A lot of time, energy, and thought go into blog pages and posts. I, for one, am amazed at the number of techniques and approaches that are taken into consideration when writing and making a blog. According to the book Writing for Digital Media, “A weblog or blog is simply a Web page or site for frequently updated posts, or entries, that typically are arranged or presented in reverse chronological order, so that new entries always appear on top” (137-138). I have found that every blog, unique to the writers interests, has similar themes they make them so successful. The following is a list of what I find contributes to successful blogging.
A blog should be:
- Easily navigable & clean
Let’s face it—nobody can focus when a blog site is cluttered with ads and flashing videos. I most certainly enjoy when I can easily find different blog posts on a site and see when they were written. It is also easier to read the post when there are not too many video ads pulling my eyes away. Sometimes, less is more when it comes to layout, structure, and design.
- Concise
It is important to analyze and avoid summary when writing a blog post—rather, “Focus your attention from the global (general) to the local” (Writing Analytically p. 23). Bloggers want to draw their readers’ attention in and to do this I think bloggers, just like analyzers, should keep in mind the question of “So What?” when writing a post. Stay on topic.
- Form conscious
While content is important, as a blogger one needs to remember not to sacrifice form for content. In Hosey’s article why we love beautiful things, he discusses that the human mind is hardwired to love beautiful things and those beautiful things come from more than just content. They come from format, layout, etc. So, I think not only does successful blogging come from the posts but it comes from the big picture and everything else on the page that can be related and connected to the blog.
- Know your audience
As a blogger I think it is necessary to know the type of audience you want to reach as well as to understand what they find interesting. While every person’s blog is unique to his or her own liking, by catering to a specific audience, whether it be reading the comments and basing the next post off a topic they want to see or just simply responding to a comment they made, bloggers can keep readers coming back.
- Personable
Create a voice for oneself. A blogger should be comfortable using first person. Like Writing for Digital Media says, a blog is not a diary, however, “blogging is an exercise of expression, making one’s views public” (140). A blog is a combonoation of personal opinion and fact and therefore the blogger should lean towards using the first person when writing. Choose your pick—serious, witty, grim, etc.
- Interactive
I think it is important to add in relevant links to posts. Social media can be very beneficial when it comes to interacting and communicating. In today’s world, people are constantly checking instagram, twitter, facebook, or watching youtube videos, etc. I think it is important for a blogger to use this to his or her advantage. Hashtages, links in posts, whatever it might be—get readers involved on another level aside from just reading a post.
- Be Proud
Once a post is up, it’s up for good—a curse and a blessing. Writing lives online. According to Morris, “words themselves are active. They move, slither, creep, sprint, and outpace us. Digital words have lives of their own” (2). So, I say, be proud of your blog posts and be proud of your work because once it is up, it is up for good. If you are not proud do not post it. Allow your writing to fly about the Internet and inspire other writers.
- Published on frequently
Give people something to come back to. Be consistent. Keep writing.
As is evident, blogs are so much more than a simple post. They are an individual’s way of sharing themselves with the world and communicating their unique thoughts with one another. A great blog keeps readers coming back and begging for more.