Seven Helpful Hints for Pastors Who Have Blogs

In an earlier post, I strongly urged pastors to write a regular blog, and I offered seven reasons why they should. In this post, I provide seven hints that I hope will help the pastor develop a regular routine of communicating to the congregation and beyond through blogging.

Have someone proofread every post you write. I am grateful for the growth of this blog. We now have over 2 million views a year. In addition, I have written several books and countless magazine and journal articles. Guess what? I make mistakes every time I write. That’s why I have two good proofreaders checking my posts every day. Your writing says a lot about you. Don’t say it with typos and grammatical errors.
Ask your church members what they would like to hear from you. Your members and readers are your best source of ideas for content. Ask them in formal and informal settings. Thank them in your blog posts for giving you the idea to write on particular topics.
Set aside time on your calendar to write. Determine how long it will take you to write 400 to 800 words. Then put that time on the calendar so you can be intentional and methodical in writing your posts.
Do not violate the privacy of conversations. You are the recipient of many confidential conversations. Don’t violate that trust on your blog. Don’t even be tempted to disguise names to share confidential information. You can lose your trust quickly.
Ask the congregation often to visit your blog. Let them know that is where you will be sharing much information from your heart and your head. Be redundant in asking them to take a few minutes each week to read your posts.
Acknowledge people on the blog. Who doesn’t like to be recognized for doing something well? The pastor’s blog is a great place to offer the rewards of gratitude and encouragement. If you write just one post a week, you have the opportunity to encourage church members 52 times a year.
Speak of your love of your church often. Pastors are shepherds who are called to love the flock unconditionally. Use your blog as a forum to demonstrate and articulate that love.

What hints would you add to this list? How does your pastor communicate through blogging? By the way, the body of this post is only 412 words long. It really is not that time consuming.