short.
So writing for a blog should be too.
Otherwise your readers' eyes will go
elsewhere.
So how do you write well for a blog?
Nothing new, just more emphasis.
- Short words,
- short sentences,
- short paragraphs.
- Grab readers' attention with a strong first sentence
- Get to the point
- Break up longer blogs of copy with things like bullets, or caps, or bold face type
- Be specific with details
- Have fun (did you ever see that point in previous instructions on writing?)
Read these 12 tips from Writers' Digest
Today--Post something on your blog, about how you're going to write for your subject, addressing your readers.
Comment below the most important thing you learned from these articles/links:
The most important thing that I read in these links was the reminder to attribute information when you yourself did not come up with a piece of information. Plagiarism is still a big deal you need to be careful about, regardless of whether this is a personal or school or work blog.
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ReplyDeleteCOMMENT:The most important thing that I learned from these articles is an interaction with your readers. Seems obvious? Maybe, but people often forget about their readers. It is crucial to spend some time answering for their comments, sometimes checking out the links they send you or simply commenting on their blogs.People like to know that the author cares about their opinion and is interested what his or her readers have to say. This is especially extremely important for beginners in blogosphere, to make contacts, not only to expect people to read and love your blog but also to show attention to other blogs with similar topics. That's how you can build your own network of virtual friends and supporters which will allow you blog to develop faster.
ReplyDeleteThe most important things I learned from these articles is to attract more readers you should put links in. Then I found it to be interesting how they mentioned your audience, which in my case I really never considered. I also see that have a voice is also key. If you sound like everyone else, then you are not going to attract more readers.
ReplyDeleteWhat stood out to me the most is the making it short and to grab the attention of the reader. I think I was going about blogging the wrong way before, with either typing to much or not grab the readers attention so that they will want to read what I have to say. Keeping my readers interested in what I have to say is the most important thing here.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest thing I learned through viewing these articles is that the blogging process doesn't stop simply with a completed post. In order to drive eye-balls to your blog blog you need to do the leg work to promote it. Whether that be social media or strategic use of search engine hits or whatever you need to do these things in order grow your blog. Knowing your focus is also key to success. You have to really know what you want to communicate in the blog in order to grow an audience for it.
ReplyDeleteWrite short sentences. Write short blogs. Writing in a style virtually indistinguishable from AP print media is recommended. So jot down short paragraphs. Limit creative prose. Write as you would for a newspaper if the situation calls for it.
ReplyDeleteDon't try to write long form H.L. Mencken or Harlan Ellison style commentaries or editorials... People are too lazy or disinterested to read them. Write shorter than 500 words, because people will be capable of nothing beyond scanning over your text on their stupid phones. Use hyperlinks when referencing.
Basically these articles tell us to do what attracts the most people, and leaves those readers wanting more. Always appeal to the lowest common denominator. Cat pictures are good. Just post macros of kitties with misspelled text written. That's what people want.
POST:
ReplyDeleteHow I am going to write for my blog?
My blog is typical livestyle one, I will write about my travelling experience, cooking experiments, exchange that I’m now on, people I met during my journeys, music and movies I love. Basically about everything that makes me, Me. Mostly about the things that make me happy. But how I am going to do this? How I’m going to incorporate all those things in my posts without making you guys confused?
First of all I have chosen pretty clear theme (I changed a lot of things in it to make it more readable!) and font that is easily to be read. I hope you like it so far! I will also try to keep my paragraphs short so you won’t get lost in overwhelming amount of letters, I know how annoying this can be. But it may happen sometimes that I will write something longer, however I will do my best to keep it readable! Moreover you can expect some photos, style inspirations, movie recommendations, book reviews and much much more, everything depends from what I’m currently doing in my life.
I am aware of the fact how important interacting with readers is, that’s why I added heart button in each of my posts, if you liked the post- simply let me know by clicking the heart. You can also comment so we can talk about what your feeling about each post are.
And finally the part I like the most. Categories. Right below the blog title, easily to be found for everyone. So if you are not interested in my travel journals simply click one of the remaining categories to see posts connected with it. For example if you are here only to find some sweet and delicious recipes click FOOD and enjoy whole world of recipes that I included in all of my posts.
You can also search through ARCHIVE or simply using SEARCH function, just type a word you are looking for.
If you have any further questions, just ask and I will do my best to answer ☺
The most important thing I found in this article is to make sure I have consistency in my blog. It is easy to fall out of a habit, such as not posting as often as I've promised my readers it will be hard to keep followers. So the most important thing to me is to make sure I'm keeping up with my posts so there is always something new for my readers.
ReplyDeleteBrian Klem, the writer of 12 Do’s And Don’t’s of Writing A Blog talks about how a blog should always engage the readers attention by blogging about finding your focus, relatable and being yourself and using images and links. Which I think is very important for any blogger. Its important to keep your readers engaged as well as get them to love your blog. It was interesting when he mentioned the audience and grabbing someone’s attention.
ReplyDeleteMy blog started out as reviews of local establishments in OKC, however, it is evolving into something a bit more complex. I will still be talking about stores and restaurants that I frequent, but I have started to put a personal emphasis on my posts.
ReplyDeleteI write short paragraphs, (sometimes even one sentence) to keep potential readers entertained.
Since tumblr is a bit different than blogspot, I do not have a comment section on my posts. They are instead referred to as "notes".
I try to write about things that a college student could relate to. I also include a photo that I have recently taken, just to add my personal flair to the blog.
My blog will continue to change and evolve. I can't wait to see what it will look like at the end of the semester.
-Lauren Capraro
What I learned most about this blog was to grab the readers attention, and keep their attention. Keeping sentences short and paragraphs short is key. Also, having a clean blog that is easy to navigate is very important for you blog. I learned you need to be focused and find your word. If you sound like everyone else and look like everyone else, why would anyone be interested in reading your blog? Be unique. Try to not be negative and have typos, which is a given. Although, sometimes people enjoy reading other peoples rants.
ReplyDeleteHow will I write for my blog? I will keep things short. I will attempt to grab the readers attention with my headline because lets face it, thats might be the only thing they read. My blog is a lifestyle blog about traveling, fashion, DIY, coffee, etc. I will write about things I am passionate about and hopefully, there is at least someone else in this world that enjoys reading what I am blogging about.
Susan Phillips
There are a variety of ways to draw in a reader. Websites tend to only hold people's attention for a certain amount of time. My average for my site is about 160 seconds according to my stats. One goal you can have is to allow the reader to scan the whole page easily. This is done with bold headlines and subheadlines. Make the copy visually easy on the eyes using bullets, spacing, and short sentences. Don't be afraid to work in personal stories, but only where they are applicable. I find blogs more interesting when they use language that talks to you personally and has somewhat of a playful tone. It is always good to keep up with your reader's comments in a timely manner. If they know their feedback is being read, they will continue to be involved in your blog. Picking a specific tone and sticking with it throughout your blog is also a good idea. There are always ways to improve your blog, so continue looking for good techniques.
ReplyDeleteThe most important thing that stood out to me from these articles is the idea to be relatable and yourself. Not only will the writing be easier this way, but readers will also be able to understand possibly a new perspective and follow your thought process. When you make it your own it becomes unique and will stand out from other blogs, which is something that is very important. When you write about something that you enjoy it will also show through your words, which is something readers can see. It is important to not get carried away about topics that you are extremely passionate about because the blog needs to be short and concise. It is beneficial to know your target audience so you know how to address the readers in the way that is most fitting for you and your readers. Overall there are many factors that make a great blog but being honest and genuine is a great place to start.
ReplyDeleteI feel like consistency and being relatable are two great ways to have a decent blog. Also getting to point and being brief so readers will be more interested in what you are posting about is key. Nobody, well not me anyways wants to read a whole page that isn't broken up or separated into different parts. Making your posts short and sweet is a good way to keep followers and readers visiting your blog.
ReplyDeleteAlso using easy to read fonts and good sized fonts make it that more easier to attract and keep the readers attention!
The most important thing that stuck out to me in these articles were having a "voice" that can be repayable to your audience and yourself. I believe it's important to bring your own personality to a blog so that your readers will be interested and get to know a little more about who you are through your "voice." It's important to stand out and not bore people in order to generate traffic on your blog. I feel like bringing a personality to a blog isn't too difficult, but trying to keep post short and to the point is. Sometimes I catch myself getting carried away because I'm so excited about what I'm blogging that I don't realize how long my posts are. I believe bringing yourself out in your blog and keeping it easy is the best way to have a great blog.
ReplyDeleteI found the advice to blog with your own voice to be the best advice, ultimately you should rely on how you already write and should convey your thoughts as though you were speaking directly to a person face to face, or else I would think you would become lost trying to emulate others writing styles and come off as inconsistent at best. I also liked the fact that you shouldn't necessarily put a word limit on yourself. Being a long winded writer I find word counts to stress me out as to how I can convey my message while fighting a restriction. You just have to be creative about how you accomplish this without losing the reader in a sea of text. I like the idea of writing a few short paragraphs with an image to draw the reader in and then linking to another page that will allow you to continue on your longer form writing. Give them a teaser/intro and if they're interested they'll continue on reading.
ReplyDeleteI think one of the most important things I learned was to always be yourself in your writing; don't try to be someone to impress your readers but also don't downplay yourself and your accomplishments or what makes you happy. Being yourself is ultimately decides who reads your blog and who keeps coming back, and that's who you want coming back -- people who like you for who you are.
ReplyDeleteWhen I write for my blog, I don’t think about a specific audience I’m trying to capture attention from. I write based on personal experiences, and I write as a way to remember how I was feeling years from now when I look back through my archives. If someone connects with that, then those are the people I’m writing for. There is no way to please every person that visits your blog, no matter your writing style. I have blog posts with a few sentences that have attracted only a small number of readers and I have blog posts that are three paragraphs long that many people have read. I believe it just depends on your topic, and bloggers shouldn’t have to limit their blogging style to please the general public.
ReplyDeleteI believe that most articles about writing for your audience are intended for people who want to spread word of their blogs quickly so their hobby can be turned into (eventually) a full-time job. Although that’s something I would love to gain from blogging, I’m not as concerned with quick cash as I am with the quality of my content.
The most important things I learned from these articles are that you need to have a focus and to be yourself in your blog. I think in the future if blogging becomes a source of income that the most important thing to remember will be to be myself and not to let others have influence on the way you write. I have my own writing style and my own way to run a blog and it is the uniqueness of myself that makes it special. Having a focus is also really important because if all the information is random and not connected, readers won't be interested because they won't be wanting to come back to your blog. Keeping it short and sweet is key for me, quality over quantity.
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