10 Steps to Writing a Better Blog

At a recent BlogHer conference I attended, I met some people from Yahoo! Shine, which is the online destination for women looking for the latest information and advice from experts and the community. I picked up a handout about tips for writing a better blog. The information was very useful and I wanted to share it with you.

1. Blog about what you’re most passionate about - Good blogs require commitment. If you’re not passionate about a subject, you’re not going to be committed to it.
2. Read and comment on other blogs – Get in tune with your audience by reading other blogs. It’ll help you find your niche, and you’ll also build up a network of readers and fellow bloggers.
3. Create a blogging plan – Regular posting will make your blog attract more readers. Loyal readers will evangelize your stuff, and will grow your audience for you.
4. When picking a topic, be relevant and valuable to your readers ­– Choose topics that are timely, provocative, helpful, or responsive to your readers’ needs.
5. Write great headlines – It’s important to write compelling, grabby headlines that are also easy to understand. Clear headlines are more likely to show up in searches and easier to read in an RSS feed.
6. Be focused on one topic – Too many topics in one post confuses the reader, plus it makes your post too long. Break multiple topics into new posts.
7. Humanize your topic by relating it to you – Your point of view on a topic is what makes your blog worth reading, so insert your personality and be opinionated.
8. Don’t make a post all about you – Remember, a blog is a conversation between you and your readers, and no one likes being trapped in a conversation with someone who only talks about themselves.
9. Make sure your post is adding to the conversation – When writing about a topic everyone’s already writing about, make sure you’re not just recycling the story. Add your own spin to make it your own.
10. Craft posts that are easy to read and scan – Write clean copy – typos and bad grammar ruin your credibility. Second, break up big paragraphs with subheads, images, and video, so it’s easier to skim.