Since I’m doing more blogging now and helping our chamber of commerce and member-based clients get their own blogs going, I’ve been digging back into some old posts about blogs.  Back in April, Seth Godin talked about writing like a blogger - there are some very good tips here.  His points apply to writing articles for your newsletter or writing copy for ads or just about anything you're writing to communicate with members, the public or even your staff.

We've seen before that useful and updated content is king on the web.  These concepts apply to ALL of your writing as well.   A few highlights from his post:

1.    Use headlines. Just like you would in your printed newsletter, create a headline that tells the story, attracts attention and demonstrates value.  “Chamber defeats tax bill saving local business $3.5 million” is much better than “Local tax bill defeated.”

2.   Drip, drip, drip.  Providing more frequent but shorter updates on issues is better than waiting until it’s over and trying to tell the whole story. Keep your members engaged during the process. Blogs can help you fill in the "gaps" of your other communications to your members. Don't be afraid to just add little blurbs here and there. 

3.   Say it.  You have a position on issues and you have great benefits for your members.  Tell them your story….or better yet, tell them THEIR story.  Put things in their terms, explain the benefits/risks, and make your content relevant for THEM.

Effective writing, both online and off, makes your organization more relevant to your audience, which is a key of improving member retention.