Competition in
the blogosphere is fierce. To stand out above the rest, we must raise our
blogging to a new level of excellence.
There are
approximately 181 million blogs in existence today. Add to that the additional
competition from other social media outlets and you have to be on your game to
make it out of the slush pile.
But what makes
a good blog great?
Today I’ll share
some of those things, and you may be surprised at how simple they are to
incorporate in your site.
1. Laser-sharp
focus. Now more than ever
it’s critical to focus your blog. If you can’t define the target of your blog
in one or two sentences you need to refine your goal. If you’re curious, the
focus of this blog is helping writers reach the world through excellence,
connections and technology.
2.
Easy-to-read format. This
includes everything from fonts that don’t strain the reader’s eyes to
well-organized layout.
3. Regular
posting schedule. We all
want people to come back regularly to read our blogs. How can we reasonably
expect that from our audience when we don’t deliver regular content?
4. Images and
videos. We have become a
visual society. Because of that, people enjoy a blog that’s illustrated with
pictures and videos. Be sure, though, you’re using images legally and not
infringing on copyright. Not certain? Here’s a post to get you started on Copyright 101 for Bloggers.
5.
Well-crafted posts. It’s
vital that we provide well written and edited pieces. This isn’t difficult with
only a few extra minutes of work. Not sure where to start? Here are 5 Easy Steps to Edit Your Blog.
6.
Sustainable passion. This
may be harder to pinpoint from the readers view, but as a blogger you’ll need
it to stay on track. Blogging is hard work. There are days you get busy, and
days you run dry. During the tough times, it’s the passion that will sustain
you, giving you the will and the want-to to continue.
Making it as a
top-notch blogger in today’s social media climate may seem unlikely, but with
just a little bit of focus and passion you can rise above the rest!
Now it’s your
turn. What are some things you look for in the blogs you follow? What are some
things that will keep you from coming back to a blog?
Don’t forget to
join the conversation!
Blessings,
Edie
This is another great post, Edie. It's chock-full of helpful information.
ReplyDeleteIn blogs, I look for easy-on-the-eyes; if a blog has a dark background and light type, I move on. That combo does something to these old eyes.
I also move on if the blogger swears or in any other way makes me feel like the blog should have an adult-content rating.
And, as insensitive as it sounds, I don't like ranting, bashing or whining. Once in a while is understandable, but some blogs seem to be merely very personal vents.
Hi Pam, this is Mary, filling in for Edie. I agree on the dark background with light type. It's hard on the eyes.
DeleteThanks for dropping by!
Hi Edie -
ReplyDeleteExcellent tips.
One lifesaver for me? Scheduling posts ahead of time. If life hits, I don't have to worry about writing a blog post. It also reduces the stress of "what am I going to write?"
Blessings,
Susan :)
You're so on track Susan with the idea of scheduling ahead! That is a lifesaver when life happens.
DeleteHave a great day!
Mary
Great tips. One question--Other than writing your post in the actual blog, how do you get rid of Word formatting?
ReplyDeleteHey Pat, this is Mary. In Blogger, it's fairly easy to format your article. Adding photos requires a little bit of effort.
DeleteWrite the article in Word, then copy into Blogger. You can then add or remove spaces between paragraphs, etc.
Then, to add photos, you put the cursor where you want the photo and add. You can then choose to put it on the right side, middle or left of your text. It does require a little effort to get the font in the right place around the photo. But it's definitely worth it.
Hope this helps!
Mary, filling in for Edie
Patricia -
DeleteIf pulling from Word does goofy things with your formatting, copy and paste it into Notepad (or a similar program) first. Then copy from there and paste into your blog post box. All formatting will be gone -- bold, ital, links, etc. You can start fresh with however you want it to look.
I hope that helps!
Leigh
Leigh, very good advice. Also, if you don't want to go the extra step here's what to do:
DeleteCopy your post directly from MS Word.
After it's in your compose box, highlight the entire post.
Now click the icon in the compose box that looks like a capital T with a small red X beside it. This is the REMOVE FORMATTING tab.
I use this whenever I'm having issues with formatting in a blog post. Almost 100% of the time it traces back to formatting that carried over from somewhere. This allows you to wipe the formatting slate clean without losing ANY text.
Hope this helps! Blessings, E
A blog has to grab my interest and tell me something I want or need to know. I'm turned off by general chit-chat. Get into the topic right away, give headings so I can see what you're trying to get across so I can quickly read what interests me.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Poppy. Keep content short and relevant to your audience!
DeleteThanks for dropping by!
Mary
Great tips, Edie! For me, it's all about how personable the person behind the blog is. When the content is fun and relatable, that's when I'm in. But even more so, when I feel like I'm getting to know the person behind the blog, I'm usually hooked! :)
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely Melissa! It's great when a personality shines through a blog. Hopefully you see that here in Edie's blog! And I'm guessing you do!
DeleteThis is Mary, filling in for Edie! :)
Blogs longer than a few paragraphs don't keep my attention, especially when each paragraph is not separated by a space. Busy people don't want to read a short-story when they open a blog post. Short, sweet, and to the point is key.
ReplyDeleteGreat tips, Edie. I've read "consistency" over and over, but haven't made the commitment to it until recently. The surprise benefit - after I post on Mondays, I feel free to write whatever I want the rest of the week, instead of feeling guilty daily for not posting. Who would have guessed?
ReplyDelete