Blog Writing

1. Write for your reader, not for yourself.

A blog is not a diary. Oversharing and flowery writing alienate readers. Engage your audience by writing clearly and conversationally about topics that matter to people.

2. Define a clear purpose for your blog.

Choose a topic for your blog and stick to it. Each post should relate to your central theme. Healthy and cheap cooking, violence against women in the media, or experiences of American ex-patriots abroad will draw more readers than “Daily Thoughts of Jane.”

3. Think visually.

Break up your writing with images and links to other sites. Include at least one image per blog. Provide links to other websites as you write—don’t just clump them at the end of the entry. Finally, writing short paragraphs in block style will make your blog easier to read.

4. Use keywords.

Choose keywords that people will search for. Use these words frequently in your posts to make your blog pop up in search engines.

5. Write strong, short headlines that capture your point.

A headline should spark interest and accurately describe what your post is going to be about.

6. Get to the point—and stay there.

Establish your point in your first paragraph. People scan on the internet. If they don’t find what they’re looking for in the first 50-100 words, they’ll move on. Similarly, straying too far from your point later in your post could maroon your audience.

7. Keep it short and simple.

Don’t linger. Say what you want to say and remember that future posts can include ideas that don’t make it in.

8. Use a clear, engaging writing style.

Write conversationally and confidently. Your blog should be easy to read. Use active verbs and write sentences on the shorter side (but still vary your sentence structure).

9. Make yourself credible.

• Link to other Web sites, especially other blogs. Credit your sources by providing links to them.
• Write objectively about your opinions, using facts and studies to backup your points.
• Use correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation—proofreading is crucial even for conversational writing.
• Clean up your blog—delete posts that no longer seem well written or relevant.
• Don’t use emoticons or common internet abbreviations such as “lol,” “brb,” “lmao,” etc.

10. Get responses.

Ask questions near the end of each post to elicit responses. Reply quickly to your comments, even ones you disagree with. Delete crude and deliberately offensive comments.

11. Respect privacy.

If you’re blogging about someone other than yourself, use caution when disclosing the identities of people and organizations, especially those that generally try to maintain some anonymity. Always ask for permission to disclose names and other personal information.

12. Have fun.

A blog is a space where you can share your passions. Your interest in a subject will shine through your writing if you pick a topic you care about.

If you need more help with the structure of your blog go to the D-Center, where they can help with the specifics of creating a visually appealing and well-working site!