Q: Should I start a blog or a message board on my website?

A: Recently, a member asked whether she should start a message board forum or a blog on her website. Of cousre, you can certainly do both, but if you need to make a decision, here’s some things to think about.

A blog keeps you in control of discussion, but with a message board, your members will guide discussions and though you can have posting rules, discussions can go in all kinds of directions. If you are looking to establish your own expertise and influence your visitor’s buying decisions, a blog is a more powerful tool. If you are looking for creating a sense of community and give your regular visitors a chance to express themselves, you can still do that with a blog by allowing comments — but a message board allows this more readily.

But a word of caution – Getting your message board really active can prove to be quite a challenge. If your website is new and you’re just starting to build your mailing list, you may want to hold off on starting the message board. You could start a blog now and guage your visitor response and participation to see when it might be time to start a message board.

More Blog Help Grab your blogging tips here.