Basic Blogging Rules
Blogging is about writing. Although blogging is a less-formal medium than traditional publishing, the same basic rules apply. Ensure the success of your blog by following these basic blogging rules:
Check your spelling
Nothing screams unprofessional more than terrible spelling. If you can’t be bothered with your own work, why would a client trust you with theirs?
Get to the point
Say what you need to say in the first paragraph. You’ve got, at most, three or four seconds to keep readers interested. Respect your reader’s time by getting to the point immediately.
Provide evidence
Blogs are about opinions. Everyone has an opinion. Opinions are valuable, provided that they are based on facts. Base your opinions on facts and identifiable resources - and your readers will value what you have to say.
Wordy thought for today:
A tiger’s paw prints are called pug marks.
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Photo credits
Submitted by admin on Fri, 05/08/2009 - 09:14.I can see why your post "The Radioactive Resume" attracts readers. Great title!
I'm quite careful with photos. I often use www.sxc.hu and download photos under their general use category for free. Most of the time, the photographers do not expect credit. However, I also buy photos online. Some sites have great $1 bins and I reuse the photos.
If I am after a particular image, I contact the photographer, explain why I want it and ask permission to use it. If permission is granted, I say something like: Photograph used with kind permission of <name> on 12 April 2009. This has worked very well for my clients' corporate newsletters. I also make sure I save the email to cover myself should there be an enquiry.
I like your idea about crediting the photographer when hovering the mouse over an image - I may do that in the future.
Thanks for your comment and happy blogging!
Joanne
Blog titles, first paragraph and credits
Submitted by Laurie Phillips (not verified) on Thu, 05/07/2009 - 22:22.I've found that if the title is quirky it makes the reader curious. "The Radioactive Resume" (http://www.deadcompanyclub.com/2009/04/06/the-radioactive-resume/) is one of my most popular posts.
The first sentence has to suck the reader in too. Letting the reader be a voyeur is a grabber. "When I lived in..." and "I hadn't planned on..." were the first sentences of a couple of posts that have attracted attention too.
I'm a little lost though on how to give credit for photos. Should I state the photographer's name explicitly in the post, or include it when you mouse over the photo? What has worked for you?