Many people are interested in writing a blog, particularly if they have special expertise.  Yet, the precise subject of the blog usually eludes them.  Choose the wrong subject, and you’re stuck with it, and because of Google, it sticks to you… forever.

The overall blogging rule is simple: write for your reader.  Imagine who that reader is, what interests them, and choose your topic that way. Simple.

But if you stop there, however, you’ve only done half of the work.  The reader might benefit, but how do you know that YOU will?

To truly benefit, you need to add two additional criteria:

Is it Strategic? How does writing on your topic help you personally?  Your team?  Your organization?  Does writing help position you (or your organization) in a different light?  Is there a way to slightly change the topic so the benefit improves?  How does your topic tie in to your organization’s mission, vision, and values?  If you are writing for yourself, how does your topic tie in to your personal career plan?

Is it Synergistic?  How does the topic complement other things that you are doing?  Does it help you explore an area of professional interest?  Can you repurpose the blog content in another format, such as a white paper, video, or presentation?  Can blog post ideas naturally be derived from your day-to-day work?

Choosing strategically ensures that the blog effort points you in the right direction.  Choosing synergistically helps you be more productive with your insight.

This week’s action plan: Synergy and Strategy apply to just about every activity that you do – and not just in the world of Social Media.  This week, before you say “yes” to someone else’s request of you, ensure that the activity is both strategic and synergistic.  If not, then work with the person who made the request, to see if a minor change might make it so.