Those who write a family history blog are well-positioned to market their heritage to everyone who cares!
Recently, I read a marketing blog post on the power of blogging for businesses. Of course I immediately thought about what they were saying from the point of view of a family historian. We want to share–or market–our family histories so others will read and enjoy them! So I’ve adapted their concepts for why a genealogist should be writing a GREAT blog.
1. THE “COUSIN BAIT” EFFECT. Businesses that blog attract two-thirds more potential customers than those who don’t. Likewise, family historians who share their family history online can attract interest from lots of relatives, including those they’ve never met and those they never knew were interested in family history! Genealogy blogs are called “cousin bait” for a reason!
2. BLOGGING IS TIMELESS. Business blog posts can pull in new customers for businesses whether you wrote them yesterday or years ago. It’s worth updating older blog posts with more current information and keeping your current contact information on your blog, even if you’re not actively adding to it right now.
3. OUR RELATIVES ARE LOOKING ONLINE. By 2020, customers are expected to manage about 85% of business without even talking to a human. Wow! I think we’ll see some trending that direction in family history research, too. Increasingly, our relatives are likely looking for their family history online first—not as much by reaching out to distant relatives and relatives-of-relatives by mail or phone, though I still encourage that cold-calling approach that worked so well for Debra.
4. BLOGGING IS FREE. The only cost of blogging is TIME! This speaks for itself. No expensive mailings or printing copies of books and photos, hoping your relatives will pay you back.
5. SHARE WITH AUTHORITY. In the business world, blogs are considered a highly trusted source for accurate online information. The personal touch of a blog, together with your responsible research and the sources you cite, can help your relatives trust what you’re telling them. As you become known to your extended family as someone who prizes your heritage, you may also become the person that distant relatives or heirloom rescuers turn to when looking for a home for priceless family artifacts.
I share these thoughts–and oodles of inspiring blogging testimonials from Genealogy Gems listeners and 
readers–in the newest episode of the Genealogy Gems podcast. Click here to listen to episode #185–and learn how you could win a FREE year of Premium membership to the Genealogy Gems website.
More GEMS on How to Write a Family History Blog
Are you ready to launch your own blog, or recharge the one you’ve already got? Click here to see a BRAND NEW webpage I’ve created that’s packed with resources on how to write a family history blog that gets you found by others who care about your heritage.