This is a guest post by Jesse Langley who is a freelance editor and blogger operating from the Midwest. Langley is writing on behalf of Colorado Technical University.
Blogging is serious business—at least it can be. There are people who use their blogs as online portfolios to showcase their work, people who use blogs as tools for political activism and people who use the blogs as a way to make a living.
However you use your blog, it’s important that your content is engaging, thought-provoking and above all, well-written.
The best blogs have great content, and great content should be your top priority. Finding the strengths and weaknesses in your writing can be tough. It’s hard to be objective about your own writing, and it can be even harder to find flaws in pieces that you’re passionate about.
Still, even the best writers hone their craft and find ways to improve their writing. With a few simple exercises, you can improve your blog’s content by improving your writing.
Know The Rules
One of the most liberating things about blogging is that you can write about whatever you want, however you want. Most bloggers don’t adhere to a style guide or follow strict grammar rules. But having a basic knowledge of writing guidelines will give you a strong foundation on which to build your own writing style.
If you’re not comfortable with your personal style—and even if you are—brushing up on your skills can help you build confidence. There are various books on writing, including the classic ‘The Elements of Style’ and other titles that give introductory lessons on writing. You can also pursue the Internet for writing communities, join a local writers’ circle or take a few classes online or at a local university.
Study Your Favorite Blogs
This is not an invitation to steal! Instead, study your favorite blogs and find what makes them your favorites. Find some of your favorite posts, and figure out what makes them great:
- Is it the blogger’s voice?
- Is it her ability to turn a phrase or her sense of humor?
- Is it her ability to communicate with her readers easily?
Make a list of your favorite blog qualities, and find a way to work those qualities into your own blog.
Value Your Audience
Writing isn’t just about your grammar and skills; it’s also about knowing how to give your readers what they want. Without your readers, you’d be just another person with a website, posting random stuff. Engage with them, answer their e-mails to you, and do what you can to make your blog an interactive experience.
You can also add links to your social media accounts, like Twitter and Facebook, to give your readers more ways to share your content and to attract new readers.
Practice, Practice, Practice…
A surefire way to become a better writer is to write as much as you can. Keeping a journal, online or off, can help you organize your thoughts and prepare for each new blog post. Just committing to writing every day can give you the motivation to work on your blog on a regular basis.
Also, every writer can benefit from a second set of eyes to look over their work. Proofreading should be a regular part of your writing process, but a friend or partner who’s willing to give you unbiased feedback is valuable.
Improving your writing skills will do more than improve your blog—you’ll use your writing skills at work and in your interactions with friends and colleagues. Commit to making your blog a priority, and you’ll be able to see benefits online and elsewhere.
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Yes, in blogging quality matters. 1 high quality post the much better than 10 low quality posts. So need to improve writing skills. Quality content will help to get better traffic also.
Great post and I do believe practice makes perfect, and that’s how the best players in the world become the best, and it goes the same to having a damn good writing skills… though I did not ask someone to proofread, still re-reading it a few times on your own might just do the trick of finding mistakes and change it. 🙂
Hi Jesse,
Great post. I wish you would contact the fortune 300 company that I work for and help them to see that blogging is serious business.
They are really big into corporate reputation but refuse to leverage blogging as a way to promote themselves.
It’s very frustrating.
Mark
It definitely takes time to find your voice unless you happen to be a natural.
It pays to try out a few styles before you settle on the right one for you and your readers.
It’s never a good idea to pretend to be something you are not. But it can take a while to find a happy medium between who you really are and the identity you are trying to portray in your niche.
I always try to improve my writing through reading and it really seems like it pays off. English is not my first language but by reading blogs such as smartbloggerz and other ones within my interest i get great knowledge, inspiration and improve my english at the same time!
Their is nothing worse than poor content and therefore these reminders of its importance cant come often enough! thanks for a interesting article Jesse!
very good topic and to be honest something that is not always given great consideration, the best blogs always seem to be those that have an individual voice of the author which sets them apart from the rest of the noise that originates from the internet……………
I look up to some few good writers in blogosphere. One is Leo Babauta, I actually try to mimic his style but I guess it will take so much practice to do that. Like you said practice, practice, practice and I think that will be the main key to be a better writer.
Good post and practice makes you perfect also better but the art of writing is – my opinion – knowing what the readers want also – in the same time – give them what they need, information of course.
To be honest this is really my biggest problem my crappy writing skills most of the time I find it hard to organize my thoughts thanks for your advice. That is also the reason why I’m visiting smartbloggerz is because of aside from blogging tips this blog post well written article.
Exactly, Practice is all that is required to excel as a writer or to produce great content. In the long run, its actually the content that helps. Content is what makes readers convert to buyers.