Writing for Blogs
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The document provides guidelines for writing effective blog posts, emphasizing the importance of clear post titles, scannable content, and audience awareness. It recommends using plain language, minimizing redundancy, and structuring information for easy navigation, highlighting key points in a concise manner. Additionally, it suggests collaborative efforts in website setup and invites exercises for evaluating blog posts.
Writing for Blogs
- 2. Focus Words & Writing Blog Post Layout Post Titles Emphasis & Links X Design X Site Structure Best practice guidelines not hard-and-fast rules
- 3. Print vs Web? Groups 3-mins Differences between print and web Physical Behaviour
- 4. Key Differences Physical Shape Control Navigation Behaviour Users not readers Scan first; sometimes read Impatient
- 6. EXERCISE Your audience & their purpose
- 7. Personas
- 8. PICTURE YOUR BLOG What do your readers see first ?
- 10. Post Titles Appeal to your audience Simple. Specific. Short? Easy to understand Tell as much of the story as you can Entice, don’t tease Spend time writing them
- 11. Post Titles that work Strong Opinion Meet a need, express a benefit How-to News / Announcements Conversational: “You” Questions & Statements
- 12. EXERCISE Evaluating Post Titles
- 13. Post Slugs Remove “fluff” from your web addresses Warning: Don’t edit them retrospectively
- 14. 1280 x 1024 1024 x 768 1024 x 600
- 15. Journalist’s Inverted Pyramid “ Above the fold” Most Academic writing
- 16. Post Summaries Always start with a summary Keep it short (1-3 sentences) Highlight key points Purpose Ideally: Get your reader to the next paragraph! If not: they have a summary to take away
- 17. F-Shaped Reading Pattern http://www.useit.com/alertbox/reading_pattern.html
- 18. Scannability Headings Sub-headings Short paragraphs Lists – numbered or bulleted Start with information-carrying words First 2 wor ds (or 11-ish characters) count most
- 19. Emphasis (in main text) Useful for scanning But too much is distracting Which ones are best? CAPITALS Bold Italic Underline Colour
- 20. X Click here to view the student video diary X View the student video diary here View the student video diary Links Add links in the main text Supplement your writing Support your points Other posts on your blog
- 22. Links in Main Text Link with page titles or similar Unambiguous Don’t make me think! Descriptive Don’t over link, it’s distracting
- 23. Language Use plain language Avoid jargon, slang and clichés Expand acronyms Limit similes, metaphors Limit humour Conversational Active vs passive voice Eliminate redundancy Proof read
- 24. Active Voice Use active voice , not passive voice Start with who; then what Passive : Social security taxes must be paid monthly by employers Active : Employers must pay social security taxes monthly
- 25. Keep it brief Remove redundancy Use single words where possible Short words, sentences and paragraphs! Setting up your website involves co-operative collaboration between the various members of a team, such as the designer and the commissioner, for example. The method is a simple one. 29 words
- 26. Keep it brief Remove redundancy Use single words where possible Short words, sentences and paragraphs! Creating your website involves collaboration between team members, such as the designer and the commissioner. The method is simple. 19 words
- 27. EXERCISE Redundancy & Re-writing Posts
- 28. EXERCISE Evaluating blog posts In pairs comment on what works / what doesn’t
- 29. Summary Users scan, sometimes read Know your audience and their purpose Post Titles really matter Lead with key information Structure for Scanning Plain language Remove redundancy
- 30. FURTHER RESOURCES http:// www.diigo.com/list/mattlingard/writing-for-blogs