Top 5 Blog Tips

So far in this blog, I've talked about how the medium directly affects the message and how the definition of literacy is constantly changing, especially now that we have so many new forms of media and communication. I have also listed my criteria for what I consider to be a good blog, and even put that list to work by showing examples. Piggy-backing off of those criteria, I have devised another list for my Top 5 Blog Tips for new bloggers:

5. Write, Read, Revise, Repeat
A blogger's work is never finished. Whether you write free-hand or systematically, it's always good to double-check your work. This should be a no-brainer. If you're writing something that anyone online can see, the last thing you want (other than incriminating photos) are embarrassing misspellings and typos. Also, if you change your mind about something, or decide you don't want to keep a certain post, guess what...you can delete it! Its ok to go back and make changes--that's why they're blogs--they're not written in stone. In fact, I will probably edit this very post three times by the end of the week. As you progress in your writing, so shall your blog. Like a pokemon, it wants to evolve. So help it grow.








4. Design It Like You Mean It
The design of your blog should directly reflect the subject you are writing about. Period. Now I know not everyone's a graphic or interior designer, but most everyone has an idea of what looks good and what looks bad to them. You don't have to please everyone, just your readers. So try to find something that connects with the focus of your blog and advances your message. Tell the reader what you're all about before they even begin reading. Lastly, the design should be bearable. You might blog about abstract art or the "ugliest designs ever," but even in those cases, you still want your writing to be legible and your audience to stick around long enough to read it.

...unless of course you are blogging for the blind

3. Know Your Audience and Use Your Web Voice
This tip could have been split into two, but they are too closely related and equally important. Depending on who you are talking to, you are going to think and speak differently. You should speak to your audience with the appropriate tone. Don't talk down to them, and certainly don't ignore them. You want to see eye to eye with your reader. If you don't know exactly who your readers are, just simply ask yourself this question: Am I writing what they want, or am I writing what I want? Once you can answer that question, you'll have a much better idea of what voice to use. Generally, that voice should be something likable. It should read like it would sound if we were having a face to face conversation. Picture your audience, and let them know what's on your mind :)





2. The Title Is Half The Battle
The title should be something short and catchy. It doesn't have to be, it just seems to work better. How come? Because the title of your blog should match the url. So if your blog is called "Half the Battle," the url should read: http://halfthebattle.blogspot.com. A good example of what NOT to do is the myspace page for one of my favorite local bands, Ten-Speed. Sure, you could just go on MySpace and search "Ten-Speed." But there are other bands with that name and some of them are more established, and therefore are ranked higher in the search. If you didn't already know the band, you would be lost. But rather than come up with anything even remotley reminicsent of "Ten-Speed," the url for their myspace is: www.myspace.com/theblockofwoodcollective. Yes, The Block of Wood Collective. Now what if you had gone to their show and asked what their myspace page was? Would they tell you Block of Wood Collective? And if they did, would you remember that? My only explanation for this one is that they might have been called that at one time and then later changed their name to Ten-Speed. The point is, name your blog according to the subject matter, and make the url as close to that title as possible. Or in otherwords, don't call it October In The 80's. Especially if you're not going to talk about the 80's.

1. Write About Something You Love
Ok, I'll admit, I stole this one from the Diigo, but that's because it makes perfect sense. If you're not writing about something you love, then you are far less likely to continue writing about it. And if you do continue writing about it, you are not going to be very happy about it. Of course this does not apply to work or school, where you might be writing for a job or assignment. In this/that case, you have no choice. But if its a personal blog, write about something you love. It will only make things better for everyone.

An excellent example of this is showcased in the recent film Julie and Julia. Its about a woman named Julie Powell who discovered blogging when it was still in its infancy (pre-web 2.0), and because she loved food so much, she decided to blog about cooking. The only problem was that she wasn't a very good cook. So in order to challenge herself, she decided to cook Julia Child's entire cook book in a year....and blog about it. That's 524 recipes in just 365 days. She called it the Julie/Julia Project, and it was a huge success.



I love Amy Adams. Hence, I blogged about her.