I thought it would be appropriate to write about blogs since I have not written one in quite awhile. My mom will be so pleased. There is more to writing a blog than most people realize. So, I am going to give a few pointers to people who would like to start blogging. Or as I like to call it “a learn from my mistakes list.”
1. To have a successful blog it needs to be updated frequently. There are several reasons someone might not update their blog as much as they should. My reason is because I do not know how to condense my thoughts. Long blogs are okay, but can be difficult to always write everyday. This leads me to my second point.
2. I blame a college English professor for my inability to write short blogs. She taught us that writing should be descriptive. I took this lesson to a new extreme. However, the goal is to have the reader feel like they are taking the journey with the writer. Which is a good idea, but not being able to condense my thoughts can be quite overwhelming at times. Some writers can be too descriptive. They describe something so much it gets ridiculous and makes the reader zone out from boredom. I do not need to know every speckle of color on a person’s dog or every detail about the weather when a person was walking through a park. On the other extreme a writer can also lack description altogether. Which can make the reader confused and wondering what the writer is even talking about. Basically there is a fine balance.
3. Pick a topic that you are passionate about or something that interests you. It is your blog so that gives you the freedom to write about what you want to write about. If you pick a topic that is boring to you, your reader could pick up on that and be bored themselves. The topic does not need to be exciting, just exciting to you. You might be interesting in lemurs, but other people could careless about them (even though they are quite adorable). Since you are passionate about lemurs it will come through in your blog. Which could in turn make the readers find your blog interesting and informative.
4. Learning to use spell check is important. People have a hard time reading a blog with spelling and grammatical errors. Also, just because the writer might understand their own slang, does not mean their readers will. Slang is a tricky thing. There are a lot of different slang words and phrases that some people will understand, but depending on the age or geographical location some people may be left really confused. Then there are acronyms. Lots of people know OMG, but there are acronyms that people do not know. Unless the blog is geared towards readers under 18 try to limit slang and acronyms.
5. Proof reading is a must. I am an obsessive proof reader and I still find mistakes later. After writing a blog it is good to take a break and come back to it later. It might even help to print the blog out. It is sometimes easier to catch mistakes on paper. Our eyes get tired staring at the computer screen for long periods of time. I have even had friends look over my writing to edit what I might miss. Do not rush the proof reading process. It is better to have an error free blog than a complete disaster. Someone could be an expert on the topic they are writing about. However, if they have a lot of mistakes in their writing the reader might not take them seriously.
6. People love pictures. Like the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words.” A lot of people are very visual. So throw in some pictures or videos on the blog occasionally.
7. Use a font and a font size that is easy on a person’s eyes. People spend large amounts of time staring at a computer screen. We are a digital society. The last thing a person wants to do is read a blog that is going to hurt their eyes. Also, choose fonts that are slightly different from the common fonts people use on a daily basis in a working environment. A person might not want to read a blog with fonts and colors that reminds them of work.
8. Less is more. I’m talking about a blog that has way too many colors and is too busy. After all it is a blog not a circus. Some whimsical is good, but too much can be distracting. Yes it is your blog, but it has to be designed with the reader in mind. A reader can get so distracted by everything going on that they might fail to get the point of your blog. Plus it can look immature, like a teenagers room with tons of music and movie posters. The saying a person should take off one thing before they leave the house also applies to blogs. A good idea is to look at some of the most successful blogs and see what they do. The majority of blogs are clean and simple. Not crazy and sparkly. Remember Myspace may have been popular in the beginning, but Facebook quickly took over. Facebook’s aesthetic is a lot more clean and simple or more mature. People started to feel like Myspace was more for kids. Facebook not only appeals to younger people, but older people as well. There is a reason they are the best social networking website and why almost everyone including my dad has a Facebook page.
9. Finally just keep writing. The more a blogger writes the better they will become. Well this is true of most people. As the saying goes “practice makes perfect.” As for me maybe it will help me to condense my thoughts. Remember nothing is permanent. Everything on a blog is changeable. Do not be afraid of failure. Just because one person does not like the content does not mean that no one will like the content or blog. There is an audience and niche for everyone.
Bottom line just because someone has a lot to say does not mean they know how to write and get their point across. However, a blogger does not need to be an English teacher. Just knowing the basics of writing will get someone a long way. Finally, remember every blogger makes mistakes!
