“Advice from Famous Authors a Blog Writer Could Use Today” plus 1 more

Advice from Famous Authors a Blog Writer Could Use Today

Posted: 20 Nov 2012 12:06 PM PST

This guest post is by Colin Olson of Fresh Essays.

Every high-school superstar longs to follow in his sport hero's footsteps. Small business owners idolize those on the Fortune 500 list. Likewise, blog writers can hope for the greatness of past literary giants.

While many of the world's most famous authors are long gone, their words of wisdom still resonate today. Listen to the advice these famous authors have left for blog writers.

"What I try to do is write… And it might be just the most boring and awful stuff. But I try. When I'm writing, I write. And then it's as if the muse is convinced that I'm serious and says, 'Okay. Okay. I'll come.' "—Maya Angelou

When writing an article, just let the thoughts flow. Constantly stopping and starting will break your train of thought. Don't stop to correct typos, grammar errors or punctuation mistakes. All the editing can be done later. Don't pause while writing to go looking for facts and statistics. Do all the fact-checking at once.

"If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it."—Elmore Leonard

One of the most unique features of a blog is the laid-back, conversational tone that can be implemented. Blogging is a chance for customers to see the person behind the brand.

Don't be stuffy, pompous, or too formal. Engage readers in a conversation.

"If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn't brood. I'd type a little faster."—Isaac Asimov

A great way to earn loyal readers is to provide content no one else is willing to discuss.

Sit down and make a list of all the controversial topics, hard-to-answer questions, and pressing issues that are related to your industry. Then, write content to address each item on the list.

Be the first one to talk about the touchy subjects, and readers will come to trust and appreciate what you have to offer.

"I try to leave out the parts that people skip."—Elmore Leonard

Blog readers tend to be skimmers. They like grabbing bits and pieces of information. So make that process easier for them.

Use headings, bullets and lists. Keep paragraphs to a few sentences; big chunks of text can be intimidating.

"A short story must have a single mood and every sentence must build towards it."—Edgar Allen Poe

When writing blog posts, be concise. Choose one topic and stick to it. Wander too far off on a tangent and readers will be lost.

"There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed."—Ernest Hemingway

Write about topics that are interesting. If you wouldn't want to read it, no one else will either. And make sure blog posts have genuinely helpful information. Readers who are subjected to constant product pitches won't stick around for long.

Write about topics people are passionate about—topics that they hold dear to their hearts.

"Quantity produces quality. If you only write a few things, you're doomed."—Ray Bradbury

Nothing says, "I don't care," like a dormant blog. At the very least, bloggers need to post once a week. Readers who always find the same old posts won't bother to come back again.

Also, try to be consistent about when your posts appear. Use the site's analytics to determine when readers stop by. Then, post on that day(s). If posts appear sporadically, readers won't know what to expect.

Don't be afraid to tell readers when a post is coming, too. Make a simple announcement on your social networks.

"Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print. Never use a long word where a short one will do. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out. Never use the passive where you can use the active. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent."—George Orwell

Blog writing is different from just about any other type of writing for one very simple reason—it is global. Loyal readers can come from any corner of the world, and for many, English is a second language.

Make blogs post simple to read. Avoid clichés—not everyone will understand them. Even posts that are translated into a native tongue will benefit from clear, concise, accurate language.

Check out these two great resources to learn more about passive and active voice and commonly misused English words.

"Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia".—Kurt Vonnegut

Have a target audience, and write for that audience.

For a business blogger, the target audience is not the bigwigs with corner offices who sign the paychecks. Writing to please them is a big no-no. And a target audience of "women," isn't specific enough.

Narrow down the target audience until it seems there could only be one possible person in the world who fits that description.

"Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible….Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why…"—Kurt Vonnegut

Get to the point quickly. Readers shouldn't have to wade through half the article before coming to the main point. Tell the readers what they’ll get from the article within the first few sentences.

"Cut out all those exclamation marks. An exclamation mark is like laughing at your own joke."—F. Scott Fitzgerald

After writing a post, go back and proofread it. Not only do spelling errors and grammar mistakes need to be caught, punctuation blunders should be noted too.

Overuse of comas can be distracting. Long, ugly sentences that would benefit from semicolons are annoying too. Consider consulting the AP Stylebook. At the very least, note AP style calls for only one space after a period or colon. Numbers ten and under should be spelled out (with the exception of age: a 5-year-old boy).

"Read, read, read. Read everything—trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You'll absorb it. Then, write."—William Faulkner

Reading the content of other industry leaders can provide useful information. First, insight will be gained as to what the competitors are up to. Second, inspiration can be found on other sites. Lastly, valuable lessons can be learned about what not to do!

There is no better way to end this article than by sharing G.K. Chesterton's words: "I owe my success to having listened respectfully to the very best advice, and then going away and doing the exact opposite."

This post was written by Colin Olson. He is a content writer and editor at Fresh Essays – an online writing services provider. He likes to write essays on history and education related topics.

Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger

Advice from Famous Authors a Blog Writer Could Use Today

Branding Your Blog: You’re Doing it All Wrong

Posted: 20 Nov 2012 06:06 AM PST

This guest post is by Julie Cottineau of BrandTwist.

A while ago, on this very blog, I read a post about how to make a five-dollar logo for your blog.

There were a few things about that post I disagreed with, but chief among them was the assumption that a cheap logo was somehow all you needed to brand your blog.

A logo does not make a brand.

Logos are important, but what's most important is to have a crystal clear brand promise. This is important in every line of business, particularly in blogging, where competition is brutal and securing a loyal readership is the only way to make your overnight success last more than a few days.

Your brand promise should be felt in every single post

The most important part of your brand is largely invisible—at least, at first.

It’s the promise you make to a visitor the first time you meet.

It is more than just a half-hearted promise to try and be interesting and entertaining. It is a promise to deliver a specific and predictable result every time.

Whether you commit to always making your reader laugh out loud or go into deep thought, to giving her investment advice she can act on immediately, or a gluten-free recipe that her children will like, your brand is the one aspect of your blog or business that people can always trust that you will never compromise on.

Don’t try to do everything yourself

It should be said that DIY brands rarely look as good, or work as well, as the owners think they do. On the contrary, 100% homemade brands often look unprofessional and unreliable.

Unless you’re an expert marketer, designer, copywriter, and web developer in addition to your day job, there are lots of things you don’t know and skills you don’t have. You should admit that to yourself, and invest in some outside expertise. It doesn't have to break the bank. You can pick one area and start there, but please do make building your brand a priority.

It's what sets you apart, helps readers quickly understand what you are about, and creates loyal followers.

If you really only have $5 to spend

If you really don’t have more than $5 to spend on design, you’ll be better off spending your fiver at Starbucks. After all, you’re not very likely to get a good logo and visual identity for that kind of money.

So sit down with your grande latte and your free wifi, and be sure to take in your surroundings, because there aren’t many who do brand as well as Starbucks.

What's special about Starbucks is not just the coffee. It's that they stand for way more than that. Their brand promise is about community and you can feel that in every single touchpoint, from the comfy chairs, to the online community.

Think about how your brand can show (not tell) what it stands for, like Starbucks does. Even if you exist only in the online world, the types of topics you cover, the products you offer, and the other blogs you link to all serve to create an impression for your brand.

Color can be a great differentiator

Another thing you can learn from Starbucks is the effective use of color. You can see that green from miles away, and instantly recognize the store as a Starbucks.

So take a few minutes to pick a fresh color scheme for your brand. Something that really makes you stand out in your space. Your colors shouldn’t conflict with the promise you’ve made—for example, a site promising inner peace and a site promising playfulness should probably choose different colors—but that’s the only rule.

Almost everything is allowed, and bravery is usually rewarded.

Start out with a single, strong color you’d like to use, then use a tool like Kuler to find other colors that go well with it.

Ideally, you’ll put together a palette of colors that is uniquely yours, instantly recognizable to anyone who knows it, and that you can find ways to implement on your blog, across your social media properties, and in your product designs, both online and offline. Be creative.

Watch your tone of voice

It's no coincidence that Starbucks has its own language (including words like barrista, grande, frappe, and so on.). This vocabulary helps support the brand’s promise that this is not your run-of-the-mill coffee shop.

Think about your blog's tone of voice. Is it authentic, distinctive, and consistent? Are you falling into the trap of over-complicating things with big, boring words, and overused jargon? Are you conveying your personality and making it easy for people to understand what you are offering and why they should care?

There is a lot of brand power in the way we say things, not just in what we say. Have someone else look at each of your posts before it goes up and make sure you are choosing words wisely. We all know how hard it is to edit our own work.

Invest in your brand—with money, time, and creativity

Now, these are some quick tips. There's a lot more to learn about brand. But the key message is that it’s always a good idea to invest in your brand. If you don’t have the money to invest, at least invest the time and energy to learn, and the thought and creativity to do a good job with what you have.

How’s your brand looking? Share your ideas for blog branding in the comments.

Julie Cottineau is former VP of Brand at Virgin and executive at Interbrand. Recently she founded her own brand consultancy, BrandTwist, to help small businesses and entrepreneurs, and will soon launch Brand School, an online course about building, growing and monetizing a brand.

Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger

Branding Your Blog: You’re Doing it All Wrong