During the first few weeks of class we have really explored the keys to writing a quality blog. What I’ve found to be true after looking at examples of successful blogs, is that not all are the same and there is room for experimentation and risk. However, there are some similarities between all great blogs. Online writing is different from the traditional academic writing that we as students have been trained to do. As Sean Morris states in his post, Digital Writing Uprising: Third-order Thinking in the Digital Humanities, “Because digital writing provides no road map. At least not yet. Where it goes, what it does, how it lives when we’re not watching is something we cannot foretell.” So with that in mind, here are some tips I plan to keep in mind while developing my own blog.
- Make sure your blog is MULTIMODAL!
Blogs that are simply text on a page do not catch the eye of most people. Along with writing you need to incorporate photos, videos, COLOR!
2. Keep your blog neat
We learned in Lance Hosey’s article, Why We Love Beautiful Things that our brains react strongly to certain forms of design. “It should come as no surprise that good design, often in very subtle ways, can have such dramatic effects. After all, bad design works the other way” If your blog looks cluttered or is difficult to navigate, you will most likely lose readers simply because viewing your blog is not an enjoyable experience.
3. Post Frequently
Another easy way to lose a blog following is by not posting enough! Your readers expect regular posts from you, and they look forward to them so keep them updated!
4. Listen to your readers
Community is an important part of blogging. We learned from Pete Rorabaugh in his piece, Organic Writing and Digital Media: Seeds and Organs, “Growth of [ideas or composition] is determined by the encouragement and critique of the community.” Bloggers should take the critiques and suggestions their readers give them into consideration.
5. Be Transparent
Brian Carroll reminds us how important it is to “reveal your identity” in Writing for Digital Media. Your readers will grow to know you the more you post, and they need to feel that they can trust you. In order for this to work we, as bloggers must be transparent.