5 Things Sorority Girls Can Teach You About Blogging

This is a guest post by Rachel Wilkerson, from rachelwilkerson.com and the bloggers' blog Hollaback Health.

When I was in college, I ran all the recruitment activities for my sorority and I loved it. It's a hectic time — the "parties" during which we met potential new members (PNMs) was a carefully choreographed, incredibly hectic time. In the weeks leading up to recruitment, I led my chapter through hours of workshops to prepare everyone for the process of meeting hundreds of new girls and hoping that every single one of them wanted our house. Sure, it was tiring, but "We rush hard" was our motto.

But I realized this week, getting people to read your blog isn't so different from getting girls to think your sorority house is fabulous. Here are five things sorority girls can teach you about blogging.

1. Know who you want.

One of the best workshops that I created was Finding Your Perfect PNM, in which we described our "perfect" new member. We talked about all the details. From what she looked like to what her dream job was, we knew we couldn't get good girls if we didn't all agree on what we were looking for. In the same way, Finding Your Perfect Reader can help you get more readers. Instead of saying, "I want more readers," you can focus on the specific audience you think will get the most out of your blog and really seek them out.

2. First impressions count.

Totally reinforcing the "shallow" stereotype of sorority girls, let me go ahead and say that we were perfectly aware that appearances mattered during recruitment. It wasn't that everyone had to be a perfect 10, but we definitely put our best faces forward. We paid attention to the details because we knew girls would be more excited to hear what we had to say if we looked polished and pulled-together. In the same way, your blog's design and layout is your chance to make that great first impression. Does it need a manicure and to have its split ends trimmed? Sure, it's about as fun as getting a wax, but you have to put some time and effort into your blog's "outer beauty."

3. Make people feel at home.

On the day we gave PNMs tours of our house, we wanted them to be able to see themselves living with us. This would be the place they'd come home to for two years and we wanted them to feel comfortable. In the same way, you can be welcoming to your readers. Whether it's making yourself easily accessible via e-mail and Twitter, responding to more comments, or simply writing an "About" page that conveys warmth and enthusiasm about the reader (not just about yourself), take the time to really welcome people and let them know you'd love it if they stuck around.

4. Talk up what makes you great.

During my recruitment workshops, we spent a lot of time talking about all the great things our chapter had to offer. Whether it was our cook's amazing grilled cheese sandwiches or our house's intercom system, we had a long list of things we could casually mention that made our house special. In the same way, you can design your blog to highlight what makes it special. And it doesn't have to be that special. Just like most sorority houses had cooks, most health blogs have recipes. But which blogs make them easiest to find on the homepage? By highlighting something as your "thing," you're sending a message that you do it well and that people can consider you an expert in that area.

5.  …but don't be ashamed of who you are.

As much as I wanted girls to love our house, I made sure our members knew that being real is more important than telling PNMs what they wanted to hear. Sure, we could spin everything and made it sound like we were perfect…but most PNMs wanted to join a house where they felt like they could be themselves. In the same way, don't spin everything you do and create an image of yourself that's perfect; your readers want to feel like you are real. When answering a question or tackling a tough topic, don't just say what you think they want to hear. Say what's real.

Contrary to popular belief, sorority girls are interested in more than just frat guys and Greek Week. We care about our houses and want new members who will love our house as much as we do. And as a health blogger, there is more to you than just recipes and race recaps. You love your blog and want people to read it and become a part of it — so rush them hard!