DFC homework Wk1:
So after a little researching and interpretation, i've made a quick run down of ways to ensure that your blog is 'reader-worthy'!
1. A great blog has a clear voice: if you want people to read your blog, you've got to sound like YOU, not like anyone else. This means that readers are looking for an interesting 'cyber-personality' to learn from. You need to sound different to the other blogs they just read. You might be thinking "but my blog is not about me!?". Well, that doesnt matter, readers still want to get to know you, otherwise why would they be reading your blog in the first place! This is why you should aim to make your blog as unique and diverse as your own self, except, you know, a more edited version.... ;)
2. A great blog is about SOMETHING: that sounds stupid and obvious, but sometimes we need to remember that the blog is for a purpose, it should have a focus. It shouldnt just be a general overview of your life, or random things that you like talking about (yes, there are blogs out there that do this, but for argument's sake, they aren't successful). Your blog should be based around one, two or (maximum) three main topics. For example; a fashion & beauty blog, a sports blog, a music & movies blog. That way you will have a target audience that will always come back to your blog because they know that you write about the things they are interested in. However, if you feel very confident about speaking to the masses, its okay to mix it up a bit from time to time (maybe try this after you've got atleast 10 followers and 100+ views).
3. A great blog has good structure: To be honest, if you want to run a successful blog, you need to have the language down-pat (whether that be english, chinese, armenian!). In particular, you'll need; good sentence structure, good paragraphing skills (topic sentences, one topic per paragraph etc)...and visual effects like picture placement and paragraph allignment are just as important. Your posts have to LOOK appealing for people to even begin reading, and then it's up to you to write in a way that keeps them reading. Personally, I like to sprinkle emoticons and punctuation marks all over my posts (you may have realised!). I also think that if you've found a font and post structure you like, and that your readers like, you should stick to it. Uniformity never goes out of style, and it makes you seem more experienced/professional. As they say, practice makes perfect, and that goes for blogging too. Take some time to just sit and write about whatever comes to mind, and then keep reading over it and fixing it up every couple of days. Better still, get friends and family to read it back to you. Soon, you'll find you have written some great pieces that are ready to be shared with the rest of the world :)
4. A great blog is quirky: so this kind of relates back to point #1, and it just means that you should have fun with your blog! If you are not excited about what you're saying, no one else is going to get excited about it either. Don't think of blogging as a chore, like "I have to write a new post every wednesday", instead, get inspired and write when it comes naturally and feels right. Quirky doesnt necessarily mean out-there or different, it just means you have a niche style that no one else has.
In essence, I think it all comes down to one thing - embracing your inner blogstar!!!
Now I'm keen to read what you all found out about blogging :D
Anaheed (aka Ana) xoxox
Ps: i used http://www.43folders.com/2008/08/19/good-blogs as reference/material for this blog post (and a bit of own knowledge!)
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