Why Blog?

Quick Heads Up
I don't do this often, but in this season I love what writer Jennifer Slattery is doing on her blog for December. Stop by and be encouraged as she lists a top 20 of this year's blog posts. These aren't posts by her, but ones written by others.
Now back to our regularly scheduled post!


Why Blog?
by Edie Melson

For several years, blogging has been touted as the end all way of reaching an audience—especially for writers of all types. Now, enough time has passed that it’s possible to get a good statistical foundation of whether or not blogging really is a good use of a writer’s time.

And the answer is . . .
it depends.

I know, I can hear the groans from here, and I feel your pain. Everyone was promised, “Blog and they will come.” Well, that is only partly true and here’s the nitty gritty of blogging.

Blogging works for writers under these circumstances -

• The blog/blogger has a clear purpose to blogging.
• The audience is clearly defined. (For example, a novelist is writing for readers—not other writers)
• The blog fits the picture of who the writer is. Or, in other words, it enhances—not contradicts—the author’s brand.
• The rest of your branding makes sense with your blog.

Blogging DOES NOT work for writers under these circumstances -

• The point of the blog is vague and undefined.
• The audience isn’t clearly defined.
• The blog leads readers to a different picture of the writer—not a deeper picture—but totally different.

Over the next few weeks I will address each point and show you how to make your blog work for you, instead of being a time waster for you and your reader. But for now, I’d like to know where you are with blogging.

• Do you have a blog?
• Is your audience for it growing?
• Does it deliver results?

Chime in with your comments and questions.

And . . . Don’t forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,
Edie

Match Your Message to Your Medium

How often do you consider your audience as you’re writing? Probably not as often as you should. I critiqued an article last week for a homeschooling newsletter and I was struck by two things. First, the depth of the research and the genius behind the conclusions the author drew. And . . . the boring way she conveyed that information. Ouch. As difficult as it was to share my insights without discouraging this budding writer, we all know how hard it was to receive this kind of a critique.

Tough stuff, but we’ve all tried to wade through writing so formal you had to wear a suit and tie to read it. The facts are there, but polished to the point where there’s no life left in the words. Here are some tips to avoid missing the mark.

• Define your audience. You have to have a clear picture of who you’re writing to. This means you need to familiarize yourself with the publication or website or group. A little pre-writing can save you a disappointing rejection.
• Define the mood. Yes, even non-fiction has emotion. It’s more subtle, but it’s there. For example, when I write for a Do It Yourself website I keep the articles upbeat and encouraging. The purpose of the website is to let people know they can accomplish a particular project—not keep them from even trying.
• Define the gender and the age. Men and women express themselves differently and our writing needs to reflect that. I spent a year as managing editor for men’s college magazine and I discovered this first hand. I finally had to come up with two lists or, word pools (which I explained in a previous post), labeled—Girlie Words and Man Speak.

Now it’s your turn—how do you tune into your audience?
Don’t forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,
Edie