Guidelines for You Tube videos on your blog

Read this for ideas:You Tube Guidelines

Are you using "Power" words?

Read this link: 80 Power words?

Clark's guides to blog writing--show, don't tell

Clark's Advice

•       Know the reader

•       Grab attention--go for the drama

•       Make it interesting

•       Short sentences, paragraphs

•       Organize with reader in mind

•       Write to express, not impress

•       Tell a story

•       Have fun

•       If I wrote my story without notes, what would it say?

•       Concise structure

•       Goes for drama

•       Specific details

•       Quotes

•       Paints pictures

•       Varies sentence strength

•       Paragraph control

•       Conversational

•       If the reader took a test, what do I want him to remember?

How does your blog writing measure up?
Read Show, Don't Tell, and comment below something you learned that will improve your writing. By 5 p.m. today.

Headline evaluator

http://coschedule.com/headline-analyzer

Getting "ahead" in blogging, and labels

When I started writing a monthly newspaper trade column almost 20 years ago, the Internet was relatively new, as was email. There were no blogs, no Facebook, no Instagram, no twitter. Digital cameras were high priced. 

I remember teaching headline writing in classes and for the Oklahoma Press Association.  At the time, I always said the headline was the most important element on a page, because it accomplished four different chores at once. They grab attention, tell the story, rate the news, and help dress up your pages.

Today, there are still headlines, and all of that is still true. 

But while the way we write headlines has changed dramatically with digital type—rather than having to “count” spaces, we just tap a key to reduce or enlarge sizes to fit, they’re more important than ever.

In fact, they accomplish even more. Ever hear of SEO (Search Engine Optimization)?  Of course you have. 

Tell me,  isn’t that what a good headline has always been?
(That's also why you need to put labels after each post...they help your readers search for your ideas, and increase SEO) 

And today, as our attention spans get shorter and shorter thanks to digital media and the explosion of speed delivering news in all media, they’re crucial to attracting impatient, hurried, distracted-by-other-media readers.

I just “read” the New York Times this morning. How? By scanning the headlines on the computer.  Check any other news outlet on line. People scan the headlines and expect to come away with a general sense of what has happened. We’ll go back and read the ones we want more information in later. All the Internet search engines spend lots of money trying to come up with catchy headlines to attract you to their pages, and thus boost ad hits. 

Nothing new, is it, except the media and the speed?

 I’ve found I need to teach my blogging students how to write “headlines” on their blog posts. I took it for granted until I found my blog traffic going up depending on the words in the headlines, and that most of my students had no clue. 

All those old headline practices and tips that I’ve taught, or written about in the past have changed with the digital world. To me, there are only two rules in headline writing these days: 

Be accurate. Don’t be boring.

They are one important key to attracting readers to your posts.

So, here’s a brief how-to checklist on writing  headlines, in any media, especially blogs.

• What’s the key point of the post?
• What will most appeal to your readers?
• Make a list of the strongest, most concrete nouns and verbs
• Have you chosen words that are trending in search engines?
• Use action verbs when possible
• Use short words   
•  Look for anything unusual 
•   Is there any play on words you can use to heighten interest?
• Use the shortest words possible 
• Use the biggest type you can (for print version)
• Use consistent legible type (no fancy fonts)
• Get to the point early
• More label heads are ok—one or two strong words—with or without a verb (Let a subhead add essential details)
• Edit—ask yourself if you can write it more briefly

What makes a bad headline? A good one? Students: check the headlines on your posts and see how they measure up.
Below, comment on one thing you will improve.
(A version of this article appeared in The Oklahoma Publisher, the statewide newspaper of the Oklahoma Press Assocaition, under "Clark's critique).

Your blog essay begins

What about blogs in the world interests you?

By the Wednesday at 5 pm--select two possible ideas for your midterm blog essay for discussion in class Thursday. Post below.

1. Then, you will choose a topic  and you will have completed the following sentence and commented below.

This is an essay about (Subject) and it is interesting because ____________________. My thesis (the main point of the paper that I'm supporting with my sources) is__________________________. Post below by end of class.

2. Also: list three probable links as sources and be ready to explain them in class  by 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 1

Potential organization (outline) :
1. Introductory paragraph, what the subject, problem, focus is. ending with your thesis statement.
(Example: "Blogging has changed the way newspapers have covered the news.")
2. Two or three paragraphs, citing sources to back up your thesis. 
3. A short concluding paragraph
4. List of links for your sources

Essay will be due  March 10, at first of class 100 points (10 percent of grade)

Signature tool

If you're interested:
http://coolonlinetools.net/signature-generator/ 

Blog checklist

By now, your blog should have

1. Title
2. explanation (what this blog is about--optional)
3. Your photo
4. Your bio
5. Blog archive
6. Date of each blog post at top of post
7. Introductory blog post

Follow this blog

http://www.successfulblogging.com/

Check it once a week for one idea about blogging. Don't buy anything. First idea, post below by 5 pm Monday.

Are you my type?

Doesn't matter what you post if people can't read it, or if it's hard to read. Your job is to make it easy.

 Read today, for Monday class:

http://blog.fonts.com/2012/02/07/10-web-typography-trends-to-watch-in-2012/

Also check http://blog.fonts.com/

2. How does the type measure up on your blog? One good thing, one weakness? Comment below by 5 pm Monday

Read  this:

Clark’s Guide to

Readable Typography for Blogs

(Or anything, for that matter)

1.         Serif—Easiest to read

2.         Sans Serif—harder to read the smaller it is or the more of it there is

3.           Most body type should be about 12 point in size

4.           Script is hard to read--invitations only

5.           Italic is hard to read

6. 

    Only Center Type

on invitations
and titles,
not on body copy

7. ALL CAPS IS HARD TO READ

8.                  REVERSE TYPE 

should be at a
Minimum
And bold

And small san serif 
is hard to read
As is colored type
on reverse  

10.             Screens can make type hard to read

Especially over sans serif

Or heavy and colored screens

11.               Weak colors disappear

12.               Colored type isn’t as effective
As black type, or dark type on a light background

13.      Don’t  Mix Lots of Type Faces

14.            Stick with a few

                  that are compatible

Assignment for Thursday

1. Add gadget for your profile
2. Add photo
3. Add blog archive gadget
4. Add gadget of your choosing

Student views on blogging importance

Blogging and your future

I got this Facebook message :

Dr Clark, just wanted to pass along some info I think your students might want to know. If you're still doing the blogging class, I found another reason it is important.
First though, let them know they can start writing for cash right now. Freelancer, oDesk, eLance and such do pay the inexperienced like me. I started at $5 for 500 words, but was up to $15 for 500 in under 6 months. Through my Freelancer job, I got an offer to write for Mojo Motors, $30 an article. Not a bad rate for something that I enjoy and takes a little over an hour. Then, based on my work at that job, last week I got an email from Jalopnik (Gawker Media). They've asked me to work with Volvo on a series of articles promoting new cars. $250 each. I can deal with that.
I almost didn't get the assignment, because I don't have a blog up of my work, and she couldn't find me online. Please stress to them the importance of getting their presence out there now. And they can write for cash now, if they're willing to work for peanuts at first.
--Andy Jensen

 I got this email earlier:

Dr. Clark,

I wanted to take a moment to thank you for the comment you posted on my NewOK story and for tweeting out my success. Being published on the largest local forum meant a great deal to me, and I give much credit to you for helping me achieve it (You don't know how my inner dialogue screams 'Verbs! Verbs!' at me whenever I write!).

So, again, thank you.

I also wanted to share something interesting with you, that maybe you can pass on to to future blogging classes.

Like I'm sure many people wonder while taking a class based around blogging, one of the biggest questions I had was 'How can this skill actually help me make money?'  I got my answer by accident, actually, when I was looking to get my foot in the door at The Oklahoman and stumbled upon the job I now have.

"Content Marketing," the ad read.  I thought I'd give it a shot, hoping to meet the right people that could get me into news.

When I interviewed for the position, I was a little freaked by how much of my online history had been analyzed (a good lesson in how important Facebook and Twitter etiquette can be).  Old blog posts, website contributions and a bunch of other online traces of me were brought up.  The good thing, though, was that because I'd done so much of that (in a clean manner), the interview was more like a recruiting session -- they felt they had to have me more than I needed them.

Now, my job mainly consists of blogging -- blogging for clients, blogging to build lesser-known websites, blogging for myself even. And I'm nowhere near alone in this. The department I work in employs about 10 people like myself, as well as four or five specialty bloggers. To put it lightly: blogging is huge.

So, I wanted to share this with you in case that cliched "When am I going to use this in the real world?" question ever came up. You can tell them 'em that, odds are, they'll use it a lot.

Thanks again -- for everything.

George Darkow

10 ways to make your blog shine

Read:  Ten Ways to Shine

Comment below about one idea you gained by 9 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 21.

Passion assignment

Read Passion in Blogging

Find 10 in 20

Take 20 minutes. Go to
 blogoklahoma.com and to
http://www.blogher.com/network
http://www.bloggersblog.com/blogalistlinks/

1. Choose one of the blogs you discovered today, or another one you prefer.
Comment below to write a  paragraph evaluation of the blog, addressing the following ideas:

1. What are its strengths?
2. What ideas about blogging and your blog do you get from it?
3. What are its weaknesses and how could be improved?

Be sure to include the link to the blog.

Link to read on blogging

http://linkis.com/www.bloggingpro.com/v1fZP

Syllabus

Here's the syllabus

Getting Ready

Take 10 minutes to scan this link.
Ideas for your blog
Then view this tutorial

If you have a blog already, please bring it up, and let's look at it.

Expectations?

What do you expect, what I expect?

What do you expect ?

Out of professors, this class, this department, this university?

(What makes a good professor?) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What I expect of you

(What makes a good student?)

·   To write, speak well

·   To think critically

    (To ask questions)

·   To solve problems

·   To be creative

·   To act ethically

(Including respecting others)

·   To work hard

·   To be adept at technology

·   To be passionate

·   To act like this class is a job

(Be here, and on time)

Blogging4 j

email: tmclark44@gmail.com

• Intros
• Fact sheets
• Interests
• What is a blog?
• In class view:Blogging founder

• BlogblogUCO.blogspot.com
• Student samples
  Show Coffee with Clark
• Pioneer Woman 
• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ 
•  Okiefunk
• BlogOklahoma 
•  
• Need gmail account separate from university

• Syllabus quiz Thursday--
• Title area of blogging
• Picking name of blog
• Set ups Thursday
• Viewing other student blogs
• What we expect?
• Assignments: state of the blogosphere--

1. Read: 

• http://royal.pingdom.com/2013/03/01/blog-readership-demographics-2013/Welcome bloggers. Check and read these links by Thursday.
• http://www.slideshare.net/crbrook/state-of-the-blogosphere-2011
• http://trends.e-strategyblog.com/2012/08/01/the-state-of-the-blogosphere-2012-infographic/2383
• http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/newswire/2012/buzz-in-the-blogosphere-millions-more-bloggers-and-blog-readers.html
• http://influencemarketingbook.com/the-state-of-digital-influence-2013/

2. What are two things you learned you didn't know about blogging, posted below by 5 pm Wed. Jan. 13

3. What have you decided for a title for your blog?

4. Do you have a separate gmail account yet?

5. Once that is set up and you have a blog, have your blog become a follower of this blog, and Coffee with Clark.

Syllabus Requirements 

 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

1.     Faithful attendance. Grade will drop one level for each two absences after the first two. You may not make up missed in class writing and take a 0. If you miss more than 6 class sessions, you will flunk. NO LATE WORK. Any late work will earn a “0.”

2.     Be on time to class. Three times late equals an absence.  If you’re more than 15 minutes late, it counts as an absence.

3.     Design and creation of a blog.

4.     The ability to write complete, grammatically correct, sentences.

5.     Weekly postings on the blog, including class notes, and speaker stories.

6.     Note: you must post every week, starting with week three, deadline end of class Thursdays. If you miss a week, you lose points for that week.—in other words, you can’t make those points up (at least 15) (Hint—in the past, students with the most posts get higher grades than those with minimal or insufficient ones).

7.     At least 15 blog posts of original content.

8.     Follow BlogblogUCO, class blog.  http://blogblogUCO.blogspot.com There will be weekly assignments on this blog, with deadlines. Missed deadlines mean a 0 for the assignment.

9.     Following a professional blog in your area, with blog report, presentation.

10.  500-word essay on blogs in today’s world.

11.  Note: Your blog must contain original writing. If it is a photography blog, you must have words with every photo, and the blog must have more than captions.

Required web sites:

• http://blogblogUCO.blogspot.com
• Technorati.com;

• BlogOklahoma.com;
• Huffingtonpost.com

Recommended web sites:

• Clarkcoffee.blogspot.com

• pioneerwoman.com;
• mashable.com;

Recommended Texts:

• Google Blogger for Dummies. Susan Gunelius. Wiley, 2009

GRADING SCALE: 100-91--A; 90-81--B; 80-70--C; 60-69--D.

• Creation, design, improvement and maintenance of blog—300 points—30 percent
• Weekly posts—300 points—30 percent (15 posts minimum to be eligible for a “C”; 20 to be eligible for a “B”) More than 20 to be eligible for an “A”). Failure to meet these standards overrides other points.) Each post is graded on quality and quantity.
• Blog Essay—100 points—10 percent
• Blog presentation, paper—100 points—10 percent
• Blogblog comments—100 points—10 percent
• Final test, multiple choice—100 points—10 percent
• Total: 1,000 points
• Note: The final test will be over blogging terms from the text and class, and comments from the speakers.

DEADLINES: Must be met. Absolutely. Period. End of discussion. Journalism is a deadline business. Accordingly, late work will not be accepted. Don’t bother to hand it in—you get a “0” grade. Absence is no excuse.