Here are some content and notes from the "The Blogger’s Toolkit: Success Strategies" presentation given at the Workshop titled "Saturday Success Series: Elevate your Voice and Vision" held by Toastmasters District 65 on 4 October 2025. The "The Blogger’s Toolkit: Success Strategies" was one of three presentations given during the workshop.
Agenda
- Pathways Project – Write a Compelling Blog
- What is a Blog?
- Where to Start?
- How
- Finding your topic
- Growing and Keeping an Audience
- Posting eight blog posts in a month
- Getting Help
- Q&A
Pathways Project – Write a Compelling Blog
The "Write a Compelling Blog" is a Level 4 Elective Project in Pathways.
Key Points
- Pick a platform
- Pick a theme / topic area
- Post 8 times in one month
- Engage and grow your audience
- Give a speech about your experience
What is a Blog?
blog
/blôɡ,bläɡ/
noun
a regularly updated website or web page, typically one run by an individual or small group, that is written in an informal or conversational style.
"he runs a personal finance blog"
verb
add new material to or regularly update a blog.
"it's about a week since I last blogged"
Source: OxfordLanguages
Where to Start?
Select a Platform
So Many Choices
- WordPress: https://wordpress.org/ or https://wordpress.com/
- Blogger: https://www.blogger.com/
- Medium: https://medium.com/
- Wix: https://www.wix.com/
- Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/
How to Choose?
- Do you know someone who uses one of these or another platform? Can you use them as a resource when you have questions?
- Pick one and give it a try.
How - Finding your topic
Picking a topic and purpose for your blog is the first place to start.
- Familiar
- Broad enough so you will always have something to write about.
- Narrow enough so your audience knows what to expect.
Topic Ideas
- Hobbies
- Interests
- Phase in your life
- Single
- Parent
- Retirement
- Caregiver
How - Growing and Keeping an Audience
Does the audience know what to expect?
- Clear theme/topic area for the blog
- Schedule – When do you publish a new post?
Get the word out
- When publishing, create announcements on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.
- Create a short video if you are comfortable to promote the blog or each post
Respond to comments
- Recommend turning on comments/discussion for your posts
- Require review and approval of comments
- Require commenters be signed into the platform
- Respond to comments promptly (1 to 3 days)
- Be positive & polite in your responses
Recommended Settings for Comments - WordPress
WordPress – Settings > Discussion
- Default post settings - Allow people to submit comments on new posts
- Other comment settings
- Comment author must fill out name and email
- Users must be registered and logged in to comment
- Show comments cookies opt-in checkbox, allowing comment author cookies to be set
- Email me whenever
- Anyone posts a comment
- A comment is held for moderation
- Before a comment appears
- Comment author must have a previously approved comment
- (Optional) Comment must be manually approved
Recommended Settings for Comments - Blogger
Blogger – Settings > Comments
- Who can comment? - Users with Google Accounts or Only members of this blog
- Comment moderation – Always or Sometimes
- Email moderation requests to
- Add your email address
- Or ask someone to be a moderator and use their email address
- Reader comment captcha – Turn On (We may hate them, but it does help prevent spam comments.)
How - Posting eight blog posts in a month
Plan & Staying on Schedule
- Use the scheduling feature
- Add multiple blog posts in one sitting when ideas are flowing
- Set a future date for publishing
Finding Content
- Create a list of topic ideas for posts throughout the month
- Reference other published content
- Comment on you experience following a how-to article or post
- How you were inspired to try something different
- Agree or disagree
Getting Help
Platform
- Google or Bing Search
- AI
- Other bloggers
- Other club members who have completed the Write a Compelling Blog project
Content
- Family & Friends
- Ask your audience what they would like to read about
Engagement
- Family & Friends
- Club members & VP of Public Relations
- Make use of Social Media
Q&A
Key Points
- Pick a platform
- Pick a theme / topic area
- Post 8 times in one month
- Engage and grow your audience
- Give a speech about your experience
