I’ve written hundreds of blog posts over the last few years (both personally and professionally), and have read many tens-of-thousands more. This does not make me an expert on blogging (or anything else for that matter). In fact, I enjoy that I am a connoisseur of many things, but expert of none. I get to dabble in more things in life this way.
So here’s what I find in blogs that I enjoy, and strive for in putting together in my own blog posts:
- Brevity – With so many blogs, and so many interesting things in this digital age, I’m looking for the most interesting stories, in as concise a format as possible. ‘Nuff said.
- Imagery – A picture paints a thousand words. Use them for brevity and to keep your posts visually appealing. Bad imagery can also turn off readers.
- Originality – I don’t want to read something that someone else has already said. That’s what RTs (re-tweets) are for in Twitter. (See “Tweets” in sidebar for my RTs). And if you build on another’s idea…. give due credit.
- Passion – Show your readers that you care or have passion for what you’re writing. I am more interested in reading about topics that you are a novice or hobbyist about, rather than a cocky expert.
- Frequency – Now this is a fine balance. I don’t want to dilute my words, so I try to keep blogging to once or twice a day at most. On the other hand, if I don’t blog for a week or two, even a month at a time, I’ve lost the attention of readers. Five to seven posts a week is a good amount.
Blogging here is my hobby, not my job. So I only put into it as much as it is fun for me.
Endnote: Proper grammar and spelling goes without saying on blogs because you’re not limited to 140 characters!!
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