I started my blogging experience by reading blogs. I had no intention of ever blogging myself. I was just intrigued by some of what I was reading.
After some time, I realized there were things I liked about some of the blogs and blog sites I was looking at, and there were things I did not like very much.
I found myself coming back, over and over, to some blogs while others slipped away from a lack of interest on my part. I began to think about why.
I realized that blogging is an art and a craft, and there are some things that those who blog should keep in mind.
Keep the Length Reasonable
Anywhere between 350-700 words will usually handle most subjects. You want to cover an idea, but you do not want the reader to move on before you are finished having your say.
Very short blogs irritated me because it was often unclear what the point was.
Blogs that were long were frequently repetitious as if I was not smart enough to figure out what the blogger was trying to tell me.
Blog at Least 2-3 Times a Week
If I check in, and you have not posted anything in a week, why should I come back?
You have to keep me interested if you want to keep me coming back. You might even have at least one day a week that you always blog at around the same time.
For instance, you might post an entry every Thursday evening. Then I know I can always visit on Friday and find something new.
Keep Up the News
If you are blogging about specific current events, keep up with what is happening.
For instance, for several Tuesdays in June, there are elections. If you are blogging about national politics, it is a really good idea to blog on Tuesday after the results and, perhaps, on Wednesday, as well, with your interpretation on what happened.
The point is, whatever the subject, don not fall behind.
Respond to Comments Made About What You Have Written
If you do not respond to mine, I will work harder to make them impressive. If you respond to others, I will try to learn why you did, so I can emulate their style.
If you do not respond to anyone, I will see it as a one way conversation, and I might not feel like coming back. I like to feel appreciated and wanted.
I have been reading blogs for about six months and have finally started to blog on my own. I had no idea there were so many blogging communities.
Right now, I am concentrating on guest blogs to sort of test the waters. There are only so many hours in the day, so I have to make a decision about what to do and where to do it.
I am really looking forward to getting comments and becoming part of a community. I like the interaction of blogging, and I promise to take my own advice.
About the Author
Francine Lauder works for College City as an administrative assistance. She and her husband are raising two children. For her, blogging is a way of getting away from it all.
About Author
Comments are one of the most important factor in a blog, in my opinion.
You should always answer to your commenters, and try to engage conversation.
A blog without comments is like a “dead blog”.
Thanks for your article, Francine!
Hi Francine, The blog, done right, is the best way to earn money online. But, there are so many who start and do not put the effort into maintaining it.
Writing two or three times a week may seem like a lot. But, it is the way to get noticed. On the flip side, if you do not post at least once a week to your blog; Google notices! Google does not rank you high if you are not posting consistently.
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Great post, even though I don’t agree with all of its content. I think it all comes down to WHY one starts blogging. If it’s to make money from the blog, then I can certainly see how it would matter to publish 2-3 times per week, if not more. But if the blog is there as part of an overarching content strategy for a brand, a product or service, once a week may suffice, sometimes even less.
Same could be send about the length. Some folks try to keep it snappy and sharp with 200-250 words per post, driving only one solid point across. Personally, I only post once per week but my posts are usually 800-1,000 words. This involves more research, pictures and content, but it’s the approach for my blog and what my readers appreciate.
For the rest, though, I completely agree on the need for regularity in post publications, and keeping it relevant with regards to the news and what’s happening in the world. Same can be said about commenting and responding to comments. Good way to see if a blog is a monologue or a conversation.
Cheers from Quebec City,
Frederic
I actually don’t agree with the length of the blog post. Several of my most popular posts have been close to a 1000 words and one of them that I wrote almost six months ago, still gets a ton of traffic today. I also post only once a week so I put a lot of details into my posts.
I agree with response to comments – nothing will put me off quicker than if I find the owner doesn’t respond to comments – it’s like I’m invited to find the host missing!
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Interesting comment about frequency/regularity. I never ever visit a blog on the off chance that something has been posted. Instead I subscribe to their RSS feed (having read previous entries to see if relevant and interesting), and then let the content come to me.
As I have a few hundred pieces of content coming into my Reader every day, if a blog doesn’t post for a few days I’m not overly concerned. If they don’t post for weeks then maybe, but I’m not worried about a few days.
Quite agree with the comments comment though. It’s a grumble I have with the mainstream press. Many will allow comments, but hardly ever do you see the journalist joining in with them. Comes across like their readers are beneath them.
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Very good points here – I feel the exact same way for most of them and do my best to make sure that I follow them in my own blog!
Thomas
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Twice a week could be hard for some bloggers out there. I think it would be okay to post something once a week, as long as the blogger keeps it consistent. A good way of checking when the blogger can post and get a lot of response is to know when the people who might be interested in the content are online. It’s all about the timing here; if you post on a good time, you have the chance of getting a good response from the people.
Great advice!
Especially the part about posting 2-3 times per week. That is golden. Now I need to get busy!
Pete
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