Blogs are every which way we look as soon we sign onto the Internet. For someone who gets easily distracted, like myself, will click on every blog they find interesting. Although I will click on a variety of blogs, I will not like all of them and quickly lose interest in most. The blogs I do read in full are the blogs that I believe to be an “excellent blog”. I hope to share what it takes to write that excellent blog.
I am an avid NFL fan. So, around this time of year I sign onto ESPN quite often. Right away, a blog has already captured my attention and I haven’t even read one word. Then how could I possibly be into this blog? I see a big picture of one of my favorite players, Jason Pierre-Paul who plays on the New York Football Giants. Just seeing the blue jersey and his recognizable face has already snagged my eye. In Why We Love Beautiful Things, Hosey talks about how something like a picture can easily catch the eye of a reader. In this case, Hosey puts it as: “Instinctively, we reach out for attractive things; beauty literally moves us.” (Hosey, p.1)
Granted, this quote sounds a bit weird considering I am talking about looking at a picture of a Giants football player, but the point he makes is right on. I am attracted to the royal blue jerseys I love to watch on Sundays in the fall.
I am a big believer in first impressions. If the first thing you see on a blog is something that captures your eye, you will almost always have enough of a desire to read the whole article. This is why I think something like a picture, a quote or a short statistic is imperative to having an excellent blog post.