Lesson Four: Taking It to the Next Step
So far, we’ve talked about a lot of logistics on how to start up a blog, how to avoid poor blogging, and how to captivate your audience with a good story.
Now, let’s talk about what you can actually do with your blog – not only how to spice it up with interesting content, but how you can use it to make a difference.
First, let’s discuss what you have in your “tool belt.” You can do a lot on a blog besides write little journal entries. Depending on your expertise, writing may not even be the main medium utilized on your blog. In addition to writing, you can post images, videos, or audio clips.
Click here to read an article on video blogging.
Click here to read more about audioblogging.
Click here to read the top ten tips on good blog-writing and a list of links to more blogging how-to’s
As a general rule, I try to include at least one photo per written post, just to give my audience something interesting to look at. An image helps catch someone’s eye, if they are scanning for something worth looking at. It also gives a visual representation or complement to what you’re trying to describe.
Most net surfers are scanning; somehow, they stumbled upon your site, and it doesn’t take much for them to get bored. Give them something to look at without drawing too much attention from the main content.
If your medium is writing, and you’re using photos to add interest to your content, try to limit the pictures to a maximum of three or four. If you’re retelling a story, don’t post every photo from the event; instead, post your top few that are the highest quality and best communicate your message.
Doing more than a few images turns it into a photo essay, at which point you may want to use a slideshow tool or post directly to the images section of your blog mechanism (most have these). A lot of images can look amateurish and cause unnecessary scrolling, which means your audience may lose interest.
Awhile ago, I found an interesting video about posting from YouTube to your blog. Basically, videos help your viewer retention, because they keep the person looking at your site for more than a few seconds. This, in turn, increases your search engine rating, since engines “know” how long someone stays on your site. This was novel to me, because I tend to think in hits, not minutes that a viewer stays on the site.
Second, let’s talk about building your network. By putting a few links on your site, you will: protect against the temptation of insular blogging, give yourself more resources, give your blog credibility, and get more hits. If you’re connected with other sites, you’re going to appear less of a “Lone Ranger,” and people will buy into your what you have to say.
This can make a world of difference, especially if you get someone who’s a “big deal” to link to your blog. If you aren’t able to find such a person interested in helping you build a readership, start a more “grassroots” marketing campaign for your blog by visiting other sites, occasionally giving them mention, and linking to some. Offer to “swap posts” with them – you post something from their site, and they post something from yours. Any smart blogger knows that this is a good idea. As you link to other blogs, use material from other websites, and mention other writers, you’re going to broaden your network.
Why is this important? Let’s say that you have the greatest blog ever, full of pictures, media, great writing, and frequent posts. Yet, you spend so much time building into your own blog that you don’t have time to visit others’ blogs, post comments, and mention what you’re reading. You build a great readership, but you’re limited to what you can bring in on your own. Since you haven’t been courteous to plug other websites, it’s unlikely that they’ll do the same for you. You’ll hit a plateau and not grow much after that.
By building a network of blogs and sites that express similar values as your own, you can share your viewership, since it’s likely that a visitor to one site will be led to another with similar content. The best way to do this is to partner with other sites, sharing links and occasionally plugging one another in an attempt to share your audience. Equally effective is some kind of already-established club or network; Xanga uses blogrings. The Blog Herald did a short article on a list of blog networks and also mentions the Blog Network List and the Blog Network Watch.
However you choose to connect to the blogosphere, the point is that by relying on your own blog, you do yourself a dishonor and don’t take advantage of the vast resources that the internet has to offer – namely, a connectedness between people and groups that transcends boundaries that in no other way would be possible.
Lastly, as you use tools that will make your blog stand out and build your readership through networking, you will find yourself with an opportunity to use your blog for more than just entertainment. If all you want to do is entertain, there’s nothing wrong with that, and you need not read any further. However, if you desire to do something more with your blog, ask yourself, “What might that be?” Is it a call to action, a challenge to your peers, or some kind of cause to support?
I do all three on my blog, calling my audience to wake up to the needs of the world, use their resources for the greater good, and give them a practical challenge to make a difference. At some point in starting up this blog, you may have considered the potential of letting your voice be heard; you may have dreamed of making an impact on the world. And maybe not. Wherever you take this tool for mass communication, consider the significance and purpose it could have, that it truly could be more than just a fun, little journal or another place for entertainment and diversion. It’s just a thought. Then again, maybe you’ve been dreaming along these lines from the start.
I hope this series was helpful. I’m still learning how to blog, but it’s a fun ride, and I’m beginning to see some interesting fruit from it – people being encouraged, challenged, and called to action. It inspires me to keep writing, keep sharing, and keep believing in the power of a conversation. Thanks for listening.
