Do you want to become more comfortable blogging? Crafting a strategy to post interesting posts frequently can be a challenge. Here are 6 articles from expert bloggers who discuss how to generate useful posts, how to get over the need to be perfect, and how to get your ideas out there as often as you can.
1. “How to write 3 blog posts in one day” by Chris Brogan (writes 4000 words per day!). Chris encourages readers to get over the need for everything to be perfect in order to write, but to instead find pockets of time to write. You can do this if you keep a notebook in your back pocket, take photos of interesting things, use Evernote to capture your thoughts, etc. He advises that you get into the habit of seeing everything with curious eyes, and show the world what you are seeing. He also says not to be afraid to write clunkers, and write imperfectly…
2. “How to write a great blogpost in 15 minutes” by Nerma Moore
Nerma recommends developing an organizational format for each of your articles (so you don’t have to think about this each time). She says to keep a bank of headlines (questions, quotes, short story title spoofs, stats). She of course says to time yourself, and strive to write short, comprehensible sentences — then, step away from the computer. She says to “think progression, not perfection.”
3. “5 simple ways to open your blog post with a bang” by Brian Clark.
Brian outlines 5 ways to start your blog posts. The most interesting ideas were to share an anecdote that will make people laugh, and use words like “Imagine” or “Picture this” or “Do you remember when…” I think I could also have fun with using analogies, metaphors, or similes, as he suggested, especially if I can conclude the article with a tie back to the beginning. Fantastic read!
4. “The reason you are stuck” by Seth Godin.
“You must find something SO IMPORTANT that it is worth enraging your prehistoric fears, SO IMPORTANT that you can’t sleep until it ships, SO IMPORTANT that yes, you are willing to go through all the hoops Leo lays out for you in order to ship. Either that, or you could be mediocre instead.”
5. “How to write an executive summary” by Eric Markowitz.
Eric starts out his article with a 2 sentence sub-headline, that summarizes why you should read the article — great technique! He also advises that the executive summary should tell readers what it is that you do, and why they should read the rest of your text, proposal, results, report, etc. He says your first sentence is the executive summary of the executive summary, and that you should tailor your summary to your audience (much like you tailor a resume to a job description). Your summary should strike a chord with your readers, and describe how you’re report is special/unique in a certain way. Finally, I really liked his idea to create an executive summary that matches the outline of your report, and to include a section called Why Now, to show the urgency of reading the report. Great ideas!
6. “Rethink your web presence” by Chris Brogan.
Chris says we need to think about what users want when they come to our Web site, Twitter page, LinkedIn page, Facebook page, etc. First, we need to spell out who we want to come to our sites. Next, we need to identify how they will know they belong there. After that, we need to show what we want them to do — and make this really obvious. Finally, we need to explain how they can stay in touch with us. Great tips!
What materials have you read about how to write better? Please feel free to share in the comments!
Bonus Articles:
“Elements of a Good LinkedIn Recommendation” by Chris Brogan
“How to write Better Linked In Recommendations” by Lisa B. Marshall