Writing for an academic journal, or for the local newspaper is very different from writing in a blog.
While there are no formal rules to follow when writing a blog, it has been observed, tried and tested that successful blog follow some unspoken but golden rules in the blogosphere.
These are seven for you to get started with.
1.
Write the way you talk, not the way your normally write Blogs are not meant to formal.
Most blog posts are able to engage their readers because they are written from the first person's point of view, and are written in a very conversational manner.
2.
Be willing to be yourself Everyone has their own opinions on some things - be willing to show your own personality and express your sincere opinions in your blog posts.
People want to read your opinions, not what the news have already reported.
That said, you will need to be extra careful if you are touching on sensitive issues.
3.
Be nice to others and others will be nice to you While it is great to have a personality on your posts, you must do your best to show it in a positive and nice manner.
If you have to present a critique that is more negative than positive, consider offering helpful suggestions and solutions instead of just criticisms.
Start condemning people and you will find the same will happen to you.
4.
Blog for your future boss Remember that whatever you pen down in your blog is achieved, and is open to the public to read, so write sensibly.
You need to be responsible for what you say, so make sure you are proud of it.
The guideline then, is if it is something you wouldn't want your future boss to read, then don't blog about it.
5.
Link out to pay credit to original sources One of the best ways to write a blog post is to expand on a discussion that is happening on another blog.
In doing so, you can quote sentences from other blogs and articles, and in the blogosphere, the best way of giving credit to the source is to link to them.
This does not only help the blog perform better in search engines (which is what the author of the blog probably wants) but will also allow your visitors to be able to get to the original discussion easier.
6.
Deal with negative comments, don't delete them It is inevitable that you will get a couple of negative comments on your blog.
Remember, there is a very clear difference between a negative comment and spam.
Spam should be deleted, negative comments should not.
Instead, address the comment professionally, and resolve the issue openly.
It shows a lot about the authenticity and transparency of your blog when you do this.
7.
Post regularly It is important that you blog on a regular schedule.
Your schedule may be one post per two weeks, making it only 26 posts year, but make it regular.
Do not load everything in the start of the year and remain silent for the rest of the year.
This helps to show that you are alive, that there is a human behind the blog and that human is still alive!
While there are no formal rules to follow when writing a blog, it has been observed, tried and tested that successful blog follow some unspoken but golden rules in the blogosphere.
These are seven for you to get started with.
1.
Write the way you talk, not the way your normally write Blogs are not meant to formal.
Most blog posts are able to engage their readers because they are written from the first person's point of view, and are written in a very conversational manner.
2.
Be willing to be yourself Everyone has their own opinions on some things - be willing to show your own personality and express your sincere opinions in your blog posts.
People want to read your opinions, not what the news have already reported.
That said, you will need to be extra careful if you are touching on sensitive issues.
3.
Be nice to others and others will be nice to you While it is great to have a personality on your posts, you must do your best to show it in a positive and nice manner.
If you have to present a critique that is more negative than positive, consider offering helpful suggestions and solutions instead of just criticisms.
Start condemning people and you will find the same will happen to you.
4.
Blog for your future boss Remember that whatever you pen down in your blog is achieved, and is open to the public to read, so write sensibly.
You need to be responsible for what you say, so make sure you are proud of it.
The guideline then, is if it is something you wouldn't want your future boss to read, then don't blog about it.
5.
Link out to pay credit to original sources One of the best ways to write a blog post is to expand on a discussion that is happening on another blog.
In doing so, you can quote sentences from other blogs and articles, and in the blogosphere, the best way of giving credit to the source is to link to them.
This does not only help the blog perform better in search engines (which is what the author of the blog probably wants) but will also allow your visitors to be able to get to the original discussion easier.
6.
Deal with negative comments, don't delete them It is inevitable that you will get a couple of negative comments on your blog.
Remember, there is a very clear difference between a negative comment and spam.
Spam should be deleted, negative comments should not.
Instead, address the comment professionally, and resolve the issue openly.
It shows a lot about the authenticity and transparency of your blog when you do this.
7.
Post regularly It is important that you blog on a regular schedule.
Your schedule may be one post per two weeks, making it only 26 posts year, but make it regular.
Do not load everything in the start of the year and remain silent for the rest of the year.
This helps to show that you are alive, that there is a human behind the blog and that human is still alive!
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