Writing Killer Blog Posts By Wade Kwon

Someday, we're going to have a special prize The Nobel Prize for Blogging

Will you win it? Yes!

Why improve your writing? You owe it to your readers Only 2 kinds of writing get noticed ... good and bad It's how you stand out among millions of blogs and bloggers

You owe it to your readers

Only 2 kinds of writing get noticed ... good and bad

It's how you stand out among millions of blogs and bloggers

I. Better Writing

Goal review What is the goal of your writing? Of your blog?

What is the goal of your writing?

Of your blog?

Read good writing Blogs Magazines Newspapers Books (remember those?) And save clips

Blogs

Magazines

Newspapers

Books (remember those?)

And save clips

Practice practice practice Often, daily if possible Helps with writer's block Forces you to think about writing Helps develop your writing style

Often, daily if possible

Helps with writer's block

Forces you to think about writing

Helps develop your writing style

Passion counts If you're bored by your topic, your reader will be, too .

If you're bored by your topic, your reader will be, too .

What does this mean to the reader? Sum up in 1 sentence. Sum up in 1 word.

Sum up in 1 sentence.

Sum up in 1 word.

Revise revise revise Make first paragraph count Get someone to read over it Or put it down and read it later

Make first paragraph count

Get someone to read over it

Or put it down and read it later

Revise revise revise Cut by a third Spellcheck Incorporate reader feedback

Cut by a third

Spellcheck

Incorporate reader feedback

Tools Q&A / FAQ Opinion Forces you to think critically Lists

Q&A / FAQ

Opinion

Forces you to think critically

Lists

Tools Surprise Contrary opinion Original thought Humor

Surprise

Contrary opinion

Original thought

Humor

(Take 5 minutes.)

II. Better Blogging

Get organized Important on a blog page Include roadmap if needed Pick a game plan: Sections? Lists? Chronologically? Q&A?

Important on a blog page

Include roadmap if needed

Pick a game plan:

Sections?

Lists?

Chronologically?

Q&A?

Write conversationally Don’t use “click here” But incorporate links With headlines With title tags

Don’t use “click here”

But incorporate links

With headlines

With title tags

Think visually Bullets Bold key points / sentences Break up paragraphs Subheds using <h2> tags

Bullets

Bold key points / sentences

Break up paragraphs

Subheds using <h2> tags

Think about time Write long version, but add a short version at top Add “related posts” at bottom

Write long version, but add a short version at top

Add “related posts” at bottom

Think meta Headline Clever vs. SEO friendly Short vs. long Think CNN.com

Headline

Clever vs. SEO friendly

Short vs. long

Think CNN.com

Think meta Sprinkle keywords throughout post Tagcrowd.com Use tags

Sprinkle keywords throughout post

Tagcrowd.com

Use tags

OK, so you might not win the Nobel Prize, but instead ... Recognition Fans Satisfaction for a job well done