A Blog Story…Part 3

In part 1 and part 2 of A Blog Story series, I talked about what blogging is and why it’s important…today I’m humbly offering advice on how to make your blog ROCK!

1. Make the blog page pretty to look at. Use a design that appeals to the eye. There are plenty of free ones, or you can hire someone to create one for you.

Here is an example:
Girls, God and the Good Life
http://girlsgodgoodlife.blogspot.com/

2. When it comes to the content: Get to the point.

3. Bloggers are more likely to read short posts than long ones.

4. Keep the post simple. If you have more than one point, make them into different blogs.

5. Show lots of white space—which means only a few sentences per line.

6. Make it scannable. Bold your main points. Bloggers might only visit once a week, then scan down to see what you’ve written about.

7. Think of catchy titles. Why would someone want to read your post in comparison to the other 60 million out there?

8. Allow comments. Blog readers LOVE reading comments—sometimes even more than the blogs themselves. Yes, it’s true some people post bad things, but in all my time of blogging I’ve only had one or two that were SPAM. Instead I’ve made it so the comments come to my Inbox. This allows me to read what’s being posted. And if there is anything I don’t want, I delete it right away. You can also use word verification … which keeps spammers away. And you can moderate your comments, which means that you have to approve them before they are posted. (But personally, I don’t like that. I like instead feedback.)

9. Reply to comments that people make on your page. And comment on other’s pages. (Also understand people place a value on your blog by the number of comments. If someone sees a blog that never has comments, then they figure it must not be that interesting.)

10. End your blog with a question for readers that will encourage them to respond, such as “How do you like my new cover?”

11. Post regularly. For some, this means daily or a even few times a day. For others it means weekly. Just be consistent. If you only can commit to weekly, let your readers know that up front.

Roxanne Henke’s Weekly Diary
http://www.roxannehenke.com/diary/

12. Consider your boundaries—think about how much you like to share, how your family feels about your posts, how much you like people to know about you. Blogs can be personal or informational … you draw the line. Don’t talk about other people unless you have their permission.

13. Consider your brand. How are you known? How do you want to be known? What draws readers to your books? Example: Chick lit bloggers have fun, light blogs.

Excellent examples:
Angela Hunt
http://alifeinpages.blogspot.com/

Brandilyn Collins
http://forensicsandfaith.blogspot.com/

Girls Write Out
http://girlswriteout.blogspot.com/

Robin Lee Hatcher
http://robinlee.typepad.com/

14. Remember they are real people out there who just want to connect. How can you reach through their computer screen and influence them?

15. Read other people blogs and see what they are doing.

16. Comment on other people’s blogs (this builds readership for your blog too!) Again, sometimes comments are the best part. Through comments you meet new people, banter, share thoughts, add insight, challenge comments, and build community.

17. Post photos. People love a visual to connect with the words.

18. Join communities through blog rings or blog alliances. You can also ask other bloggers to share links. There are even awards given out now for the best blogs.

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
http://christianfictionblogalliance.com/

Christian Women Online Blog Awards
http://www.christianwomenonline.net/blog_awards.html

19. Humor works. People love to be entertained. You can write about the simplest things and yet interest people if you do it in a humorous way.

Fallible
http://www.fallible.com/

20. Offer free stuff. Draw names from the people who comment.

Okay, now you’ve heard all my great ideas…what are some of your’s?