Your attention span is about this
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?)
- What am I trying to say?
- What words will be express it?
- Read these 12 tips from Writers' Digest
- Read this in depth analysis from ProBlogger
- Read tips from author of Blogging for Dummies about:
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:
In reading the blogs listed I have learned one thing about my blog that could use improvement. Most of my blogs are too long be these definitions, which makes sense because I do have the tendency to ramble at times. Most readers probably get lost in my long posts and that is something I will work on cutting it shorter than I have been!
ReplyDeleteI like that in the first article, Writers' Digest, it explains that writers need to check the word count. Long articles won't get notice as much as smaller ones. It's also very good to invest in images, photos, and illustrations!
ReplyDeleteI learned that 2-3 sentences are the longest sections of your blog should be without being broken up with a picture or something that catches your eye. The headline of you your blog post is the most important. If you do not have a catchy headline readers will not be interested in seeing what is under it.
ReplyDeleteI liked the article with the 5 tips. One of the tips was to give credit to the source you found information from. This is really important to avoid copyright infringement. Providing links to add to your blog can help you avoid this.
ReplyDeleteI have a problem with writing too much - I tend to write things 10 times longer than they actually need to be. I've learned that you can still be short and simple with creative writing in your long. Being descriptive is good, but describing a lipstick in 4 paragraphs is unnecessary.
ReplyDelete*blog
DeleteAll of these articles discussed short blogs and small paragraphs. But what I really thought was interesting was the article that talked about blogging on your own schedule. Don't force yourself to blog everyday, or even every other day. Begin with once a week and try to work from that to what fits your lifestyle best. I think that is good advice, as it can be tempting to force yourself to churn out a blog when you may be rushed or distracted and only able to post something mediocre.
ReplyDeleteThe most important things I learned from these articles are to be yourself when you are writing your blog. It makes everything more interesting.
ReplyDeleteDon’t write to much in one blog and write in short paragraphs. This will keep your audience from getting bored. Picture also help engaging your audience, everyone loves pictures! A good headlines grab attention for people to read that blog. Without a headline there is nothing to show them what you will be talking about and they will most likely skip over it.
Know who you are trying to target. If you don't know who you are targeting then you don't know what you are suppose to be writing to get people to read your blog.
These articles gave some good ideas on just how to format a post to make it interesting to a reader. I enjoyed the Writer's Digest piece the most I think. It did the best about expressing how a writer should think when making their post in order to make it worthwhile to a reader.
ReplyDeleteThe 12 Dos and Don'ts of Writing a Blog and 5 Tips on Writing a Blog Post mentioned similar things that I feel are of the most important, other than the structure of the blog. Be relatable, Be Yourself and Be Honest. (BOOM! Drop the mic)
ReplyDeleteAlthough it's something thats sort of a given, the advice on using social media is extremely helpful. When you share your link on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, wherever, the chances of it getting views and being shared increases exponentially. Using your social media wisely can be very beneficial to your blogs exposure. On the flip side, don't annoy or spam your posts that could potentially lead you to getting unfriended or unfollowed and no one wants that.
ReplyDeleteThe most important thing I learned through these articles is about the use of links. It's important to put them into context and have your own opinion about them. If you just post links to interesting posts then the reader may decide that they like that blog better than yours, and you'll lose that reader.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most helpful things I learned today while reading the articles was that you want to make sure that you want to know what you're taking about. I fee like this applies to me (and others as well) because I know I typically will start off talking about something and then end up on a completely different subject. Resulting in me having longer paragraphs and the reader SO confused. Once you know what you're talking about, you can focus on what points or key things you'd like to talk about within your blog.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most helpful things to me was to title any images you put in your blog posts. If you title them something relevant and tag the post, your blog is more likely to pop up when someone google searches that word or phrase, directing traffic to your blog.
ReplyDeleteThe most important thing I learned from reading the blogs is striving to be creative. I want to continue to be honest and focus on what I can post that my readers will enjoy and that is relatable to them. I want them to read something that will influence their thoughts that they may have not heard before. For my blog I want to continue to have a stable attitude so I can maintain and earn credibility from readers, which will keep consistency and attract more followers.
ReplyDeleteTrying to find an audience will be a bit of a stretch for me. Because I really wanted to be able to create a personal history of my life something for my loved ones when I leave this world. ( lol I am talking way into the future haha)and I am not sure if I would want to read someones history let alone thinking someone wants to read mine.
ReplyDeleteSo I guess it will be for those people who like to Facebook stalk. LOL they can follow my blog spot to find in-depth content about me. :)
Also I don't have to keep my blog post too lean. I guess I can can stretch them out a little to further my opinions.
The most important pieces of advice that I learned from the articles is that it is important to be personal and straight to the point. Those two tips are what will attract people to read my blog.
ReplyDeleteSo pretty much...
Don't write a lot, make each post simple and relate to the audience.
It is important to be yourself and be relatable. Keep it simple and dont use any language you wouldnt normally use. Get right to the point of what your readers what to read
ReplyDeleteSometimes I carry on to much on my blog and my paragraphs get long. I need to work on short sentences and spacing to make my blog more appealing.
ReplyDeleteI found the Writers Digest to be most helpful. The two biggest things I learned are Be Relatable and Be Yourself and Do not be Negative. Often in college it is look down upon to "be yourself" in your writing. Professors encourage you to write a specific way and it is usually not in a way that expresses who you are. A blog is different. Being yourself and being relatable allows your reader to get to know you better and encourages them to keep reading.
ReplyDeleteOn the contrary, being Negative can deter a reader from your page. Being positive makes them want to read that much more.