The Art of Writing Damn Good Blogs

Most bloggers have a topic in mind for their blog right from the start.

However, don’t just flail around wildly in the topic as you try to write your posts. You need to find out what your readers want, what they will respond to, and what will get them to take action.

Once you understand your readers, you will be able to provide them with something of value to them in your blog posting.

Study Your Traffic

An important component of understanding your reader is using your search logs. Very few blogs have not gotten some type of traffic through search results. Even if you haven’t gotten your strategy for posting perfected yet, you are sure to get a few Googlers to hit your site. Your search logs will tell you what searches the search engine has paired with your blog. They are an inside look at what your readers are looking for and what they want.

Here is an example. Your post has the title of “How to Grow String Beans” and your content includes the phrase “green beans are good to eat.” In another paragraph, you have the phrase “green beans grow best in humid weather.” After you publish the post, you notice that you have gotten a ton of hits to it from people using some version of the “green beans are good to eat” phrase. You know that folks are searching for either green beans or something good to eat. It really has nothing to do with how to grow string beans, which was the focus of your post.

So, now that you know what your visitors were actually looking for you can post it and get visitors to your site because of your topic and not by mistake. Spend some time reviewing your search logs daily. This will give you ideas for new posts.

Know Your Weakness, Exploit Your Strength

The next key element is to focus on what works. You will have failures from time to time, perhaps more often than not. Nevertheless, the trick is to find what works and then expand upon it. Exploit your strengths. Once you have found your voice, use it to your advantage. If you find you have written a successful post, model a new post after it, using a similar style and approach. Embrace your successes. Expand upon them but stay true to them. You don’t need something new everyday. Most things in life include variations of existing themes.

Always try to write your best post ever but do not stress over it. Usually, the best posts are the ones in which you just sit down and write until you are done. Don’t keep going back over it to tweak it. Yes, you need to read and edit for mistakes and grammatical errors but don’t obsess over it. Once you reach a certain point in your writing, you will lose effectiveness if you continue to go over it. Simply strive to give your readers your best effort the first time.

It’s All About Your Readers

Don’t be too formal in your posts. The intention of a blog writer is to be conversational. A blog should elicit a response from your readers. It should entice them to comment. They should create a dialogue and some type of interaction between the writer and the reader. Try to write the way you talk. A blog should be casual and unpredictable. It should be flexible. The content must flow with whatever is thrown its way.

Remember, blogs are very simple by design and they aren’t about the latest technical gimmick. Don’t get caught up in designing bells and whistles for your blog. Let your writing sink or swim on its own. Visitors are not coming to your blog for the flash; they are coming for the content. Read what you have written aloud or read it to a friend. If you find that you are struggling as you read your own work, imagine what others will do as they read it. Most will probably just move on if what you write doesn’t seem to make much sense to them.

Keep updating your blog frequently. You may want to start out with a daily post to increase your content quickly and then taper off to weekly or bi-weekly posts. Don’t start your blog and then simply let it sit and stagnate. Even a monthly update is better than none. Just keep them consistent so those interested in what you have to say will know when to stop by.

Blogging requires time so if you don’t have the time for regular posts, then perhaps blogging is not for you. On the other hand, perhaps you can co-blog with a friend or family member. Remember, popular blogs are the ones with frequent updates. Always have your blog in the back of your mind. If you’re away from your computer during the day, carry a notebook to jot down reminders for topics you want to blog about.

Learn from Others

Finally, simply pay attention to what is working for other blogs. Take some time to monitor other blogs to see how they bring readers to action. Does this particular blog use numbered bullets or bullet points. Do they seem to be effective? Are how-to guides or top-ten lists bringing in readers’ comments? Are people voicing strong opinions in their comments? Never stop learning.

Find what works for others and then try it yourself by making it yours. Personalize it for you and your readers. Expand upon it. Tweak it. Look at the headlines for topics that work. Are there a specific number of words that seem to work better than others do? Try posting a series of articles that will bring your readers back.

The main points to remember when writing damn good blogs is to find your voice, keep trying, and keep moving forward. Know who your readers are, what they want, and what will get them to respond. Find out what excited them. Most importantly, don’t become stuck in your failures. Certainly, the failures are something to learn from but they are not something on which to dwell.

Remember, the small successes will bring you the big success.

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