As of 2012,there are more than 173 million blogs in existence (Neilson, 2012) and if you think you have a fresh idea for a blog because you are new to it, chances are someone had already published your ideas. So how you package your blog is going to determine your success.
Image from symplegades.com
I have never done a blog before and I get this feeling that my writing style has changed for this blog. As I am beginning to adopt a different approach by being less uptight when thinking about blogging contents, I am also learning to enjoy sharing my thoughts by writing in a less formal and relaxed manner.
From an almost academic style of writing to a casual conversation, I began to reflect issues and discuss them, as I would when having a chat with good friends.
However, this process of improving the style of blogging will never end, as fashion changes through the seasons, writers must also adapt to changing the moods of the audience and engage their emotions. But to put it in a nutshell, here are 5 key considerations I made in creating this blog.
1. Have a catchy heading
Similar to the newspapers, I wanted my headings to yell out to the audience “READ ME!”. The inverted pyramid also helps me to get readers to continue reading on.
2. Keep it short and concise
The audience on the internet will lose their interest if the article is more than 500 words long and “text heavy”. I had chose to break up lengthy articles with pictures and illustration to break up the monotony.
3. Focus on your goals
Even if it is a personal blog, often you will be tempted to write something that may be out of line with what you had originally envisioned, as I have been tempted to side-track at times. Stick to your guns and stay with the theme, I had also create sub categories within the blog so that readers can zoom into the information they desire.
4. Have some widgets but keep it simple
Widgets are small limited applications embedded within the web; provided by the site hosting your weblog. I had added some like the share or search options, these may be great ideas for friendly customization but when there are too many widgets, it can become overwhelming and distracting.
5. Be diplomatic and honest
If you are going to write a review or a commentary, be ethical and responsible in what you publish. There are always going to be several perspectives about an issues and never let your emotions sway you into becoming a keyboard warrior or slanting a story just so that you become the winner. Remember respect begets respect.
Reference
Nielson Wire, 2012, Buzz in the Blogosphere: Millions more Bloggers and Blog Readers, Nielson Wire, Available at http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/buzz-in-the-blogosphere-millions-more-bloggers-and-blog-readers/ [Extracted: 12th Feb 2013]
Eye Spy
Do virgin bloggers provide fresh views?
As of 2012,there are more than 173 million blogs in existence (Neilson, 2012) and if you think you have a fresh idea for a blog because you are new to it, chances are someone had already published your ideas. So how you package your blog is going to determine your success.
Image from symplegades.com
I have never done a blog before and I get this feeling that my writing style has changed for this blog. As I am beginning to adopt a different approach by being less uptight when thinking about blogging contents, I am also learning to enjoy sharing my thoughts by writing in a less formal and relaxed manner.
From an almost academic style of writing to a casual conversation, I began to reflect issues and discuss them, as I would when having a chat with good friends.
However, this process of improving the style of blogging will never end, as fashion changes through the seasons, writers must also adapt to changing the moods of the audience and engage their emotions. But to put it in a nutshell, here are 5 key considerations I made in creating this blog.
1. Have a catchy heading
Similar to the newspapers, I wanted my headings to yell out to the audience “READ ME!”. The inverted pyramid also helps me to get readers to continue reading on.
2. Keep it short and concise
The audience on the internet will lose their interest if the article is more than 500 words long and “text heavy”. I had chose to break up lengthy articles with pictures and illustration to break up the monotony.
3. Focus on your goals
Even if it is a personal blog, often you will be tempted to write something that may be out of line with what you had originally envisioned, as I have been tempted to side-track at times. Stick to your guns and stay with the theme, I had also create sub categories within the blog so that readers can zoom into the information they desire.
4. Have some widgets but keep it simple
Widgets are small limited applications embedded within the web; provided by the site hosting your weblog. I had added some like the share or search options, these may be great ideas for friendly customization but when there are too many widgets, it can become overwhelming and distracting.
5. Be diplomatic and honest
If you are going to write a review or a commentary, be ethical and responsible in what you publish. There are always going to be several perspectives about an issues and never let your emotions sway you into becoming a keyboard warrior or slanting a story just so that you become the winner. Remember respect begets respect.
Reference
Nielson Wire, 2012, Buzz in the Blogosphere: Millions more Bloggers and Blog Readers, Nielson Wire, Available at http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/buzz-in-the-blogosphere-millions-more-bloggers-and-blog-readers/ [Extracted: 12th Feb 2013]
Posted by Kennard Chen on 13/02/2013 in Commentary
Tags: blog, concise, focus, reflections