More blog, less blah

Blarghification: “Blogs, blogs, blogs, blogs. Everyone has one these days, but very few of them are actually worth reading or paying attention to. The majority of blogs are pretty ‘blah’, so the next time you have to talk somebody out of creating a blog that they’ll never update, just lament the ‘blarghification’ of the Internet.”

Fair point or not? Personally, I view poor blogs as a chance for good blogs to shine by comparison.

Here’s a few pointers to make your blogs ‘glow’:

1. Think like a reporter

“Did Greece have a ‘madman’ strategy?” – BBC News website headline, 15th July

This headline grabbed my attention today, so I opened it and read on:

“Was the Greek negotiating strategy with the Eurogroup designed to convince the rest of Europe that the Syriza government was mad?”

So, in the first couple of lines, this blog ticks the boxes with:

• A good title, or hook.
• An introductory summary which establishes the argument to be discussed in the rest of the blog

Reporters, be they on radio, on tv, or in newspapers, have to attract a reader’s attention from the outset, so if you’re stuck, just take a moment to look around you – good ‘blog’ examples are everywhere.

2. Be topical

Think about it – we’re surrounded by marketing.

Good marketing has a context; e.g. in summer time we drink rosé wine, attend BBQ’s, lament the English weather…etc, so we are marketed to with those emotions in mind – sounds natural doesn’t it?

So, give your blog a context and relate it back to your product or service – it could be sporting-related (the Open Golf, the Ashes), weather-related (hot days, muggy nights, thunderstorms), politically-related (Grexit, EU referendums) or anything you like. Just be topical.

3. Start with a bang

Most people are taught in school to start with an ‘Introduction’, work through their key arguments logically in the ‘Main Body’, and summarise at the end into a ‘Conclusion’.

Fine, but you’re not being marked by an examiner, you’re trying to be read.

This means being punchy and concise, hence as per #1 ‘Think like a reporter’, put your main argument upfront – don’t be afraid of being provocative, assertive, or short on detail….you can expand upon this later on.

4. Remember your angles

Or put another way, ‘Remember to engage with your audience’. 

Your angle could as per #2 ‘Be topical‘, or it could be your unique viewpoint, or it could be your Call To Action – in any event, it’s what makes it YOUR blog and hence YOUR reason for writing the blog in the first place.

Follow these guidelines and you’re be well on the way to blogging rather than blarghing.