FeedBurner offers a free email subscription service.)
2. Explain RSS Somewhere On Your Blog. Since many of your visitors won’t know what RSS is, it’s a good idea to explain it for them. Some of them may like RSS once they’re familiar with it. Others will at least not be confused about the little icons and links on your blog.
3. Mention the Comments Function. Many visitors that don’t normally use blogs won’t even realize that they can leave comments on your posts. Let them know how they can leave their feedback and encourage them to get involved. Active readers are better than passive readers.
4. Explain Your Blog. Some internet users just aren’t familiar with blogs. They may arrive at your site and think that it’s just like any other website. You can explain that as a blog it’s updated on a regular basis, that subscriptions are available, and that comments can be left by readers.
5. Have a Strong “About” Page. Most internet users, regardless of how tech-savvy they are, know to go to an About page for more information about the person or the company running the website. This is a good place to explain your blog, which was just mentioned in #4.
6. Pay Attention to Jargon. Bloggers tend to use a lot of words and phrases that non-technical people may not understand. Write in a way that your audience will understand. If you’re unsure, at least explain somewhere what you are saying.
7. Choose Widgets Carefully. Many of the common widgets that you’ll find in blog sidebars are only recognized by people in a specific population. For example, are your readers going to know what MyBlogLog is, and are they going to get any benefit out from having widgets that allow them to subscribe in 100 different RSS readers? Some will, some won’t. Be careful to choose things that will enhance your blog for your particular audience.
8. Emphasize Navigation. As bloggers we often assume that everyone will know how to navigate through a blog to find what they want. Some visitors will not understand the category and archive system of navigation. This is a good reason to feature links to your best work, or to your most popular posts.
9. Know Where Your Readers Can Be Found. Many bloggers rely on methods like commenting, social media, linking out to other blogs, and forum posting to market their blog. If you write for an audience that isn’t tech-savvy, these methods will probably not work very well. You need to get in front of potential readers, and that requires you to go to them, wherever they may be.
10. Consider Introducing Them to a Particular Social Media Website. If your audience isn’t tech-savvy, you may have a hard time marketing with social media, since they probably won’t be users. One option is to introduce them to a particular site and encourage them to use it, and hopefully they’ll vote for your content. Look for a specific social media site that will appeal to your audience. For example, if you run a blog about dogs or pets, you could do a review of Dogster, a social media site for dog lovers, and encourage them to sign up and use the site. If they do, you’ll have an audience that is ready to promote your writing to even more dog lovers.