An opportunity falls into my lap

I started another new job about a week ago. I'm working in a hotel in Tulsa, the Ramada, as an overnight front desk clerk. The pay isn't amazing, but it comes with a side benefit, of a sort, that has me excited...and a bit flummoxed.

The manager of the hotel wishes to start a blog for the hotel. And, after learning about my brief writing background at USA, she wants me to write it.

*breathes* Yeah.

Here's what I think: a blog has to have personality. A blog must feel real, strong, opinionated, humorous at times but not overly so. It must contain writing with pizazz, with oomph, to keep a reader coming back for more. It must reveal a certain agenda, or, rather, maintain a certain set of values and morals (or lack of). That agenda, those morals, must align with what readers want.

What do readers want? I ask myself that and then I think, "What would I want?"

Me? I want to be entertained. I want to find REAL information, with REAL value to me. I want to look up a calendar of events and find something at 4 p.m. on Sunday to entertain me for a minimum amount of money (or whatever a reader looks for).

I've been trying to come up with ideas for the site. Strong, witty topics about the Tulsa area or the hospitality industry. Or, you know, current events and happenings in the area. Maybe even info on restaurants or shopping. Well, geez, this blog could include information on any of a zillion topics.

Here's my conundrum: What themes do I need to choose and focus on? How can I REALLY address the audience and keep them interested? I DO know that I can keep it 'hip' by realizing any audience reading a blog is probably between 18 and 40 years old. And, I'm smack in the middle of that demographic. So I should be able to interest anyone that bothers to read a hotel's blog in the first place.

I must keep it shorter than this entry, also. Me, I read a paragraph or two and skim the rest. I'll work on that...