Top Ten Tips to Writing Effective Blog Posts on 10:19 PM

Here are your TOP TEN TIPS beginning with #10:

10. More first, less later! Writing is a process. It is always easier to write “more than you think is necessary” and “prune” your work, than write “less” and try to “add/squeeze” things in. Don’t be afraid to write a few drafts, step away from your work, and come back to edit.

9. Have at least THREE paragraphs with a beginning, middle, and end. A blog post consisting of 250 to 500 words is enough to capture a reader’s attention and inspire him or her to “comment” and/or “click.” Only in rare instances are extremely lengthy blog entries effective.

8. Give your posts a clear direction. If your blog entry is “all over the place” and difficult to follow—it will not be effective and you will not develop an audience of readers. Also, determine what type of post you are setting out to write; will it be personal, educational, creative, or journalistic.

7. Double check! Make sure you do not have spelling mistakes and broken links. No one wants to read crap, and no one wants to click on broken links.

6. Include bullets, lists, and summaries. Make “key” information stand out and be easily referenced. Readers must be able to quickly scan and comprehend your blog post entry.

5. Develop your voice and style. Shakespeare, Faulkner, and Dickens all wrote differently; how do you write? Don’t try to write like someone else.

4. Write about things you like, know about, and are passionate about. If you are not passionate and just write meaningless jargon trying to promote banners and links; or if you don’t know what you are writing about; people are not going to want to read your blog posts. As a result, you will lose readership.

3. Use Keywords and Tags effectively. Some experts suggest you use as many keywords and tags as you possibly can; the practice of “overusing” keywords and tags in the long run doesn’t prove to be effective. When you write a blog post, use the most appropriate and relevant keywords/tags, and add them in a logical fashion. Your first keyword/tag should be the one that best describes your article in a general sense, perhaps incorporating a word or words that appear in your “Headline.” Rank your keywords and tags in order of importance and add them efficiently.

2. Link Popularity! Link to pertinent information from credible sources, as well as other points within your blog. Some of the most effective blog posts have many links; and often they link to sites/pages that are more heavily trafficked. Link popularity is a measure of the quantity and quality of other web sites that link to a specific site/blog post on the World Wide Web.

1. Use catchy “headlines” and paragraph openings. A good blog post has a headline that catches the reader’s attention, and a first line that hooks the reader. Try to begin and end with a real ZING!

Hope you enjoyed this Top Ten List to Writing Effective Blog Posts. Stay tuned for the much anticipated “Paying For Your Blog” discussing the PROs and CONs to spending money and investing in your “Progging Business.”