There are many articles (and blogs) about what makes a blog effective, however we believe it comes down to being real, writing frequently and with strong tight content.
Real:
A blog has to be written in your voice, it has to represent your views and passions. Write about what you know and feel - and believe in. And keep your blog on topic. For example, if you are writing about travel destinations, don't write entries about political views or that hot new song you just heard. Focus is important. Staying on point will help add relevance to your blog - which is crucial to search engine optimization (SEO) rankings.
Frequency:
The objective of a blog is to gain readers - who come back time and again to read and learn more from your expertise. Write entries to your blog frequently - at least 2-4 times a week. When a reader comes to a blog - where the last article was six months ago (or six weeks) that reader will never return. Stay true to the first point however - never write for writing sake. Frequently written content is also valued by the search engines. The more often your blog is updated - the more often the search spider will return. Spiders love content and may reward your efforts with higher rankings.
Content:
Most of us are not professional writers and -we believe - that our lack of prose skills are easily forgiven in the
blogosphere. However - spell checking and good sentence structure is important. A blog is also not a place for a novel. Entries of 200-400 words are sufficient. Readers have patience for small doses of information - and want nice tight content. Give them the cliff-notes version on the subject - and include links where they can learn more.
The challenge in content writing is the balance between the use of relevant keywords (for the ingsearch engine spider) and sentences that are readable by your human follow. Always defer to readable, but ensure that you use keywords to satisfy the search engines. If your blog article is easily readable, that should suffice.
Additionally, a blog should not be viewed as a self promotion device. Naturally, the reader can know about your business and brand - but this is not about "I" - it should be about "You". In other words, give of yourself - your expertise. Educate your readers about the topic - without directly promoting your service or product. Your readers will appreciate the information and associate you and your business in a positive light.
Lastly, don't overstress yourself in writing - get your thoughts, ideas and advice out there. Keep it real, keep it tight - and share your wisdom frequently. And - a fnal tip: after you publish your entry, revisit it a few days later and edit it... we find this an way to ensure that the article is effective - because you then become...the reader.
how oldfashioned.....looks like a complete rewrite of general article. what is your experience in order to write this?
Posted by: ray | July 23, 2009 at 05:25 AM
hello and thanks for your comment - however can you add more context. Old Fashion in what regard? The main drivers of a blog are strong content, written to the point - frequently. What suggestions to you have...that could add to the conversation? thanks!
Posted by: Think eBiz Admin | July 23, 2009 at 01:07 PM