Social media is growing in the green industry. As climate conditions change, pests spread and restrictions on water use and chemical applications ensue, industry professionals are increasingly seeking information and advice from their peers through personal blog forums.

A recent post by Scott Hollister on “From the Desk of GCM,” the official blog of GCSAA’s Golf Course Management magazine, names four golf course superintendents who are using a Web page to vent about daily pest control challenges, discuss course maintenance schedules, convey weather reports and describe “a day in their life” to industry peers (and in some cases club members).

To find out which of your peers are blog authors, view the Super Bloggers list in the lower right hand corner of “From the Desk of GCM.”

Thinking of starting your own blog?

Here are a few things to consider:

1. Do you have enough time? Blogs require daily, or bare minimum, weekly maintenance—meaning new posts, photos or videos need to be generated often enough to keep you audience interested and engaged.

Solution: Schedule 10 minutes a day to write a quick post. It could be industry-related or just some personal thoughts. But don’t be afraid to go off topic. Blog audiences like writers with personality. Talk about you life beyond what’s relative to your job as a turf professional. And if you haven’t posted in a while, explain why. You’d be surprised how many users may leave comments sharing their version of a busy week with you.

2. Are you ready to be viral? The success of a blog depends on how viral it is. Viral refers to the idea that if your audience likes what they read, they may email, Facebook, or instant message about your content. The more viral your message, the more impact you’ll have on your audience.Solution: As a blogger, it is important to know your blogging neighbors. So if you find a post on a blog that is of interest to you, write a comment or send the permanent link to an industry peer. You can do your part to help industry blogs spread to others who are less versed in new turf talk communication tools.

3. Are you ready to be heard? Not all blogs are meant to be read by hundreds of people. But no matter who you are writing for, be aware that unintended audiences have access to your content.

Solution: If you receive negative feedback about your content through a comment, know that when fair, you have the right to delete it. But keep in mind that the premise of a blog is to create an open forum for discussion. So if the comment is free of profanity and insults, yet carries a valid alternate viewpoint, allow the comment to stay posted and let your audience duke it out. But if the user repeatedly posts harsh comments, consider closing them out of your audience circle to protect the interests of your other users.