connecting
Before blogs
BB (before blogs) we had only traditional publishing which included a beginning, middle, and an end. Books, newspapers and magazines have an attractive cover that stimulate our interest and persuade us to buy it and consume the content. Blogs turn that style on its head with the beginning becoming mostly irrelevant compared to the here and now. Blogs have no end, and the reader introduction is generally the most recent post and the blog design.
Post pressure
New posts, and marketing those posts, stimulate new readers. For that reason, sometimes bloggers suffering from post pressure will sacrifice quality for quantity. Of course, to maintain the audience the content has to be valuable, not fluff or filler. As we build our blog we’re remembering this fact and working to make each and every post valuable to readers.
This blog may be in its infancy, but we’ve been trekking the blogosphere for some time. Here are five favourite tips that we’ve picked up on route that will make your blog better.
1) Don’t start a post with an apology. Ok, we get it it’s been a while. You’re here now right? You must have something to say! Say it, and don’t waste your words and your readers’ time with apologies. Your concerns are charming, but remember RRS feeds prevent us from needing to check your page every day eager for updates.
2) Keep it connected. There are often other resources online that will help you tell your story, so use them by linking to other content, blogs, video or articles. Or, you can often embed the content on your own blog by just showing attribution with a link back to your source. For example, check out Sue Horner’s recent post where she uses another blog to help tell her story about effective news releases.
3) Make it easy for us to get to know you. We just found your blog. It seems like great content, and it’s been around for months or years. But remember, there are only so many hours in the day. Please don’t make us read three years of content to learn where you’re from, or why you blog.
4) Keep it consistent. If you write about personal finance don’t tell us about your recent trip to the zoo unless it relates. No matter how cute the critters were.
5) Make it easy for yourself and plan. Create an editorial calendar and know what you will blog about next. Keep it flexible enough so when hot topics come up you can adjust your plan and touch on timely issues.