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July 17th, 2007 — Blogroll
By mistake, I gave the wrong title to a previous blog entry:
Instead of How to Write Compelling Blog posts“, I wrote “How do I write compelling blog posts?”
Of course, the problem with the second title is that I make the assumption I always create compelling blog posts.
It doesn’t sound too good, and even the kindest reader may point out, some posts are less compelling than others.
With the new title of “How to Write Compelling blog posts.” The post is partly advice to myself.
July 16th, 2007 — Blogroll
“good quality content is very important”
If I had a dollar for everytime I came across the advice for bloggers, I’d be a rich man. However, I’m not a rich man, which shows its easier to give advice than make it work for yourself.
At times, it is a bit of cliche to say your blog needs good content. It is one of those mantras repeated so often that it hardly offers anything new. However, why settle for average to good content? Why not aim at exceptional or outstanding content? Anybody can write average content; the internet is awash with it. If you really want to stand out from the crowd, take that extra step to create compelling quality rather than just good.
Tips for Writing Outstanding posts
1. Never Give Up
If at first you don’t succeed try again. Don’t expect to automatically hit the big time with your first article. Your writing will improve the more you practise.
2. Comprehensive List.
One way to stand out is to write on a topic which becomes a comprehensive guide. The success of Smashing magazine, is due to the fact that they always create very detailed articles. E.g. why stop at a top 10? check out this: Top 53 CSS techniques, at Smashing Magazine. .
3. Be Innovative.
If you don’t see of yourself as a natural writer, remember successful blog posts don’t always have to be long. The key is innovation, something new or memorable. This post about 3 pigs caught the eye of quite a few bloggers
4. Stand Out from the Crowd.
Look at how your article can stand out from the crowd with careful attention to eye catching titles and innovative ideas. see: how to stand out from the crowd
July 16th, 2007 — Blogroll
I think a very useful way for new bloggers to gain exposure is to write for established bloggers. Recently, John Wesley invited readers to submit articles for inclusion in his blog Pick the Brain. As it was a self improvement blog I though I would write on meditation.
As the article was about meditation, it was more appropriate for the link to me to my blog about meditation and spirituality – Sri Chinmoy Inspiration.
However, I think I will work on writing more articles for other blogs and submit it for possible inclusion. When writing for other blogs, we are motivated to try and write the best article we can. Other bloggers benefit from free, high quality content; we benefit from a high PR link and greater exposure. It is a good example of how bloggers can mutually benefit.
July 5th, 2007 — Blogroll
1. Grab people’s attention.
When blogging, you have to stand out from the crowd. Firstly, titles have to be interesting, intriguing, or at least descriptive. Which post would your rather read?
Never underestimate the power of your first sentence. It will determine whether people keep reading or stop. The point is that bloggers face a lot of competition, and you need to be able to differentiate yourself and your blog. The internet doesn’t really need yet another article “how to get more links”. If you are writing on material that has been covered many times before, at least, try to look at it from a different perspective. If you make it interesting, it will grab people’s attention.
Related:
2. Your Writing Can Improve.
If you want to be a successful blogger, you have to change your mindset. Everybody has the potential to become a good writer. Whatever your current standard, it is always possible to better. However, don’t expect to improve without making some effort.
Every writer I know has trouble writing.
~Joseph Heller
3. Good Writing is Simple and Clear.
Good writing is effortless to read. Write for the benefit of your readers and not for yourself. Try to use the minimum words necessary to explain your point in a clear and concise manner.
I try to leave out the parts that people skip.
~ Elmore Leonard
Articles that get promoted on sites like Digg, usually offer something informative and are written in an easily digested manner.
Useful Links
This post is part of Blog Project 3 at Blogging Tips. I would recommend entering, there is a good chance of getting an increase in backlinks and traffic. There is also even cash prizes!
July 2nd, 2007 — Blogroll
Which is more important. Writing 10 articles, or writing 1 that is actually worth reading?
In one respect, the Internet encourages quantity. The more you write the more chance you have of getting internet search engine traffic. The bigger your archives, the bigger the potential for traffic and adsense earnings. Furthermore, search engines can’t easily distinguish between average content and great content.
However, on the other hand, search engines can determine the number of links. If you write only quantity, it is difficult to attract in bound links. People will only link to good quality content that stands out from the rest. One, excellent article, which gets to the homepage of Digg, can be worth any number of inferior articles.
1. More pages give you a greater chance to get traffic from search engines.
2. Visitors from search engines are more likely to click on your ads. This is because a search engine visitor might not find what they are looking for, (which is especially true, if your article is poor quality)
3. More articles give a chance to increase your readership.
4. Through writing more articles you have the opportunity to exploit the long tail of your target keywords.
June 24th, 2007 — Blogroll
When I have left a blog for a few days I usually find it more difficult to come back. Once I get really involved in a blog, ideas usually come forward quicker than I can write. It might seem strange, but the more you blog, the more ideas you generate. Today I was struggling to think of topics for this blog and it wasn’t coming easily; so in rather disingenuous fashion I have written an article: “Finding topics to write about”
1. What is the Core Theme of your Blog?
You may have already written about the topics, but that doesn’t mean you can’t write more articles, or better articles. Often after writing several articles you have more idea about your topic. This is a good time to write a pillar article which combines the best of what you have written in various places.
2. Look at Your Core themes from a different Angle.
I always recommend stepping out of the blogosphere. Try to look at your topic from a different angle. For example, in this post “What blogging taught me about Economics” I combined my perspective as an Economist with blogging.
3. Respond to Other Posts.
In your reading of RSS feeds, you will be likely to come across new topics and interesting ideas. These can often be a springboard for a new post; however, I think it is important to offer something new and innovative and not just regurgitate the gist of someone else’s posts.
May 28th, 2007 — Blogroll
“If you start with a bang, you won’t end with a whimper.”
T. S. Eliot
Never underestimate the importance of your first sentence and first paragraph. It is essential your first sentence provides clarity and purpose. Try to make a bold, clear statement that captures the imagination of the reader. The first sentence and paragraph will set the tone for the whole article; it can also determine whether the reader actually continues with the rest of the blog post.
What to Include In First Sentence and Paragraph:
Things to Avoid in first Paragraph
(it should be THEIR time has come to go over THERE)
May 9th, 2007 — Blogroll
One of the constant challenges for bloggers is to find new ideas for blog posts. We also need to maintain a motivation and inspiration to write. If you are focusing on a competitive niche, it can also be difficult to think of something different and unique.
These are some suggestions to maintain our inspiration to write.
1. Start off with simple articles.
Writing seems onerous when we expect to produce a masterpiece, or the “best blog post ever”. If you start off with short simple articles, over time you will gain confidence to write longer and more involved articles. We only need a little inspiration to write a short simple article. But, once we actually start to write, we may gain increased confidence and increased inspiration.
2. Find a Suitable Location for Writing
Writing at your computer can be difficult because there are so many distractions, especially if you have internet connection. I often find that my most productive writing sessions occur in a coffee shop, or even at an airport. Whether this is the coffee, of the different location I’m not sure. But it is good to find a quite place where you associate with writing, and where you will not be distracted. Also, always have a notepad ready to write things down should good ideas come
3. Read Good Writers.
Reading good writers will give us ideas and inspiration. Most of my blog posts do not arrive out of thin air. They are usually in response to some other article or post. When we appreciate the good writing of others we can learn from their style and manner; it will help to improve our own writing.
April 30th, 2007 — Blogroll, blogs, selected posts
1. Articles should be informative.
Offering a review of a film / book / product is a good idea. Articles that explain how to do something are also valued. If you give meditation classes, why not write about different types of meditation exercises. If you organise races you could write an article on “Things to remember for organising a running race.”
2. Have Reasonable Expectations:
Don’t feel you have to attain perfection in your writing. If you have the idea the article must be perfect, it becomes difficult to write and it will take longer than it should. In some respects, quantity has its own perfection. I have found that as you write more, writing becomes more fluent. See your first 10 articles as “warm up” articles. When you get into the rhythm of writing you will find that you can write 500 words in 20-30 minute.
3. Short Attention Span of Readers
Always bear in mind people’s attention span is often short. Therefore it is important to:
a) Write with clarity and simplicity
b) Breaking up an article into different sections is helpful
c) I often like to write an article by numbers. Top 7 tips for.. are always popular.
4. Write on What you Know.
Concentrate on writing articles on subjects where you have some specialized knowledge. A reader can tell whether you are re-hashing ideas from others, or whether you have something new to offer.
Continue reading →
April 29th, 2007 — Blogroll, blogs
1. Include Short biography and photo.
2. Make it attractive and easy to read.
Give people short pieces to read. If it’s a very long article you can link to the main text from your blog and just give a snippet. When you read a newspaper we all read headings and opening paragraph but how often do you read everything?
3. Try to stick to a regular publishing schedule.
Little and often, is better than all at once and then nothing for several months. However, don’t post for the sake of it. ( Not every one may share your enthusiasm for an in depth account of your recent visit to the local supermarket.) It is good to post frequently, but this should not be at the expense of declining quality.
4. Have some Focus to Your Blog
I started off with 1 personal blog and would blog about everything under the sun. But I don’t think any reader would share such an eclectic range of interests. It now means I have specialised blogs. This includes blogs on: Economics, Mortgages, Writing / SEO, and Spirituality. However, be careful not to bite off more than you can chew. If you start with 8 blogs you will probably feel overwhelmed. Some bloggers say it is better to do 1 blog well than struggle with several. It will depend on how much time and enthusiasm you have.