Wordful» Blogging Advice

7 Steps to Blog Post Perfection

Charles — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:07:08 +0000

I want you all to know I suffered at the ruthless hands of time and atrophy to bring you this. We’re talking countless hours spent thinking, writing, scribbling, procrastinating, rewriting, deleting, groaning and starting over—all for a blog post. Nowadays it’s better. I developed an easy 7-step system that helps me power through my blog writing. I now get it done not just in record time, but with much better efficiency and competence. So here you go:

Get an idea. Ideas are plentiful, and the best way to capture them is to write them down. Fill your notebook with all the ideas that flutter into your consciousness throughout the day. [You do have a notebook or Evernote, right?] Tip: write one-line summaries for your best ideas, then circle them for easy finding when you’re ready to write your post. Then…

Write the headline. I lifted this tip straight from Copyblogger, which recommends you write your headline before your content, because “you have the benefit of expressly fulfilling the compelling promise you made with the headline, which ultimately helps to keep your content crisp and well-structured.” Very well stated. Now prepare to…

Spill your guts. Otherwise known as writing the first draft, where you need to sell yourself on your own ideas. Isolate yourself from all distractions and write from the heart. Don’t worry about clarity or persuasion or spelling, and don’t get self-conscious — just make sure you write down the essence of your message. Once you’re done spilling…

Walk away. Take a necessary break and leave your first draft alone for at least an hour. A day is even better. The time away allows your writing to take root and your mind to refresh. The result: refined perspective. Now you’re ready to…

Come back and edit. Editing is tough but powerful. It’s where you make sure your writing is totally clear, accurate and relevant to your audience. It’s also where you strengthen your voice and style and personality. Take the time to edit your post until it’s as perfect as you can get it, then…

Add the xFactor. Nobody really talks about this, but I do. It’s something you should do with every post you write. Adding the xFactor is the art of making a good post great, and the difference between presenting yourself as a professional and presenting yourself as an expert. What could you add (or subtract) from your post to make it better than anything anyone has ever read on the subject? Is your post in context with what other people are saying? Does it evolve an idea people believe in? Will it challenge people to take action? Ask yourself these tough questions, then answer them in your post. Now it’s time to…

Publish. Don’t underestimate this final step. It calls on your courage to broadcast your ideas to the world. It calls on your responsibility to be accountable for what you say and don’t say. It calls on your conviction to influence, educate and entertain your readers. Like they say — publish or perish.

What do you think? Anything missing or something you’d like to add? Please share in the comments.

Photo by antkriz.

7 Steps to Blog Post Perfection is written by Charles Bohannan for Wordful.com, a blog about digital publishing.

5 Signs You’re a Healthy New Blogger

Charles — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 08:46:56 +0000

“The finest steel has to go through the hottest fire.” – Richard Nixon. If you’re in the early stages of your blog, allow me to empathize with you. I too am a newbie blogger with the same ups and downs, constant self-questioning and blind faith as you. I too write to a near-empty audience without the guarantee of applause, and I too must believe in myself when nobody else even knows who I am. Feeling uncomfortable is natural and healthy for newbie bloggers like us — it’s part of paying our dues. But instead of flinching from your discomfort, why not embrace it? Why not use it to drive you that much further past the masses who settle for comfort and dare I say…mediocrity. If you can to learn to leverage your challenges to your benefit, not much can hold you back from the wild success of your dreams. So without further ado, here are the five most obvious signs you’re a healthy, thriving new blogger:

You’re anxious. You want results and you want them now. Unlike that boring nine to five desk job, blogging represents a bright future which you have the freedom to create. It’s something worth waking up for and nurturing, even on Mondays. Anxiety is a good sign because it shows your blog is alive and breathing, itching to grow and blossom like a restless child.
You’re lonely. You have two readers, and you’re of one them. This is how we all start, but if you keep writing, they will come. Just ask fellow new blogger Nathan, who says “I’m still writing consistently, and seeing steady increases in readership.” Does it get any simpler than that? Nathan understands the ancient Chinese wisdom that states, “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”
You’re tired. If you’re like me, your blogging is competing for time normally set aside for something else, like sleeping. Or time with the family. Or surfing when the waves are good. Chances are you didn’t quit your day job to start your blog, so being tired is a perfectly normal side-effect of new blogging. Gary Vaynerchuk of winelibrary.tv says it best in this speech (at 12:15): “Work nine to five. Spend a couple of hours with your family. Seven to two in the morning is plenty of time to do damage.”
You’re intimidated. We blog in the shadow of giants — bright and cunning bloggers who have been doing it longer, command all the readership and clearly have more fun than the rest of us. This should intimidate you as a new blogger, but it should also drive you to learn everything you can about them, their stories and their methods. What you learn will make you stronger and smarter, and before you know it you’ll be up there too. See also: Power of the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy.
You’re obsessed. Being obsessed is just another way of saying you’re committed with passion. Your readers will know and appreciate this because it will show in your writing without any overt effort on your part. Obsessions are healthy because they supply your blog with ideas, information, charisma and creative energy. Following your fixation will eventually lead to a blog that is uniquely you and not a copy of someone else’s great idea.

Remember — it doesn’t pay to be comfortable. Embrace your challenges like a mountain climber or astronaut would embrace theirs — with gusto, courage and faith. Now more than ever is the time to push forward.

5 Signs You’re a Healthy New Blogger is written by Charles Bohannan for Wordful.com, a blog about digital publishing.

Poll: What Matters to You in a Blogger?

7 Habits of Highly Effective Bloggers, Redux

Charles — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:06:29 +0000

My previous post was all about what not to do if you’re new to blogging. But what good is that advice if I don’t offer you something that accentuates good blogging habits? In all the hours I spent reading other people’s blogs (and not writing on mine), I’ve noticed that all successful bloggers pretty much follow the same patterns:

They are consistent. This is number one for a reason. Their blogs are like rivers in that content is always flowing, with average posting frequency of at least once a day. Consistency equals hard work plus solid routine. Special props to Shoemoney, SEOBook and Problogger for working on Sundays!
They are passionate. I’ve never read a good blog’s post that indicates the author is bored, disconnected or hating what they’re doing. Every one of them believes in their work and the value they offer their readers. You can’t fool loyal readers with fake passion — sooner or later it’s going to backfire.
They are original. So many niches are saturated, like this “how to blog” one I’m temporarily dabbling in. A top blogger is well learned, like all of us should be, but then they innovate, gather some experience and then apply genuine creativity to their subject. What results is leadership.
They are generous. If you tend to hold out on your good ideas, perhaps out of fear of someone taking them, someone is going to take them anyway. That’s because there’s so many bloggers out there with reasonable intelligence that sooner or later they’ll make the same connections as you. The difference is they’ll want to share them and you won’t. This happens to me all the time, actually, but more so due to laziness and excuses.
They take risks. Fortune favors the brave, they say. I couldn’t agree more, and look around you — how many blogger’s stories do you read where they got paid huge salaries to blog when they first started? None. If you got some time on your hands, read all of these stories: Darren Rowse, Jeremy Shoemaker and Aaron Wall (not really a blogger per se but a great dot.com story nevertheless).
They are in touch with their audience. How can you lead without knowing and responding to your followers? For the answer to this I defer to Gary Vaynerchuk of Winelibrary.tv for an empassioned explanation: “You have a community when one person listens to you.” Watch the video here.
They edit their work. Sure, it’s a little mundane to go over what you’ve just written, but in my experience editing is where the magic happens. It’s where you take a raw piece of writing and refine it so the language, ideas and subject matter is mature and cohesive. Not to say all top bloggers sound mature, but I can bet they go over their post before publishing it to avoid any silly errors.

And there you have it, yet another list of good blogging habits. Notice I didn’t say anything about being a good writer? That’s because it’s not too important. It’s better to write for the sake of educating, entertaining or engaging your reader. Everyone has their own style, and that’s what gives bloggers their personality. Oh yeah, I like to do this for people who actually read this far: the 8th habit: Vision. I believe it’s important to focus on where you see your blog in the future. Maybe not necessarily the details, but some idea of the importance, magnitude and value of your work is vital to staying inspired during the day-to-day grind of blog writing. End note: I bet you haven’t read this kind of article before, huh? Hey, I gotta start somewhere!

7 Habits of Highly Effective Bloggers, Redux is written by Charles Bohannan for Wordful.com, a blog about digital publishing.

7 Bad Habits New Bloggers Must Avoid