Blog Writing
Blogging allows you to express yourself in a credible way on topics that other people relate to and care about. Follow these tips to create an effective blog that will draw readers.
1. Write for your reader, not for yourself.
A blog is not a diary. Self disclosure and flowery writing alienate readers. Engage your audience by writing clearly and conversationally about topics that matter to people.
2. Define a clear purpose for your blog.
Choose a topic for your blog and stick to it. Each post should relate to your central theme. Healthy and cheap cooking, violence against women in the media, or experiences of American ex-patriots abroad will draw more readers than "Daily Thoughts of Jane."
3. Think visually.
Break up your writing with images and links to other sites. Include at least one image per blog. Provide links to other Web sites as you write—don't just clump them at the end of the entry. Finally, writing short paragraphs in block style will make your blog easier to read.
4. Use keywords.
Choose keywords that people will search for. Use these words frequently in your posts to make your blog pop up in search engines.
5. Write strong, short headlines that capture your point.
A headline should spark interest and get right to the point. Link your headlines to your posts so readers can get there in one click.
6. Get to the point—and stay there.
Establish your point in your first paragraph. Internet surfers are scanners. If they don't find what they're looking for in the first 50-100 words, they'll move on. Similarly, straying too far from your point later in your post could maroon your audience.
7. Keep it short and simple.
Don't linger—say what you want to say and remember that future posts can include ideas that don't make it in.
8. Use a clear, engaging writing style.
Write conversationally and confidently—your blog should be easy to read. Use active verbs and write sentences on the shorter side (but still vary your sentence structure). Don't use emoticons or all capital letters!
9. Make yourself credible.
- Link to other Web sites, especially other blogs. Credit your sources by providing links to them.
- Write objectively about your opinions, using facts and studies to back up your points.
- Use correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation—proofreading is crucial even for conversational writing.
- Clean up your blog—delete posts that no longer seem well written or relevant.
- Don't use emoticons or common internet abbreviations such as "lol," "brb," "lmao," etc.
10. Get responses.
Ask questions near the end of each post to elicit responses. Reply quickly to your comments, even ones you disagree with. Delete crude and deliberately offensive comments.
11. Respect privacy.
If you're blogging about someone other than yourself, use caution when disclosing the identities of people and organizations, especially those that generally try to maintain some anonymity. Always ask for permission to disclose names and other personal information.
12. Have fun.
No one wants to read a blog post that you don't want to write. Your interest in a subject will shine through your writing if you pick one you care about.
For more information on blog writing, see
http://www.bloggingtips.com/2008/10/06/top-10-blog-writing-tips/
http://website101.com/RSS-Blogs-Blogging/blog-writing-tips.html
http://www.instigatorblog.com/5-blog-writing-tips-to-get-more-comments/2006/10/04/
No. 68 in the Writing Center Handout Series