Monday, September 18th, 2006...11:19 am by Leroy Brown
How to write a great blog post
First and foremost, decide what you want to write about. No one likes a post that goes absolutely nowhere – it’s annoying. Once you’ve decided on the topic, figure out your goal. Is your post intended to inform your readers, provoke thought, start a debate, or perhaps even ask a question?
These two very basic elements will be the differentiating factors between a good post and a great post. A great post is clear in the topic and the goal. A good post may have one or the other down, but is a little bit fuzzy in the other area. Be clear.
Once you’ve decided on a topic and a goal, begin writing. Don’t be hard on yourself yet – write whatever pops into your head. You can always change things later, but often you cannot remember lost ideas.
After you’re out of ideas, start editing your post – and be tough on yourself. Quality is far more important that quantity here. You want to be sure that your original message comes across exactly the way you intended it. You also will want to cut out some of the fat – remember, editing is absolutely crucial, and is a step you cannot afford to skip.
After you’re finished, re-read your post from the beginning, and make sure that it reads the way you want. Only then should you post. The results will speak for themselves.
25 Comments
September 19th, 2006 at 1:43 am
[...] How to write a great blog post by Leroy [...]
September 19th, 2006 at 7:22 am
I think you could definitely elaborate, but it’s a nice basic idea
. Our list is up as well if you’d like to check it out!!
September 19th, 2006 at 10:09 am
I like posts that ask questions – it starts a conversation that is fun to check back on later. (Found you through ProBlogger)
September 19th, 2006 at 10:11 am
I’m a random rambler… :\ I can live with goodness and not greatness! Somebody has to do it!
September 19th, 2006 at 11:05 am
MamaDuck – Some bloggers are good at writing very long detailed posts ( Darren Rowse is one – he’s one of the best I know of at this ) , but not me. I prefer to keep my posts shorter and to the point – and leave plenty of room for individual creativity to take over where I leave off.
Northern Girl – Question posts are some of my favorites as well. I like nothing more than to wake up in the morning and see a ton of comments on a question post that I wrote the night before – it’s definately a great feeling, and helps keep me sharp.
Jersey Girl – As long as you’re happy – then keep going! Nothing wrong with doing what you love, your way, and not someone else’s.
September 20th, 2006 at 1:35 pm
This is great for newbies; so much of the time there is very little “basic” stuff out there. Sometimes just getting started is the hardest part. This post will get newbies started! Thanks, Leroy.
September 21st, 2006 at 4:15 am
[...] How to write a great blog post by Leroy [...]
September 21st, 2006 at 5:47 am
Olivia – if you don’t get down the basics, how can you figure out the hard stuff?
September 21st, 2006 at 1:05 pm
Good advice, although I don’t always follow it myself, it makes sense and will work.
Your entry to the problogger contest is linked over at
http://www.thegoldenpencil.com
Thanks
September 21st, 2006 at 3:32 pm
Thanks for the link Anne. I wish I followed my own advice all the time – I’d have a lot more money for sure!
September 22nd, 2006 at 11:01 am
[...] 16. How to write a great blog post by Leroy Brown [...]
September 22nd, 2006 at 5:29 pm
[...] How to write a great blog post by Leroy [...]
September 22nd, 2006 at 10:56 pm
[...] How to write a great blog post by Leroy [...]
September 23rd, 2006 at 4:46 am
[...] How to write a great blog post by Leroy [...]
September 23rd, 2006 at 5:52 am
[...] How to write a great blog post by Leroy [...]
September 23rd, 2006 at 6:57 am
[...] How to write a great blog post by Leroy [...]
September 25th, 2006 at 5:44 am
[...] How to write a great blog post by Leroy [...]
September 26th, 2006 at 4:02 am
[...] From the Problogger ‘How To…’ Group Writing Project, Blogging Blog teaches us how to write a great weblog post: Once you’ve decided on a topic and a goal, begin writing. Don’t be hard on yourself yet – write whatever pops into your head. You can always change things later, but often you cannot remember lost ideas. [...]
September 26th, 2006 at 9:01 am
[...] How to write a great blog post by Leroy [...]
September 26th, 2006 at 9:11 am
[...] How to write a great blog post by Leroy [...]
September 27th, 2006 at 5:55 am
[...] Hoe schrijf je een geslaagde blogpost? Zo dus! Deze link delen?These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]
September 30th, 2006 at 9:56 pm
[...] How to write a great blog post by Leroy [...]
December 23rd, 2006 at 7:17 am
[...] How to write a great blog post [...]
April 28th, 2008 at 10:13 am
[...] How to write a great blog post [...]
May 4th, 2008 at 11:59 am
[...] to make sure they keep reading till the very end. You can guarantee this will happen by thinking of a topic and a goal for the post before you start writing it. Both the topic and the goal have to be crisp and clear. [...]
Leave a Reply