Basics of Blogging

Always remember these basics and you'll be publishing good quality, relevant blog content that attracts visitors in your niche market.

You must always write with the visitor in mind. This is the most important tip. Imagine you are looking for information on a certain subject. Does this provide it? Would you come back to this site again in the future?

You always have to give the visitor something they want. Your reader will always be looking for what's in it for them.

Keep it short and punchy. Most surfers scan webpages looking for interesting bullets. Even if you are capable of writing a masterpiece DON'T! People only have limited time so get to the point quickly. Publishing short, punchy posts more frequently is a far better idea than publishing lengthy articles every few weeks.

Keep it lively and personal. Don't worry if you are not a natural writer, anyone post in a blog. Just be yourself and write like you're chatting to a friend. Remember to get to the point quickly. Have you heard of the journalist's rule of Five W's in the first paragraph? - Who, what, why, when and where.

Ensure all of your posts have some value. Don't waste people's time by writing a sub-standard post because it's been a few days without posting. If you don't have much to say, find someone who does! Do a book review or just borrow an article (giving credit to the author).

In my opinion, the worst mistake a blogger can make is not proof-reading for typos and other horrors. I personally find it rude and take great offence when spelling mistakes and glaring grammatical errors appear on a webpage. It just shows a lazy attitude and worse than that, an unprofessional approach.

Why should the visitor respect the writer's views/recommendations if they can't be bother to use a spell check?

Linking is vital so link wherever possible (and where relevant) some more. This will build credibility and will help to establish you as an expert in your field. Linking to other blogs and websites in your niche also helps you build a network of online friends who will back link to your blog.

Make sure you use keywords regularly. This will help you stay on topic, and to get you listed with the search engines. If your keywords appear frequently you will get better search engine results. Simple but effective.

Write clearly (again short sentences, only one concept per sentence). No jargon. Never have any jargon. Make it easy for your readers by spelling everything out. Do not have any more than one idea in one sentence.

Write how you would talk in your everyday life. Be aware of your target audience but it's absolutely fine to use common expressions like:

Talk to the hand!
Go figure.

Use a bold, concise headline. Make it punchy and use key words.

Example: Ex-Cardiac Nurse Brews Award-Winning Beer

Good luck!