People blog for various reasons; it may be to make money out of their blog, vent out their everyday frustrations, inform readers or to extend their online network. And while most people can blog and do blog, not all is truly able to achieve the real essence of blogging. Perhaps, it depends on your end or motives for blogging.
If you are one of those people who aspire to become gurus in the field of copywriting, web content development, article marketing and the like, then it is a must that you follow certain rules in order to get the results you want. You may need to be aware of the dos and don’ts of blogging and/or copywriting.
Personal bloggers, on the other hand, need not strictly conform to the rules of writing or blogging. If you’re focused on making your blog your online journal, like me for an instance, then perhaps you are not concerned of optimizing your content or entire blog. Nevertheless, some personal bloggers might want to see a number of people subscribing to their feeds, following them on twitter or bookmark their blog site.
If that’s the case, then you should do whatever it takes to persuade more readers. And what’s better way to do that than make your blogging more effective? Write well and write right. Learn from real experts. Research; information is always the key.
Want to learn more? Here are ten simple tips to guide you through your blogging journey:
1. Assess your blog; maybe it’s time to make a change. Both the readers and the search engines love consistent updates and necessary innovations. Don’t settle for anything less.
2. Define your limits. Once you’ve chosen a topic for a particular post, stick to it. If you want to add more, do a continuation or succeeding post relating to it. Don’t squeeze everything in one post when you know it’s already more than enough. Learn how to stop yourself. There’s always another day to post and another blog post to publish.
3. Make your intent obvious. Avoid fluff words and dangling sentences. Clarity is a winner. Furthermore, don’t forget to be consistent and persistent.
4. Connect with the readers. Readers should always come first. Focus on getting their attention by creating something for them – it’s not just about you, it never is. Moreover, make it easy for them – from reading your posts to subscribing or linking back, give convenience. Offering free gifts such as e-books can do wonders.
5. Omit unnecessary words. Be direct to the point. It is wise to be concise.
6. Provide concrete examples, hard facts and shocking truth. Share short stories, anecdotes or quotes from credible authors. If you want to borrow excerpts from other blogs/websites, see to it that you return the favor by linking back or mentioning the source.
7. List, bullet points, analogy, metaphors and simile – they can always lend you a hand. Most readers love bulleted posts or articles in list form – easy to read and digest. Metaphors and simile as well as analogies pave the way for more creative thinking.
7. List, bullet points, analogy, metaphors and simile – they can always lend you a hand. Most readers love bulleted posts or articles in list form – easy to read and digest. Metaphors and simile as well as analogies pave the way for more creative thinking.
8. Ask questions, feel your readers’ pain, give solutions. Know what readers what and need. Your content should be relevant and useful. Explain things in detail.
9. Review your content. Always check for errors. Nothing beats a well-written blog post; thus, make sure that you proofread your work to correct spelling and grammar mistakes. Do not compromise your online reputation.
10. Be interesting, honest and humorous. You don’t have to take things seriously whether you’re blogging for money or not. Inform readers with brutal honesty and witty humor. Make unique and motivating blog posts. NEVER copy other’s content.
