What makes a good blog? And a popular one? The same principles of what makes a story good and popular apply here. Blogging is just journalism done differently.
What does a blog do? It allows a reporter to enhance authority via the ability to publish information outside the traditional news cycle and story format. And it allows a news organization to establish a deeper relationship with its audience and leverage the wisdom of the crowd for the benefit of the reporter's coverage.
The rules are a bit different. You can play off of other information via links to competitors. You can have a more personal and conversational (but not necessarily opinionated) voice. Plus, a blog is an ongoing conversation. You tell a story post-by-post, rather than all at once.
What is a blog? There are several common characteristics:
-- It's frequently updated.
-- It's written in a conversational style.
-- It's in reverse-chronological order, with the newest stuff on top.
-- It links to other news and information found on the Web.
-- It's more analytical.
-- There are reader comments appended to the end of each blog post.
To get started, first we must know the form. Before you wrote your first news story, you probably read one, to see what a finished one should look like. Do the same thing here: read other blogs.
Notice which posts you like. Ask yourself, what makes those posts compelling? Note which ideas you can borrow or incorporate. Notice the frequency of the posts. Are they as frequent as you'd like? Are they too frequent? Is there too much information to keep up with?
There are several keys to the mechanics of blogging. First, write tight and quick. Get to your point immediately. There is no set length for a blog post, but 100-400 words is a good target. If you have a lot to say, you can always write a second related post! And a third. And so on.
Plus, think email: think of it as an email to someone you know. Think about a long-winded email you received -- that's what you want to avoid.
Also, link, summarize and analyze. You need attribution and background, like with a news story. But here, attribution and background come via hyperlinking. So, hyperlink frequently to offer background, instead of stuffing that background in the next of your blog.
And, be the authority, but with a personality. Write it in the way you'd talk to someone about a story you wrote. Make it conversational. Sound like a human being, and not a lecturer.
Be short with posts. I cannot say this enough. You are a middle man, linking sources (like links) to readers. Let the links fill in the blanks, and the background. No need to write it all in the post when people can just click on the links for more info. And again, you can always write another post!
Use photos and screen shots to illustrate your posts. Keep in mind, you cannot simply take an image you found on the Web and use it. That's likely a copyright violation if you do so without permission (and even if you give credit without having first received permission!) It's best to use your own photos, or clip art, or to get permission before using a photo or image you find online.
Post often. At least once a day. If you have a blog worth reading and writing, you should have plenty to write about. A blog is like a friend; you build a relationship by frequently sharing new thoughts. A blog that's rarely updated is like a friend with nothing new to say.
What does a blog do? It allows a reporter to enhance authority via the ability to publish information outside the traditional news cycle and story format. And it allows a news organization to establish a deeper relationship with its audience and leverage the wisdom of the crowd for the benefit of the reporter's coverage.
The rules are a bit different. You can play off of other information via links to competitors. You can have a more personal and conversational (but not necessarily opinionated) voice. Plus, a blog is an ongoing conversation. You tell a story post-by-post, rather than all at once.
What is a blog? There are several common characteristics:
-- It's frequently updated.
-- It's written in a conversational style.
-- It's in reverse-chronological order, with the newest stuff on top.
-- It links to other news and information found on the Web.
-- It's more analytical.
-- There are reader comments appended to the end of each blog post.
To get started, first we must know the form. Before you wrote your first news story, you probably read one, to see what a finished one should look like. Do the same thing here: read other blogs.
Notice which posts you like. Ask yourself, what makes those posts compelling? Note which ideas you can borrow or incorporate. Notice the frequency of the posts. Are they as frequent as you'd like? Are they too frequent? Is there too much information to keep up with?
There are several keys to the mechanics of blogging. First, write tight and quick. Get to your point immediately. There is no set length for a blog post, but 100-400 words is a good target. If you have a lot to say, you can always write a second related post! And a third. And so on.
Plus, think email: think of it as an email to someone you know. Think about a long-winded email you received -- that's what you want to avoid.
Also, link, summarize and analyze. You need attribution and background, like with a news story. But here, attribution and background come via hyperlinking. So, hyperlink frequently to offer background, instead of stuffing that background in the next of your blog.
And, be the authority, but with a personality. Write it in the way you'd talk to someone about a story you wrote. Make it conversational. Sound like a human being, and not a lecturer.
Be short with posts. I cannot say this enough. You are a middle man, linking sources (like links) to readers. Let the links fill in the blanks, and the background. No need to write it all in the post when people can just click on the links for more info. And again, you can always write another post!
Use photos and screen shots to illustrate your posts. Keep in mind, you cannot simply take an image you found on the Web and use it. That's likely a copyright violation if you do so without permission (and even if you give credit without having first received permission!) It's best to use your own photos, or clip art, or to get permission before using a photo or image you find online.
Post often. At least once a day. If you have a blog worth reading and writing, you should have plenty to write about. A blog is like a friend; you build a relationship by frequently sharing new thoughts. A blog that's rarely updated is like a friend with nothing new to say.
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