Blogging

I actually like to write so I've tried blogging a few times.  I started with a blog called Do I like Writing? 30 Days to Find Out where I gave it a shot.  Then, I continued with blogs called the Social Media Rook and Vacilando.  However, I just couldn't generate momentum and find my voice.  I really liked doing it, but I didn't know why I was doing it.  But since I started my social media/PR internship at the National Veterans Art Museum, I am about to start a blog about PTSD called Shell Shocked and I finally feel like I have generated some interest about it. 

So what makes good blog practices?  I actually subscribed to a course called Start A Blog That Matters run by Corbett Barr, who is in charge of Think Traffic, to learn how to blog.  I actually learned a lot from it and I'm using these principles to hopefully succeed with Shell Shocked. 

The most important part is to have great content.  But not just great content, EPIC content.  As Corbett Barr says, "Write Epic Shit."  Mediocre and good writing is just the price of admission nowadays; anyone can publish a blog.  However, to have a good blog, you have to stand out from the crowd.  The internet is all about evoking emotion.  We are exposed to many things on the internet, that you truly have to do something to captivate us.  And we have the memories of goldfish, what is hot one minute will start to fade away in a few months.  Take a look at Gagnam Style or the Harlem Shake.  Those were the hottest things and, in just a matter of weeks, gone.  So you truly have to stand out from the crowd and get people's attention to have a great blog.  With Think Traffic, the blog posts are all relevant in how to get more people to pay attention to you.  As bloggers, we definitely don't want to be writing just for ourselves and a handful of friends; we want to make an impact on the world.

Also, targeting a niche is important.  If you target a niche, there is a purpose for the blog. If you just write for everyone, then no one will come.  Just imagine if Think Traffic was also writing about fantasy football.  It would get very confusing and it wouldn't garner as much traffic as it does now.  Identifying a niche can help develop a brand as well.  I also like to read the Art of Manliness and the Art of Non-Conformity.  Both these blogs have a specific theme to them.  They do attract the general public, but it started off with just a specific niche; Brett McKay of the Art of Manliness decided to write about men's issues, but not the superficial and shallow style that you'll find in Maxim or Men's Health and Chris Guillebeau of the Art of Non-Conformity just started by targeting those who like to travel and wanted to step away from the status quo.   

There are debates whether design is important as well.  I mean, you don't have to have flashes and amazing graphics to have a successful blog.  But I feel the most successful blogs have the simplest designs.  But you could have the most eye-appealing blog in the world, but if the content is not there, who cares?  You could have pictures of attractive people holding kittens on every post, but if your blog is all about what you ate on a daily basis, I'm really not going to care.  But then, some people would care, if it is well-written.  Or I could just stop by the blog for the pictures of attractive people with kittens. 

Also, a great blog is easy to share.  There should be links for readers to share on their Facebook, Twitter, or Google+.  I still don't mind copying and pasting the address to put on my Facebook status, but making it easy to share just makes it convenient for the readers and could even make it easy for your stuff to go viral. 

Overall, I feel that it is content that should be king.  You could have all the bells and whistles with fancy graphics and design, but it would mean nothing if you had crappy content.  Think about the blogs you read today and why you read them.  What if they had a $5 design template? Would you still read them? In my personal opinion, if the information was very valuable, I would keep coming back and I'm sure many readers would as well.