This is a guest post by Frank Lee from Internet Marketing Systems. Today, he is sharing 9 powerful blog writing tips with us.
Anyone can start a blog. These days, it seems that just about everyone does. With a WordPress or Blogger account (or any one of the other free services out there) you can have a blog set up in minutes.
However, for every one excellent blog out there, there are thousands of bad ones.
The good news is that there are several keys to creating an excellent blog, and I’ve listed them for you here.
1. Passion. Just like starting a business, you need to have a passion for the topic you blog about. It will show through in your content, and you’ll be far more likely to stick to it. Figure out what you love, and blog about that. That way, it won’t be work – it’ll be fun!
2. Regularly Updated Content. Too many people start blogs, and get going with a bang, only to get bored after a week, or a month. Readers don’t like stagnant blogs, and neither do search engines. A neat trick, if you’re starting out, is to keep several ‘timeless’ posts in reserve, and when you’re lacking inspiration, or time, upload those instead. You can start building your content by writing one post everyday so that you have plenty of reserve for future use.
3. Writing Content For Readers, Rather Than Search Engines. Sure, keyword stuffed articles that make no sense will probably send traffic your way, but it’s not realistic traffic, and when those people realize that you actually have nothing to say, they’ll be gone as quickly as they arrived.
You may like to read: Human vs. Search Engines: Striking A Balance
4. Not Having More Banners, Ads & Offers On Your Site Than Content. It’s tempting to stuff your blog with ads that will make you money, but it probably won’t work. Keep ads, popups and banners to a minimum, and rather place links in your content. People aren’t stupid, they’ll realize if your blog is merely a vehicle for commercial advertising.
5. Offering A New Insight, An Interesting Opinion, Or Even Something Slightly Shocking.There are endless bland blogs out there in the world, and you don’t want yours to be one of them. Have something to say. Be controversial if you want to. Just don’t be boring!
6. Writing For Ordinary People. Sure, you may be a computer scientist, and your blog is about technology. How many computer scientists do you think will visit it though? Chances are, not that many. It’s better to write content for the masses than for a small, elite group.
7. Making Your Blog Visually Appealing Too. Reading anything online is a strain on the eyes. Adding pictures and graphics, or even a few colors, breaks up the monotony of all that text, and makes it easier for people to read your blog posts.
8. Keeping Posts Short. As I’ve mentioned in point number seven, reading online is a strain on the eyes – more so than reading a book or a magazine. You don’t have to post five thousand word essays that drone on and on to impress your readers. In fact, it will have the opposite effect. Keep it between three hundred and seven hundred words, and you should be fine.
9. Sharing The Glory. If you’ve found a great post on another blog, site or anywhere else on the web, don’t be afraid to share it with your readers. Add a link to your post, and direct them there. You don’t have to keep all the traffic for yourself, and if readers can pick up all the news in your niche from your site, it’s still likely to be their first stop.
One of the best ways to discover what makes an excellent blog is to look at some of the top blogs out there. They don’t have to be on a specific topic, but they will all have commonalities. If you can discover what makes them great, and use those concepts in your own blog, you’ll have won half the battle.
The other option is to sign up for a blogging master class, that covers all the key points you need to remember to take your blog from mediocre to excellent.
It is possible though, and while it will take some practice, with time, you should be able to build a great blog, that gets all the traffic you want.
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• Keys to writing a good blog • key to writing a good blog
Hi Colleen and Joe,
Thanks and nice work on your site!
You have posted many updated and valuable information there. I like it very much!
Hi Frank, you’re absolutely right. The main reason why one starts to put up a blog is because of the passion to write and for it to reach other people. Things that will keep readers (including me) wanting for more articles on a blog site are: quality and updated content, new insights, making your site simple and neat without much clutter as well as short yet meaningful article content.
Hi Felica,
You nail them solidly! Those are the great tips that can create momentum and progress on blogging. And that lead to more success naturally.
Hi Frank, no problem! I guess there are other reasons why one would put up a blog site, but the ones I mentioned before are the primary reasons why one does it initially. In fact, I guess one main reason (that others wouldn’t admit) why they put up a blog site is to earn money online, enough that they could quit their telecommuting jobs.
Solid advice Frank. The tip I like the most is telling people to refrain from over monetizing the site with advertising. I think everyone should earn money from their blog. Just don’t do it at the sacrifice of readers.
I also like when people write for readers like you mentioned. When I am reading a blog I want it to be like I am having a conversation with someone.
I never thought of the idea to actually write an article just in case. This can certainly turn into a life saver if your stuck out of ideas. I also agree about the length – sometimes I stumble upon articles, consisting of thousands of words which prove to be harder to understand than the four hundred word ones.
i prefer writing for local people cause the message will be delivered for all the targeted audience
I agree with passion being number one. Passion helps you move on amidst discouragements and hardships. Passion never lets you give up, it helps you stive excellence in everything you do. If you start things that you are not passionate about then it may not last long.
Nice post for a newbies like me … i think i should work hard to achieve the mentioned quality
Having passion for what you blog about is greatly important, you should write because you love to write. If you are not sure what you are passionate about, take the time to figure it out.
A sense of direction and a common theme is important. Passion is the key!
you’re right, I like the article above. Usually I just write 2-5 paragraphs, I write for my blog visitors.
But search engines are also important, every we finished posting don’t forget to ping to search engine. And add backlink everyday to make lot of visitors from search engine. Money came from lot of traffic.
Strategizing (sp) posts have become a big thing for me. I’m even thinking about creating series’ as well. I carry a notepad with me everywhere I go now so I can jot down ideas as they happen.